Pinnacle Systems Pro Tools HD - 8.0 Setup Guide

Setup Guide

Pro Tools|HD

Version 8.0

Legal Notices

This guide is copyrighted ©2008 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.

003, 96 I/O, 96i I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 192 I/O, 888|24 I/O, 882|20 I/O, 1622 I/O, 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O, AudioSuite, Avid, Avid DNA, Avid Mojo, Avid Unity, Avid Unity ISIS, Avid Xpress, AVoption, Axiom, Beat Detective, Bomb Factory, Bruno, C|24, Command|8, Control|24, D-Command, D-Control, D-Fi, D-fx, D-Show, D-Verb, DAE, Digi 002, DigiBase, DigiDelivery, Digidesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction, Digidesign TDM Bus, DigiDrive, DigiRack, DigiTest, DigiTranslator, DINR, D-Show, DV Toolkit, EditPack, Eleven, HD Core, HD Process, Hybrid, Impact, Interplay, LoFi, M-Audio, MachineControl, Maxim, Mbox, MediaComposer, MIDI I/O, MIX, MultiShell, Nitris, OMF, OMF Interchange, PRE, ProControl, Pro Tools M-Powered, Pro Tools, Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, QuickPunch, Recti-Fi, Reel Tape, Reso, Reverb One, ReVibe, RTAS, Sibelius, Smack!, SoundReplacer, Sound Designer II, Strike, Structure, SYNC HD, SYNC I/O, Synchronic, TL Aggro, TL AutoPan, TL Drum Rehab, TL Everyphase, TL Fauxlder, TL In Tune, TL MasterMeter, TL Metro, TL Space, TL Utilities, Transfuser, Trillium Lane Labs, Vari-Fi Velvet, X-Form, and XMON are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology, Inc. Xpand! is Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice.

Guide Part Number 9106-59124-00 REV A 11/08

Documentation Feedback

At Digidesign, we're always looking for ways to improve our documentation. If you have comments, corrections, or suggestions regarding our documentation, email us at

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DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

We, Digidesign,

2001 Junipero Serra Blvd.

Daly City, California 94014-3886, USA

650-731-6100

declare under our sole responsibility that the product

HD Core, HD Process, or HD Accel

complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules.

Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Communication Statement

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 A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES003

Cet appareil numérique de la classe A est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada

Australian Compliance

European Compliance

Digidesign is authorized to apply the CE (Conformité Europénne) mark on this compliant equipment thereby declaring conformity to EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC.

Chapter 1. Welcome to Pro Tools|HD

Pro Tools|HD Systems

Pro Tools|HD System Packages

Pro Tools HD Capabilities

Pro Tools Hardware Overview

System Requirements and Compatibility

Digidesign Registration

Conventions Used in This Guide

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Chapter 2. Installing Pro Tools on Windows

Installation Overview

Installing Pro Tools Hardware

Installing Pro Tools HD Software

Launching Pro Tools

Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc

Uninstalling Pro Tools

Chapter 3. Installing Pro Tools on Mac

Installation Overview

Installing Pro Tools Hardware

Installing Pro Tools HD Software

Launching Pro Tools

Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc

Uninstalling Pro Tools

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Contents

Chapter 4. Configuring Your Pro Tools System

Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System

Checking the System

Configuring Pro Tools Software

Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools

Optimizing a Mac System for Pro Tools

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Chapter 5. Making Studio Connections

Setting Up Your Studio

Example Studio Setup with a Mixing Console

Example Studio Setup without a Mixing Console

Connecting Equipment with Digital Audio Ins and Outs

Connecting Effects Units

Connecting MIDI Devices

Connecting SMPTE Synchronization Devices

Connecting Ethernet Control Surfaces

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Appendix A. Connecting SCSI Drives

SCSI Requirements

Connecting SCSI Drives

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Appendix B. Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance

Avoid Recording to the System Drive

Supported Drive Formats and Drive Types

Formatting an Audio Drive

Partitioning Drives

Defragmenting an Audio Drive

Using Mac Drives on Windows Systems

Hard Disk Storage Space

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Appendix C. Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only)

MIDI Studio Setup

MIDI Patch Name Support

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide

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Appendix D. Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only)

Audio MIDI Setup

MIDI Patch Name Support

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Appendix E. DSP-Induced Delays in Mixing

Introduction to DSP-Induced Delay

Using Delay Compensation

Delay Factors

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Appendix F. TDM Mixing and DSP Usage

Benefits of TDM II

DSP Allocation

DSP Usage and Mixer Plug-Ins

DSP Usage with TDM Plug-Ins

Appendix G. Troubleshooting

Backing Up Your Work

Common Issues

Using DigiTest as a Diagnostic Tool

Performance Factors

Before You Call Digidesign Technical Support

Appendix H. Resources

About the Pro Tools Guides

About www.digidesign.com

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Index

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Contents

vii

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide

viii

chapter 1

Welcome to Pro Tools|HD

Welcome to Pro Tools|HD®. Pro Tools|HD audio cards and interfaces bring high-definition digital audio recording, editing, signal processing, mixing, and I/O capabilities to Pro Tools.

This guide covers installation and configuration of Pro Tools|HD hardware and Pro Tools ware on Windows and Mac platforms.

soft-

Pro Tools|HD Systems

Pro Tools software supports the following systems:

Pro Tools|HD (for PCIe) Systems

Pro Tools|HD (for PCIe) systems are available in the following configurations:

Pro Tools|HD 1 (for PCIe)

• Accel Core (for PCIe) card

Pro Tools|HD 2 Accel (for PCIe)

• Accel Core (for PCIe) card

• HD Accel (for PCIe) card

Pro Tools|HD (for PCI) Systems

Pro Tools|HD (for PCI) systems are available in the following configurations:

Pro Tools|HD 1 (for PCI)

• HD Core (for PCI) card

Pro Tools|HD 2 Accel (for PCI)

• HD Core (for PCI) card

• HD Accel (for PCI) card

Pro Tools|HD 3 Accel (for PCI)

• HD Core (for PCI) card

• Two HD Accel (for PCI) cards

Pro Tools also supports earlier Pro Tools|HD 2 (for PCI) and Pro Tools|HD 3 (for PCI) systems. These systems shipped with HD Process cards instead of HD Accel cards

Pro Tools HD supports more than three HD cards in certain system configurations. For more information, see the Expanded Systems Guide.

Pro Tools|HD 3 Accel (for PCIe)

• Accel Core (for PCIe) card

• Two HD Accel (for PCIe) cards

Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools|HD

Pro Tools|HD System Packages

All Pro Tools|HD systems include the following:

• Pro Tools|HD card(s)

• Pro Tools Installer disc containing Pro Tools software, DigiRack

™

RTAS

(Real-Time AudioSuite), and Audio-

™

Suite

plug-ins

• Pre-authorized iLok for running Pro Tools HD

• This

Setup Guide

conﬁguration of Pro Tools|HD systems

•

Pro Tools Reference Guide

mentation

• DigiLink cable for connecting the primary card to an audio interface

• TDM FlexCables (multi-card systems only) to connect the cards to each other

• Digidesign Registration Information Card

All Pro Tools|HD systems also require at least one Digidesign rately). See “Audio Interfaces” on page 6.

, covering installation and

audio interface (sold sepa-

™

TDM,

and other docu-

Pro Tools HD Capabilities

Pro Tools HD on Windows or Mac provides the following capabilities:

• Up to a total of 256 audio tracks, 160 Auxiliary Input tracks, 64 Master Fader tracks, 128 VCA Master tracks, 256 MIDI tracks, 128 Instrument tracks, and 64 video tracks per session

• 16-bit or 24-bit audio resolution, at sample rates up to 192 kHz

• Non-destructive, random-access editing and mix automation

• Audio processing with up to 10 TDM or RTAS plug-ins per track, depending on your computer’s capabilities

• Up to 10 hardware inserts per track

• Up to 10 sends per track

• Up to 128 internal busses for routing and mixing

The number of simultaneous tracks of audio recording or playback depends on the type of Pro Tools|HD system.

For more information on the print, electronic, and web-based resources available to help you use Pro Tools, see Appendix H, “Resources.”

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide

Audio Recording and Playback Capabilities

Pro Tools|HD 1 (for PCIe and PCI)

Pro Tools|HD 1 systems provide recording and playback of 24-bit or 16-bit audio ﬁles with the following track counts:

• Up to 96 tracks at 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz

• Up to 48 tracks at 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz

• Up to 18 tracks (for PCIe) or 12 tracks (for PCI) at 176.4 kHz or 192 kHz

Pro Tools|HD 2 Accel and HD 3 Accel (for PCIe and PCI)

Pro Tools|HD 2 Accel and HD 3 Accel systems provide recording and playback of 24-bit or 16-bit audio ﬁles with the following track counts:

• Up to 192 tracks at 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz

• Up to 96 tracks at 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz

• Up to 36 tracks at 176.4 kHz or 192 kHz

Non-HD Accel Systems (for PCI)

Pro Tools|HD 2 and HD 3 systems (original Pro Tools|HD systems with no HD Accel cards) provide recording and playback of 24-bit or 16-bit audio ﬁles with the following track counts:

• Up to 128 tracks at 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz

• Up to 64 tracks at 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz

• Up to 24 tracks at 176.4 kHz or 192 kHz

Pro Tools Hardware Overview

This section describes each hardware component of a Pro Tools|HD system. The number of Pro Tools|HD cards in your system will differ depending on your system conﬁguration.

Pro Tools|HD (for PCIe) Hardware

Accel Core (for PCIe) Card

All Pro Tools|HD (for PCIe) systems include an Accel Core (for PCIe) card.

The Accel Core (for PCIe) card provides up to 96 tracks of direct-to-disk recording and playback, as well as DSP power for mixing and plug-in processing. The Accel Core (for PCIe) card supports up to 24-bit and up to 192 kHz sessions.

DigiLink

DigiSerial

Accel Core (for PCIe) card

DigiLink Port The Accel Core (for PCIe) card includes a single DigiLink port for connecting up to 32 channels of audio input and output to your Pro Tools|HD system.

DigiSerial Port The DigiSerial port on the Accel Core (for PCIe) card is for connecting a Digidesign SYNC peripheral. This connector is an 8-pin mini-DIN.

The DigiSerial port on an Accel Core (for PCIe) card does not support MachineControl connections.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools|HD 3

HD Accel (for PCIe) Card

Pro Tools|HD (for PCI) Hardware

The HD Accel (for PCIe) card is included in Pro Tools|HD 2 Accel (for PCIe) and Pro Tools|HD 3 Accel (for PCIe) systems. The HD Accel (for PCIe) card is an expansion card, and requires the presence of at least one Accel Core (for PCIe) card.

The HD Accel (for PCIe) card provides additional channels of direct-to-disk recording and playback, as well as additional DSP power for mixing and plug-in processing. The HD Accel (for PCIe) card supports sessions up to 24-bit and up to 192 kHz.

DigiLink

HD Accel (for PCIe) card

DigiLink Port The HD Accel (for PCIe) card includes a single DigiLink port for connecting up to 32 channels of audio input and output to your Pro Tools|HD system.

DigiSerial Port The DigiSerial port on the HD Accel (for PCIe) card does not offer any functionality.

HD Core (for PCI) Card

All Pro Tools|HD (for PCI) systems include an HD Core (for PCI) card.

The HD Core (for PCI) card provides up to 96 tracks of direct-to-disk recording and playback, as well as DSP power for mixing and plug-in processing. The HD Core (for PCI) card supports up to 24-bit and up to 192 kHz sessions.

DigiLink

DigiSerial

HD Core (for PCI) card

DigiLink Port The HD Core (for PCI) card includes a single DigiLink port for connecting up to 32 channels of audio input and output to your Pro Tools|HD system.

DigiSerial Port The DigiSerial port on the HD Core (for PCI) card is for connecting a Digidesign SYNC peripheral. This connector is an 8-pin mini-DIN.

The DigiSerial port on an HD Core (for PCI) card does not support MachineControl connections.

If your HD Core (for PCI) card has two DigiSerial ports, use the DigiSerial port closest to the DigiLink connector.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide4

HD Accel (for PCI) Card

TDM FlexCable

The HD Accel (for PCI) card is included in Pro Tools|HD 2 Accel (for PCI) and Pro Tools|HD 3 Accel (for PCI) systems. The HD Accel (for PCI) card is an expansion card, and requires the presence of at least one HD Core (for PCI) card.

The HD Accel (for PCI) card provides additional tracks of direct-to-disk recording and playback, as well as additional DSP power for mixing and plug-in processing. The HD Accel (for PCI) card supports sessions up to 24-bit and up to 192 kHz.

DigiLink

HD Accel (for PCI) card

DigiLink Port The HD Accel (for PCI) card includes a single DigiLink port for connecting up to 32 channels of audio input and output to your Pro Tools|HD system.

The TDM FlexCable is used to connect a pair of cards in your Pro Tools system so they can share data along the TDM bus. One FlexCable comes with each expansion card.

The TDM FlexCable is a flexible printed circuit board with delicate traces. Do not overbend, twist, or pinch the cable. Doing so may cause unpredictable behavior in Pro Tools as well as harm to your system.

TDM FlexCable

DigiSerial Port The DigiSerial port on the HD Accel (for PCI) card does not offer any functionality.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools|HD 5

Audio Interfaces

To record and play audio you must have at least one of the following Digidesign audio interfaces:

192 I/O Audio Interface

• Supports sample rates up to 192 kHz. (At least one 192 I/O connected to your Pro Tools|HD system for 192 kHz recording, processing, and playback.)

• Supports both analog and digital connections, including AES/EBU, S/PDIF, TDIF, and ADAT Optical:

• Digital (Digital I/O Card): 8 channels, DB25 (AES/EBU and TDIF), or one pair of Lightpipe (ADAT Optical) connectors. Expandable up to 16 channels digital I/O with the addition of the 192 Digital expansion card.

• Analog: 8 channels, DB-25 (balanced) connectors, inputs selectable between +4 dBu or –10 dBV, outputs +4 dBu only. Expandable up to 16 analog inputs or 16 outputs using an optional 192 AD or 192 DA expansion card, respectively.

• Digital (Enclosure): 2 channels, XLR (AES/EBU) connectors; 2 channels RCA (S/PDIF) connectors.

• Optical (Enclosure): 8 channels, one pair of Lightpipe (ADAT Optical) connectors (switchable to 2 channels, S/PDIF).

• Loop Sync In and Out for connecting Pro Tools|HD interfaces and peripherals

• External Clock In and Out receive or send 1x Word clock (conﬁgurable to 256x for Legacy support, see “Optional Legacy I/O Audio Interfaces” on page 7).

™

or 192 Digital I/O™ must be

192 Digital I/O Audio Interface

• Supports sample rates up to 192 kHz. (At least one 192 I/O or 192 Digital I/O must be connected to your Pro Tools|HD system for 192 kHz recording, processing, and playback.)

• Supports digital connections, including AES/EBU, S/PDIF, TDIF, and ADAT Optical:

• Digital (2 Digital I/O Cards): 16 channels, DB-25 (AES/EBU and TDIF), or two pairs of Lightpipe (ADAT Optical) connectors.

• Digital (Enclosure): 2 channels, XLR (AES/EBU) connectors; 2 channels RCA (S/PDIF) connectors.

• Optical (Enclosure): 8 channels, one pair of Lightpipe (ADAT Optical) connectors (selectable to 2 channels, S/PDIF).

• Loop Sync In and Out for connecting Pro Tools|HD interfaces and peripherals

• External Clock In and Out receive or send 1x Word clock (conﬁgurable to 256x for Legacy support, see “Optional Legacy I/O Audio Interfaces” on page 7).

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide6

96 I/O Audio Interface

• Supports sample rates up to 96 kHz.

• Supports analog and digital connections, including AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and ADAT optical:

• Analog: 8 channels, 1/4-inch TRS (balanced or unbalanced) connectors, +4 dBu or –10 dBV

• Digital: 2 channels, XLR (AES/EBU) connectors; 2 channels, RCA (S/PDIF) connectors

• Optical: 8 channels, one pair of Lightpipe (ADAT Optical) connectors (switchable to 2 channels, S/PDIF)

• External Clock In and Out receive or send 1x Word clock (conﬁgurable to 256x for Legacy support, see “Optional Legacy I/O Audio Interfaces” on page 7)

96i I/O Audio Interface

• Supports sample rates up to 96 kHz

• 16 discrete channels of input, and 2 channels of output, with 4-segment LED meters on each channel. Audio inputs and outputs include:

• 16 channels of 24-bit, 96-kHz capable analog input, with adjustable input sensitivity

• 2 channels of 24-bit, 96-kHz capable analog output, with selectable operating level

• 2 channels of 24-bit, 96 kHz-capable digital S/PDIF RCA input and output

• Loop Sync In and Out for connecting Pro Tools|HD interfaces and peripherals

• External Clock In and Out receive or send 1x Word clock

Optional Legacy I/O Audio Interfaces

For additional input and output channels, older Digidesign audio interfaces (or Legacy I/Os) can be connected to the 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O, or

™

96 I/O interfaces). The following supported legacy interfaces can only be used with 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz sessions:

888|24 I/O Audio Interface

• Analog: 8 channels, XLR (balanced or unbal-

• Digital: 8 channels, XLR (AES/EBU) connec-

882|20 I/O Audio Interface

• Analog: 8 channels, 1/4-inch TRS (balanced or

• Digital: 2 channels, RCA (S/PDIF) connectors

1622 I/O Audio Interface

• Analog: 16 input channels and 2 output chan-

• Digital: 2 channels, RCA (S/PDIF) connectors.

Digidesign 24-bit ADAT Bridge I/O

• Optical: 16 channels, a pair of Lightpipe

• Analog output: 2 channels, 1/4-inch TRS (bal-

• Digital: 2 channels, XLR (AES/EBU); 2 chan-

(the 96i I/O™ does not support Legacy

anced) connectors, selectable between +4 dBu or –10 dBV

tors; 2 channels, RCA (S/PDIF) connectors

unbalanced) connectors, selectable between +4 dBu and –10 dBV

nels, 1/4-inch TRS (balanced or unbalanced) connectors. Inputs are selectable from +4 dBu to –10 dBV line levels and higher in 2 dB gain steps; outputs are selectable between +4 dBu or –10 dBV.

(ADAT) connectors.

anced) connectors, selectable between +4 dBu and –10 dBV.

nels RCA (S/PDIF) connectors.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools|HD 7

System Requirements and Compatibility

Pro Tools|HD systems can be used with a Digidesign-qualified Windows or Mac computer running Pro Tools HD software.

A DVD drive is required to use the Pro Tools Installer disc.

Hard Drive Requirements

For optimal audio recording and playback, all Pro Tools|HD systems require one or more Digidesign-qualified drives.

For general hard drive maintenance and configuration information, see Appendix B, “Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance.”

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

For complete system requirements and a list of Digidesign-qualified computers, operating systems, hard drives, and third-party devices, refer to the latest information on the Digidesign website:

www.digidesign.com/compatibility

MIDI Requirements

USB MIDI interfaces work effectively with Pro Tools systems on Windows or Mac. Serial MIDI interfaces are supported on Windows systems only.

Only USB MIDI interfaces are compatible with Pro Tools systems on Mac OS X. Modem-to-serial port adapters and serial MIDI devices are not supported.

For a list of supported adapters, refer to the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com/ compatibility).

If you are using one or more SCSI drives, refer to Appendix A, “Connecting SCSI Drives.”

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

For more information, see Appendix B, “Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance.”

Avoid Recording to the System Drive

Recording to your system drive is not recommended. Recording and playback on a system drive may result in lower track counts and fewer plug-ins.

Digidesign Registration

Review the enclosed Digidesign Registration Information Card and follow the instructions on it to quickly register your purchase online. This is one of the most important steps you can take as a new user. Registering your purchase is the only way you can be eligible to receive:

• Complimentary technical support

• Future upgrade offers

• Limited warranty on hardware

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide8

Conventions Used in This Guide

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

Convention Action

File > Save Choose Save from the

File menu

Control+N Hold down the Control

key and press the N key

Control-click Hold down the Control

key and click the mouse button

Right-click Click with the right

mouse button

The names of Commands, Options, and Settings that appear on-screen are in a different font.

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 Pro Tools session data or the performance of your Pro Tools system.

Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or mouse shortcuts.

Cross References point to related sections in the Pro Tools Guides.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools|HD 9

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide10

chapter 2

Installing Pro Tools on Windows

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

Before installing this version of Pro Tools, refer to the Read Me information included on the Pro Tools Installer disc.

Installation Overview

Installation of a Pro Tools|HD system on a Windows computer includes the following steps:

1 “Installing Pro Tools Hardware” on page 11.

This step includes:

• Disabling Driver Signing warnings.

• Installing and connecting Pro Tools|HD cards.

• Connecting audio interfaces

2 “Installing Pro Tools HD Software” on

page 18.

3 “Launching Pro Tools” on page 20.

4 Conﬁguring your system for improved perfor-

mance (see Chapter 4, “Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System”).

5 “Making Studio Connections” on page 63.

Installing Pro Tools Hardware

Disabling Driver Signing Warnings

(Windows XP Only)

Before you install Pro Tools|HD cards, temporarily disable the Driver Signing warning option for Windows XP. This expedites and automates much of the installation process. If you do not temporarily disable this option, warning messages (that you are installing an unsigned driver) will appear for each DSP chip detected during software installation.

To disable the warning option on Windows:

1 Right-click on My Computer and choose Proper-

ties.

2 Click the Hardware tab in the System Proper-

ties dialog.

3 Click the Driver Signing button.

4 Select “Ignore—Install the software anyway and

don’t ask for my approval.”

5 Click OK to close the Driver Signing Options

window.

6 Click OK to close the System Properties dialog.

7 Shut down the computer.

8 Proceed to “Installing Pro Tools|HD Cards” on

page 12.

Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Windows 11

Installing Pro Tools|HD Cards

This section shows how to install Pro Tools|HD cards into a Windows computer.

To install cards into an expansion chassis, see the

Expanded Systems Guide.

To install Pro Tools cards:

1 Turn off your computer and any peripherals.

Leave your computer’s power cable plugged in so the computer is grounded.

2 Disconnect all cables attached to the com-

puter (such as hard drives, displays, USB and FireWire devices) except for the power cable.

3 Open the computer case.

4 Remove the metal access port cover behind

the slot you want to use by removing the screw and sliding the cover out from the access port.

Before handling any card, discharge static electricity from your clothes or body by touching a grounded metal surface, such as the power supply case inside your computer.

5 Do one of the following depending on

whether your computer has PCIe or PCI card slots:

• Install the Accel Core (for PCIe) card in the ﬁrst PCIe slot.

– or –

• Install the HD Core (for PCI) card in the ﬁrst PCI slot.

6 If you are installing additional Pro Tools cards

(or other cards), skip to the next step. If you have no additional cards to install, do the following:

• Secure the card in place with the slot access port screw you removed earlier.

• Close the computer case.

• Skip to “Connecting Audio Interfaces” on page 14.

7 Do one of the following depending on

whether your computer has PCIe or PCI card slots:

• Install the ﬁrst HD Accel (for PCIe) card in the second PCIe slot.

– or –

• Install the ﬁrst HD Accel card (if any) in the second PCI slot.

8 Install any remaining HD Accel cards in the re-

maining consecutive PCIe or PCI slots.

9 For a computer with PCI card slots, install any

HD Process cards in the remaining consecutive PCI slots (64-bit or 32-bit).

10 If you are installing a SCSI host bus adapter

(HBA) card, install it in the highest-numbered remaining slot.

11 Check to be sure that your cards are installed

in the proper order for your system, starting with the lowest numeric slot:

• Display card for your computer monitor

• Accel Core card (for PCIe) or HD Core card (for PCI)

• HD Accel cards

• HD Process cards

• SCSI host bus adapter (HBA) card

12 Secure each card in place with the slot access

port screws you removed earlier.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide12

Connecting Pro Tools|HD Cards

In systems that include more than one card, you must connect all the Pro Tools|HD cards to each other with TDM FlexCables.

Each Pro Tools|HD card has two ports along the top of the card, labeled Port A and Port B. The FlexCable has two connectors, also labeled Port A and Port B, to ensure proper connection. Data communication across multiple cards is achieved by connecting Port B of the first card to Port A of the next card with a TDM FlexCable.

The first FlexCable always goes from Port B on the core card to Port A on the first expansion card, as described in the following steps.

To connect Pro Tools|HD cards:

1 Shape the FlexCable before installing it on the

card by holding the cable with its printed side facing you, and moving the Port B portion of the cable away from you and outwards, as shown below. Do not bend the cable more than you need to, as you may damage the traces in the cable.

2 Slide the FlexCable into the notch of the core

card, so that the Port B connector of the FlexCable can be aligned with Port B of the core card; and the Port A connector of the FlexCable can be aligned with Port A of the second card, as shown below.

PORT A

PORT B

PORT A

PORT B

PORT A

Inserting TDM FlexCable

3 Connect the Port A connector of the FlexCa-

ble to Port A on the second card. Push gently but ﬁrmly until the cable is fully connected to the card. Attach the other end of the FlexCable (labeled Port B) to Port B on the core card.

HD Core

PORT A

PORT B

Preparing TDM FlexCable for installation

PORT A

PORT B

HD Accel

Top view of two cards connected with TDM FlexCable

Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Windows 13

4 Verify the connection. Make sure the FlexCa-

ble ports seat ﬂat against the sockets on the cards, and are ﬁrmly attached.

PORT A

PORT B

PORT A

PORT B

Side view of two HD cards connected with TDM FlexCable

5 For systems with more than two cards, con-

nect each additional card to its preceding card. Use FlexCables to connect card pairs together, as described above, until all cards are connected. (Each HD Accel or HD Process card is packaged with a FlexCable.)

6 Close the computer case.

Connecting Audio Interfaces

Each Pro Tools|HD audio interface supplies up to 16 channels of input and output to your system. Audio interfaces are connected directly to Pro Tools|HD cards, or through the Expansion ports on other Pro Tools|HD interfaces.

Each Pro Tools|HD card supports up to 32 channels. To get a full 32 channels of I/O from one card, you can connect, or daisy-chain, a second 16-channel Pro Tools|HD I/O to the first Pro Tools|HD I/O that is connected directly to the Pro Tools|HD card.

For examples of connecting multiple I/Os, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 on page 15.

Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces need room at their sides to maintain proper air flow for cooling. Do not block the sides of the unit or disconnect the internal fan. If the units are rack-mounted in a case, remove the case lids or doors before operating the system. Failure to do so can result in the units overheating very quickly, which can permanently damage sensitive components.

Legacy I/Os can also be connected to Pro Tools|HD interfaces (see “Connecting Legacy I/Os” on page 16).

To connect Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces:

1 If you are using a single 192 I/O,

192 Digital I/O, 96 I/O, or 96i I/O, connect its Primary Port to the HD Core (for PCI) card with the DigiLink cable provided with the card. You must attach at least one 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 96 I/O, or 96i I/O to your system in order for Pro Tools to launch.

If you have at least one 192 I/O or 192 Digital I/O in your system configuration, it must be connected to the HD Core (for PCI) card as the primary interface.

2 Connect additional Pro Tools|HD audio inter-

faces to subsequent Digidesign audio cards, or daisy-chain the interfaces (by connecting the Primary Port of the secondary interface to the Expansion Port of the primary interface).

Pro Tools|HD supports up to a maximum of ten 192 I/Os, 192 Digital I/Os, or 96 I/Os. Up to five 96i I/Os can be used simultaneously.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide14

12-foot DigiLink cable

HD Core

18-inch DigiLink cable

Figure 1. Two 96 I/Os (32-channel system)

18-inch DigiLink cable

Loop Sync cables

12-foot DigiLink cable

Loop Sync cables

HD Core

TDM FlexCable

12-foot DigiLink cable

Figure 2. Three 96 I/Os (48-channel system)

HD Accel card

or HD Process card

Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Windows 15

If you are connecting both 192 I/O (or 192 Digital I/O) and 96 I/O audio interfaces to your system, connect the 192 I/O (or 192 Digital I/O) to your HD Core (for PCI) card, followed by any additional 192 I/O (or 192 Digital I/O) interfaces connected to subsequent cards. Then connect 96 I/O interfaces to subsequent cards, or to other interfaces, then connect 96i I/O interfaces.

You can also connect a single Pro Tools|HD interface to each Pro Tools|HD card in your system using the provided DigiLink cables. (However, there is no advantage to this conﬁguration over daisy-chaining interfaces.)

Connecting Loop Sync

If you are using two or more Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces or a SYNC peripheral, Loop Sync must be connected to maintain proper clock among the devices.

To make Loop Sync connections:

1 Connect the Loop Sync Out of each interface

to the Loop Sync In of the next interface with the BNC cables included in your I/O packaging.

2 Connect the Loop Sync Out of the last inter-

face to the Loop Sync In of the primary interface or SYNC peripheral.

Connecting Legacy I/Os

Each 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O, and 96 I/O can support 16 channels of audio to and from Digidesign Legacy I/Os. (The 96i I/O does not support Legacy I/O.) Legacy I/Os include the 888|24 I/O™, 882|20 I/O™, 1622 I/O™, and the 24-bit ADAT Bridge I/O™.

The original 888 I/O and 882 I/O interfaces are not supported with Pro Tools|HD.

The 96i I/O does not support Legacy I/O.

To connect Digidesign Legacy I/Os:

1 Connect the “MIX card” end of the peripheral

cable that came with your Legacy I/O (60-pin side) to the Legacy Port on the primary Pro Tools|HD audio interface. Connect the other end to the Computer Port on the Legacy I/O.

2 Do one of the following:

• Connect any additional Legacy I/Os in the same manner, to Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces connected directly to HD cards.

– or –

• If you are using a Y cable (Legacy 16-channel peripheral cable adapter), connect this to the Legacy port ﬁrst, then connect the audio interface peripheral cables to Port A and Port B of the Y cable.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide16

“A” to ﬁrst Legacy I/O

Optional 16-channel peripheral cable adapter

3 To properly clock the Legacy I/O, connect the

“B” to second Legacy I/O

To Legacy Port on Pro Tools|HD audio interface

Ext. Clock output port on the Pro Tools|HD I/O to the Slave Clock IN on the Legacy I/O. The Legacy I/O will switch to Slave mode once the proper clock is outputting from the Pro Tools|HD I/O. Always use the Ext. Clock Out port of the same I/O to which the Legacy I/O is attached.

If you are using the Y cable to connect multiple

™

MIX

audio interfaces, you must also connect the Slave Clock Out of the first Legacy interface to the Slave Clock In of the second Legacy interface with the provided BNC cable. You cannot clock more than two MIX audio interfaces from a single Pro Tools|HD audio interface. If you have a third MIX audio interface, supply its

256x clock from the Pro Tools|HD I/O to which its 60-pin cable is attached (either your second audio interface, or directly to an HD Accel or HD Process card).

To ensure the proper functioning of Legacy I/Os (such as an 888|24 I/O or 882|20 I/O), launch Pro Tools and initialize the Legacy I/Os in the Hardware Setup dialog before turning them on (See “Configuring Legacy I/Os” on page 54). Then quit Pro Tools and shut down your computer. When relaunching your Pro Tools system, turn on your Legacy I/Os first and allow them to finish booting before turning on your Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces, and then your computer.

Before you turn on and configure your Legacy I/Os, turn down the volume of output devices. Very loud digital noise may be emitted before the Legacy I/O is initialized.

Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Windows 17

Installing Pro Tools HD Software

After your Pro Tools|HD hardware is installed and connected, you are ready to install Pro Tools software.

Make sure you have disabled Driver Signing warnings before beginning software installation. This will reduce the number of warning messages you see during installation. See “Disabling Driver Signing Warnings” on page 11.

To install Pro Tools HD software:

1 Start Windows, logging in with Administrator

privileges. For details on Administrator privileges, refer to your Windows documentation.

2 Wait for the Found New Hardware Wizard di-

alog to appear and leave it open: Do not click Next.

3 Insert the Pro Tools Installer disc in your DVD

drive.

4 On the Installer disc, locate and double-click

the Setup.exe ﬁle.

5 Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed

with installation and click Next when prompted.

8 At the Select Features page, do one of the fol-

lowing:

• To install all Pro Tools application ﬁles and free plug-in suites (and associated content), leave the default Installation options selected and click Continue.

– or –

• Select (or deselect) a custom conﬁguration of Installation options (see “Installation Options” on page 19) and click Continue.

9 Click Next.

10 Select your work environment. This loads an

initial set of Pro Tools Preferences that include some of the more popular settings for post production, audio, or audio with MIDI.

Preference settings can be customized at any time in Pro Tools. See the

ence Guide

11 Click Next.

12 Click Install.

for more information.

Pro Tools Refer-

Several messages are displayed during installation that can be ignored, including multiple “Found New Hardware” dialogs and “A Problem Occurred During Hardware Installation.”

6 Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed

with installation and click Next when prompted.

7 To install the complete compliment of

Pro Tools software and plug-ins, leave Pro Tools selected.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide18

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

13 Wait for the installer to ﬁnish installing all

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

14 When installation is complete, click Finish.

Installation Options

Pro Tools HD Options

To install a subset of Pro Tools software and plug-ins (and associated content), click the plus (+) next to Pro Tools HD 8.0 option in the Select Features page of the installer, and deselect any of the following options that you do not want installed.

Application Files (Required for Pro Tools) Installs the Pro Tools application and supporting library files needed to run Pro Tools. This option must be selected to install Pro Tools.

DigiRack Plug-Ins Installs free plug-ins including DigiRack plug-ins, free Bomb Factory plug-ins, Eleven Free, TL Utilities, and Digidesign D-Fi and Maxim plug-ins.

Pro Tools Creative Collection Installs a set of free RTAS effects plug-ins and virtual instrument plug-ins (including 4.4 GB of associated sample content). For more information, see the Creative Collection Plug-ins Guide.

Pro Tools Utilities Installs Calibration Mode Templates for Pro Tools|HD systems, DigiTest™, and firmware updaters for SYNC I/O™ and SYNC HD™.

Additional Options

The Pro Tools installer provides the following additional options to install along with Pro Tools software and plug-ins.

Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option This option lets your Pro Tools system read, write, record, and play back using Mac-formatted HFS+ disks. HFS+ disks are commonly referred to as Mac OS Extended disks.

Avid Video Engine The Avid Video Engine is required to use Pro Tools with Avid video peripherals such as the Avid Mojo

or the Digidesign

AVoption|V10.

Command|8 Controller and Driver The Com-

mand|8

Driver is required if you are using the

Digidesign Command|8 control surface.

Installing QuickTime

QuickTime is required for Pro Tools if you plan to include movie files, or import MP3 or MP4 (AAC) files in your sessions. QuickTime for Windows is available as a free download from the Apple website.

For information on which version of QuickTime is compatible with your version of Pro Tools, visit the compatibility pages of the Digidesign website:

www.digidesign.com/compatibility

To install QuickTime:

1 Visit www.apple.com and download the

QuickTime for Windows installer application to your computer.

2 Double-click the QuickTime installer applica-

tion and follow the on-screen installation instructions.

3 Restart your computer.

If you turned off Driver Signing Warning on your computer, be sure to enable it once Pro Tools hardware and software have been installed.

Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Windows 19

Launching Pro Tools

To use Pro Tools HD, you must always have an inserted iLok with an authorization for Pro Tools HD. One pre-authorized iLok is included with your Pro Tools HD system.

To launch Pro Tools HD software:

1 Make sure HD hardware is connected to your

computer.

2 Insert the pre-authorized iLok into an avail-

able USB port on your computer.

Do not remove the iLok during Pro Tools launch or use.

3 Do one of the following:

• Double-click the Pro Tools HD shortcut on the desktop.

– or –

• Locate and double-click the Pro Tools HD application on your hard drive.

4 Use the Quick Start dialog to do one of the fol-

lowing:

• Create a new session from a template.

• Create a new blank session.

• Open a session.

Quick Start dialog

For more information on the Quick Start dialog and session templates, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc

The Pro Tools HD Installer disc provides additional software for your system, including the HD Pack collection of plug-ins, third-party applications and plug-ins, audio drivers (for playing other audio applications through your Digidesign hardware) and a Pro Tools demo session.

Refer to your Pro Tools Installer disc for additional software and installers.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide20

HD Pack Plug-ins

Your Pro Tools package includes the HD Pack collection of plug-ins from Digidesign and Digidesign Development Partners. Once you've completed your Pro Tools installation, you can install the contents of HD Pack.

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.

HD Pack installers are located on the Pro Tools Installer disc in the Additional Files\ HD Pack Installers folder.

Third-Party Applications and Plug-ins

Your Pro Tools package also includes several free applications and plug-ins from selected Digidesign Third Party developers. Once you've completed your Pro Tools installation, you can install these separately.

Installers are located on your Pro Tools Installer disc in the Additional Files\3rd Party Content folder.

Windows Audio Drivers

The Digidesign ASIO Driver and WaveDriver Windows System Audio Driver let you use your Digidesign hardware interface with third-party applications that support the ASIO Driver or WaveDriver MME (Multimedia Extension).

The Digidesign ASIO Driver and WaveDriver for your Digidesign hardware are automatically installed when you install Pro Tools.

For detailed information on configuring the Digidesign ASIO Driver, see the Windows Audio Drivers Guide.

Digidesign WaveDriver

(Windows XP Only)

The Digidesign WaveDriver Windows System Audio Driver is a single-client, stereo sound driver that allows third-party audio programs that support the WaveDriver MME (Multimedia Extension) standard to play back through Digidesign hardware.

For detailed information on configuring the Digidesign WaveDriver, see the Windows Audio Drivers Guide.

Standalone Windows Audio Drivers

Digidesign Windows Audio Drivers can be installed on Windows systems that do not have Pro Tools software installed. Use the standalone version of the Digidesign Windows Audio Drivers installer (Digidesign Audio Drivers Setup.exe), which is available on the Pro Tools Installer disc.

For information on installing and configuring the standalone version of the Digidesign Windows Audio Drivers, see the Windows Audio Drivers Guide.

Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Windows 21

Pro Tools Demo Session

The Pro Tools HD Installer disc includes a demo session that you can use to verify that your system is working. The demo session for Pro Tool HD is named Meant To Be.

Before installing the demo session to your audio drive, make sure your audio drive is configured as described in “Formatting an Audio Drive” on page 76.

To install the demo session:

1 Insert the Pro Tools HD Installer disc into your

DVD drive.

2 On the installer disc, in the Additional Files

folder, locate and open the Pro Tools Demo Session Installer folder.

3 Double-click the HD Demo Session Setup.exe

ﬁle.

4 Follow the onscreen instructions to proceed

with installation.

5 When prompted, select your audio drive as

the install location and click Next to begin the install.

Uninstalling Pro Tools

If you need to uninstall Pro Tools software from your computer, use the Uninstaller application.

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.

2 Go to C:\Program Files\Digidesign\

Pro Tools\Pro Tools Utilities and double-click Uninstall Pro Tools Setup.exe.

3 Click Next to proceed with the uninstall.

4 Click Uninstall.

5 Enter your Administrator password and click

OK.

6 Click Finish to restart your computer and com-

plete the uninstallation.

6 When installation is complete, click Finish.

The demo session can be opened by doubleclicking the Meant To Be.ptf file found in the Pro Tools Demo Session folder.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide22

chapter 3

Installing Pro Tools on Mac

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

Before installing this version of Pro Tools, refer to the Read Me information included on the Pro Tools Installer disc.

Installing Pro Tools Hardware

To install Pro Tools|HD hardware, you first install Pro Tools|HD cards, then for systems with more than one card, connect the cards with a TDM FlexCable.

Installing Pro Tools|HD Cards

Installation Overview

Installation of a Pro Tools|HD system on a Mac includes the following steps:

1 “Installing Pro Tools Hardware” on page 23.

This step includes:

• Installing and connecting Pro Tools|HD cards.

• Connecting audio interfaces

2 “Installing Pro Tools HD Software” on

page 32.

3 “Launching Pro Tools” on page 33.

4 Conﬁguring your system for improved perfor-

mance (see Chapter 4, “Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System”).

5 “Making Studio Connections” on page 63.

This section shows how to install Pro Tools|HD cards into Mac computers. The installation procedure varies depending on the type of Mac you have.

If you are installing cards in a Mac Pro, see “Installing Pro Tools|HD Cards in a Mac Pro” on page 24.

If you are installing cards in a Power Mac, see “Installing Pro Tools|HD Cards in a Power Mac G5” on page 26.

To install cards into an expansion chassis, see the

Expanded Systems Guide.

Chapter 3: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 23

Installing Pro Tools|HD Cards in a Mac Pro

The PCI Express-equipped Mac Pro has three PCI Express (PCIe) slots (named slots 2, 3, and 4). The PCI Express slot numbers increase from bot- tom to top as you face the open computer case from the side. Install the Accel Core (for PCIe) card into PCI slot 2.

SATA drive trays and drives

PCIe slot 4 (hidden)

PCIe slot 3

PCIe slot 2

PCIe slot 1 (video card)

Figure 3. Mac Pro

5 Remove the clamp that holds secures the

metal access port covers to the chassis.

6 Remove the metal access port covers for the

slots you want to use.

7 Remove your computer’s SATA drive trays. If

any extra SATA drives are installed, remove them also. Refer to your computer’s documentation for information on removing SATA drives and SATA drive trays.

Before handling any card, discharge static electricity from your clothes or body by touching a grounded metal surface, such as the power supply case inside your computer with the power cable connected.

8 Install the Accel Core (for PCIe) card into the

lowest-numbered slot in the computer (slot 2). This will be the slot closest to the graphics card, as shown in Figure 3 on page 24. Do the following:

• Hold the card above slot 2 at a slight angle so that the front of the card is higher than the back of the card (where the card’s DigiLink connector is located), as in Figure 4.

Follow these instructions carefully to avoid damaging the card and its components.

To install Pro Tools cards in a Mac Pro:

1 Turn off your computer and any peripherals.

Leave your computer’s power cable plugged in so the computer is grounded.

2 Disconnect all cables attached to the com-

puter (such as hard drives, displays, USB and FireWire devices) except for the power cable.

3 Lay the computer on its side so the access

panel is facing up

4 Open the computer case using the latch lo-

cated on the back of the computer.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide24

Figure 4. Holding the card above the slot at an angle

• With the card at an angle, rest the card’s back bracket against the edge of the chassis, where the computer’s slot access port is located.

• Carefully slide the front of the card down into slot 2’s grey plastic PCIe card support (where the slot numbers appear), as in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Sliding the front of the card into PCIe card support

• With the card’s PCIe connectors facing down, carefully slide the card straight down and ﬁrmly seat the card’s PCIe connector into the slot 2’s PCIe slot, making sure that all card components on the front of the card have clearance from the grey plastic PCI card support, as in Figure 6.

Do not force the card into the PCI card support slot. When you have the correct installation angle, the card should slide in easily. If you do not have the correct angle, reposition the card.

9 Install the ﬁrst expansion card (if any) in the

second slot (slot 3).

10 Install the second expansion card (if any) in

slot 4.

11 If you are installing a SCSI host bus adapter

(HBA) card, install it in the highest-numbered remaining slot.

12 Check to be sure that your cards are installed

in the proper order for your system, starting with the lowest numeric slot:

• Display card for your computer monitor

• Accel Core (for PCIe) card

• HD Accel (for PCIe) cards

• Digidesign-approved video capture card

• SCSI host bus adapter (HBA) card

13 Replace the SATA drives.

14 Reattach the clamp that secures the cards

and the slot covers to the chassis.

Figure 6. Figure 3. PCIe connectors facing down

The card’s PCIe connectors will not seat completely until you have replaced the clamp that secures the cards and the metal access port covers to the chassis.

Chapter 3: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 25

Installing Pro Tools|HD Cards in a Power Mac G5

Follow these instructions to install Pro Tools|HD cards in PCI or PCI Express equipped Power Mac G5 computers.

To install Pro Tools cards in a Power Mac G5:

1 Turn off your computer and any peripherals.

Leave your computer’s power cable plugged in so the computer is grounded.

2 Disconnect all cables attached to the com-

puter (such as hard drives, displays, USB and FireWire devices) except for the power cable.

3 Lay the computer on its side so the access

panel is facing up

4 Open the computer case using the latch lo-

cated on the rear of the computer.

5 Remove the metal access port cover behind

the slot you want to use by removing the screw and sliding the cover out from the access port.

PCIe slot 4

PCIe slot 3

PCIe slot 2

PCIe slot 1 (video card)

Power Mac G5 (PCI Express equipped)

Power Mac G5 (PCI) The PCI-equipped Power Mac G5 has three PCI slots (named PCI slot 2, 3, and 4). Slot numbers increase from bottom to top as you face the open computer case from the side. Install the HD Core (for PCI) card into PCI slot 2.

Before handling any card, discharge static electricity from your clothes or body by touching a grounded metal surface, such as the power supply case inside your computer.

6 Install the Accel Core (for PCIe) or HD Core

(for PCI) card into the lowest-numbered slot in the computer. This will be the slot closest to the graphics card, as shown in the following examples:

Power Mac G5 (PCI Express) The PCI Expressequipped Power Mac G5 has three PCI Express (PCIe) slots (named slots 2, 3, and 4). The PCI Express slot numbers increase from bottom to top as you face the open computer case from the side. Install the Accel Core (for PCIe) card into PCI slot 2.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide26

PCI slot 4

PCI slot 3

PCI slot 2

PCIe slot 1 (video card)

Power Mac G5 (PCI equipped)

7 Install the ﬁrst expansion card (if any) in the

second slot (slot 3).

8 If you are installing a SCSI host bus adapter

(HBA) card, install it in the highest-numbered remaining slot.

9 Check to be sure that your cards are installed

in the proper order for your system, starting with the lowest numeric slot:

• Pro Tools|HD (for PCIe) Systems

• Display card for your computer monitor

• Accel Core (for PCIe) card

• HD Accel (for PCIe) cards

• Digidesign-approved video capture card

• SCSI host bus adapter (HBA) card

• Pro Tools|HD (for PCI) Systems

• Display card for your computer monitor

• HD Core (for PCI) card

• HD Accel (for PCI) cards

• HD Process (for PCI) cards

• Digidesign-approved video capture card

• SCSI host bus adapter (HBA) card

The slot numbering in your computer determines whether you will be working right-to-left or left-to-right when connecting cards. Refer to the instructions below for your model of computer.

To connect Pro Tools|HD cards:

1 Shape the FlexCable before installing it on the

10 Secure each card in place with the slot access

port screws you removed earlier.

Connecting Pro Tools|HD Cards

In systems that include more than one card, you must connect all the Pro Tools|HD cards to each other with TDM FlexCables.

The first FlexCable always goes from Port B on the core card to Port A on the first expansion card, as described in the following steps.

Preparing TDM FlexCable for installation

2 Slide the FlexCable into the notch of the core

PORT A

PORT B

PORT A

PORT B

PORT A

Inserting TDM FlexCable

Chapter 3: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 27

3 Connect the Port A connector of the FlexCa-

ble to Port A on the second card. Push gently but ﬁrmly until the cable is fully connected to the card. Attach the other end of the FlexCable (labeled Port B) to Port B on the core card.

HD Core

Connecting Audio Interfaces

Each Pro Tools|HD audio interface (except the 96i I/O) supplies up to 16 channels of input and output to your system. Audio interfaces are connected directly to Pro Tools|HD cards, or through the Expansion ports on other Pro Tools|HD interfaces.

PORT A

PORT B

HD Accel

Top view of two cards connected with TDM FlexCable

4 Verify the connection. Make sure the FlexCa-

ble ports seat ﬂat against the sockets on the cards, and are ﬁrmly attached.

PORT A

PORT B

PORT A

PORT B

Side view of two HD cards connected with TDM FlexCable

5 For systems with more than two cards, con-

Each Pro Tools|HD card supports up to 32 channels. To get a full 32 channels of I/O from one card, you can connect, or daisy-chain, a second 16-channel Pro Tools|HD I/O to the first 16channel Pro Tools|HD I/O that is connected directly to the Pro Tools|HD card.

Pro Tools|HD supports up to a maximum of ten 192 I/Os, 192 Digital I/Os, or 96 I/Os. Up to five 96i I/Os can be used simultaneously.

For examples of connecting multiple I/Os, see Figure 7 and Figure 8 on page 29.

Legacy I/Os can also be connected to Pro Tools|HD interfaces (see “Connecting Legacy I/Os” on page 30.)

6 Close the computer case.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide28

12-foot DigiLink cable

HD Core or

Accel Core card

18-inch DigiLink cable

Figure 7. Two 96 I/Os (32-channel system)

18-inch DigiLink cable

Loop Sync cables

12-foot DigiLink cable

Loop Sync cables

HD Core or

Accel Core card

TDM FlexCable

12-foot DigiLink cable

Figure 8. Three 96 I/Os (48-channel system)

HD Accel card

or HD Process card

Chapter 3: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 29

To connect Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces:

1 If you are using a single 192 I/O,

192 Digital I/O, 96 I/O, or 96i I/O, connect its Primary Port to the Accel Core (for PCIe) or HD Core (For PCI) card with the DigiLink cable provided with the card. You must attach at least one 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 96 I/O, or 96i I/O to your system in order for Pro Tools to launch.

If you have at least one 192 I/O or 192 Digital I/O in your system configuration, it must be connected to the Accel Core (for PCIe) or HD Core (for PCI) card as the primary interface.

2 Connect additional Pro Tools|HD audio inter-

faces to subsequent Digidesign audio cards, or daisy-chain the interfaces (by connecting the Primary Port of the secondary interface to the Expansion Port of the primary interface).

If you are connecting both 192 I/O (or 192 Digital I/O) and 96 I/O audio interfaces to your system, connect the 192 I/O (or 192 Digital I/O) to your Accel Core (for PCIe) or HD Core (for PCI) card, followed by any additional 192 I/O (or 192 Digital I/O) interfaces connected to subsequent cards. Then connect 96 I/O interfaces to subsequent cards, or to other interfaces, then connect 96i I/O interfaces.

Connecting Loop Sync

If you are using two or more Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces or a SYNC peripheral, Loop Sync must be connected to maintain proper clock among the devices.

To make Loop Sync connections:

1 Connect the Loop Sync Out of each interface

to the Loop Sync In of the next interface with the BNC cables included in your I/O packaging.

2 Connect the Loop Sync Out of the last inter-

face to the Loop Sync In of the primary interface or SYNC peripheral.

Connecting Legacy I/Os

Each 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O, and 96 I/O can support 16 channels of audio to and from Digidesign Legacy I/Os. (The 96i I/O does not support Legacy I/O.) Legacy I/Os include the 888|24 I/O, 882|20 I/O, 1622 I/O, and the 24-bit ADAT Bridge I/O

The 96i I/O does not support Legacy I/O.

The original 888 I/O and 882 I/O interfaces are not supported with Pro Tools|HD.

™

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide30

To connect Digidesign Legacy I/Os:

1 Connect the “MIX card” end of the peripheral

cable that came with your Legacy I/O (60-pin side) to the Legacy Port on the primary Pro Tools|HD audio interface. Connect the other end to the Computer Port on the Legacy I/O.

2 Do one of the following:

• Connect any additional Legacy I/Os in the same manner, to Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces connected directly to Pro Tools|HD cards.

– or –

“A” to ﬁrst Legacy I/O

“B” to second Legacy I/O

To Legacy Port on Pro Tools|HD audio interface

If you are using the Y cable to connect multiple MIX audio interfaces, you must also connect the Slave Clock Out of the first Legacy interface to the Slave Clock In of the second Legacy interface with the provided BNC cable. You cannot clock more than two MIX audio interfaces from a single Pro Tools|HD audio interface.

If you have a third MIX audio interface, supply its 256x clock from the Pro Tools|HD I/O to which its 60-pin cable is attached (either your second audio interface, or directly to an HD Accel or HD Process card).

To ensure the proper functioning of Legacy I/Os (such as an 888|24 I/O or 882|20 I/O), launch Pro Tools and initialize the Legacy I/Os in the Hardware Setup dialog before turning them on (See “Configuring Legacy I/Os” on page 54). Then quit Pro Tools and shut down your computer. When relaunching your Pro Tools system, turn on your Legacy I/Os first and allow them to complete booting before turning on your Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces, and then your computer.

Optional 16-channel peripheral cable adapter

3 To properly clock the Legacy I/O, connect the

Before you turn on and configure your Legacy I/Os, turn down the volume of output devices. Very loud digital noise may be emitted before the Legacy I/O is initialized.

Chapter 3: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 31

Installing Pro Tools HD Software

After your Pro Tools|HD hardware is installed and connected, you are ready to install Pro Tools software.

Do not install or operate Pro Tools while logged in as a root-level user. File permissions of a root-level user make it possible to perform actions that may conflict with Pro Tools file management tasks.

To install Pro Tools HD software:

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 OS X documentation.

2 Insert the Pro Tools Installer disc in your DVD

drive.

3 On the Installer disc, locate and double-click

the Install Pro Tools HD.mpkg ﬁle.

4 Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed

with installation.

5 Click Continue each time you are prompted.

6 At the Installation Type page, do one of the

following:

• To install all Pro Tools application ﬁles and free plug-in suites (and associated content), leave the default Installation options selected and click Continue.

– or –

• Select (or deselect) a custom conﬁguration of Installation options (see “Installation Options” on page 32) and click Continue.

7 Click Install.

9 Select your work environment. This loads an

initial set of Pro Tools Preferences that include some of the more popular settings for post production, audio, or audio with MIDI.

Preference settings can be customized at any time in Pro Tools. See the Pro Tools Reference Guide for more information.

10 Click Continue.

11 When installation is complete, click Restart.

Installation Options

Pro Tools HD Options

To install a subset of Pro Tools software and plug-ins (and associated content), click the reveal triangle for the Pro Tools HD 8.0 option in the installer, and deselect any of the following options that you do not want installed.

Application Files (Required for Pro Tools) Installs the Pro Tools application and supporting library files needed to run Pro Tools. This option also installs the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver. This option must be selected to install Pro Tools.

DigiRack Plug-Ins Installs free plug-ins including DigiRack plug-ins, free Bomb Factory plug-ins, Eleven Free, TL Utilities, and Digidesign D-Fi and Maxim plug-ins.

Pro Tools Utilities Installs Calibration Mode Templates for Pro Tools|HD systems, DigiTest, and firmware updaters for SYNC I/O and SYNC HD.

8 If prompted, enter your Administrator pass-

word and click OK to accept the installation.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide32

Additional Options

The Pro Tools installer provides the following additional options to install along with Pro Tools software and plug-ins.

DigiDesign CoreAudio Driver This option installs the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver, which lets you use Digidesign-qualified audio interfaces with third-party applications that support the CoreAudio Driver standard.

Avid Video Engine The Avid Video Engine is required to use Pro Tools with Avid video peripherals such as the Avid Mojo or the Digidesign AVoption|V10.

3 Do one of the following:

• Click the Pro Tools HD icon in the Dock.

– or –

• Locate and double-click the Pro Tools HD application on your hard drive.

4 Use the Quick Start dialog to do one of the fol-

lowing:

• Create a new session from a template.

• Create a new blank session.

• Open a session.

MIDI I/O Driver The MIDI I/O Driver is required if you are using the Digidesign MIDI I/O

™

inter-

face.

Launching Pro Tools

To use Pro Tools HD, you must always have an inserted iLok with an authorization for Pro Tools HD. One pre-authorized iLok is included with your Pro Tools HD system.

To launch Pro Tools HD software:

1 Make sure HD hardware is connected to your

computer system.

2 Insert the pre-authorized iLok into an avail-

able USB port on your computer.

Do not remove the iLok during Pro Tools launch or use.

Quick Start dialog

For more information on the Quick Start dialog and session templates, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Chapter 3: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 33

Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc

Refer to your Pro Tools Installer disc for additional software and installers.

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.

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

For information on configuring the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver, see the Digidesign CoreAudio Guide.

Standalone CoreAudio Driver

HD Pack Plug-ins

HD Pack installers are located on the Pro Tools Installer disc in the Additional Files\ HD Pack Installers folder.

Third-Party Applications and Plug-ins

Installers are located on your Pro Tools Installer disc in the Additional Files\3rd Party Content folder.

The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver can be installed as a standalone driver on Mac systems that do not have Pro Tools software installed.

For information on installing and configuring the standalone version of the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver, see the CoreAudio Drivers Guide.

If you uninstall Pro Tools, CoreAudio Driver is automatically uninstalled at that time.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide34

Pro Tools Demo Session

The Pro Tools HD Installer disc includes a demo session that you can use to verify that your system is working. The demo session for Pro Tool HD is named Meant To Be.

Before installing the demo session to your audio drive, make sure the drive is configured as described in “Formatting an Audio Drive” on page 76.

To install the demo session:

1 Insert the Pro Tools HD Installer disc into your

DVD drive.

2 On the installer disc, in the Additional Files

folder, locate and open the Pro Tools Demo Session Installer folder.

3 Double-click the HD Demo Session Setup.pkg

ﬁle.

4 Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed

with installation.

5 When prompted, select your audio drive as

the install location and click Continue to begin the install.

6 Click Install.

7 When installation is complete, click Close.

Uninstalling Pro Tools

If you need to uninstall Pro Tools software from your computer, use the Uninstaller application.

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.

2 Go to Applications/Digidesign/Pro Tools/

Pro Tools Utilities and double-click the “Uninstall Pro Tools” ﬁle.

3 Click Continue to proceed with the uninstall.

4 Choose the type of uninstall you want to per-

form:

Safe Uninstall Leaves certain plug-ins and system files needed for compatibility with some Avid products.

Clean Uninstall Removes all Pro Tools files, including system files, Digidesign plug-ins, and MIDI patch names.

5 Click Uninstall.

6 Enter your Administrator password and click

OK.

7 Click Finish to close the Installer window.

The demo session can be opened by doubleclicking the Meant To Be.ptf file found in the Pro Tools Demo Session folder.

Chapter 3: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 35

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide36

chapter 4

Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System

After you have connected your system and installed Pro Tools software, you are ready to start up and conﬁgure your Pro Tools system.

Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System

Whenever you start your system, turn on all of your system components in a specific order.

Start up your Pro Tools system in this order:

1 Make sure all your equipment (including your

computer) is off.

2 Lower the volume of all output devices in your

system.

3 For Pro Tools|HD systems with an expansion

chassis, turn on the expansion chassis.

4 Turn on any external hard drives. Wait ap-

proximately ten seconds for them to spin up to speed.

5 Turn on any control surfaces (such as Com-

mand|8) or worksurfaces (such as D-Command).

6 Turn on any MIDI interfaces and devices, or

synchronization peripherals.

7 With the volume of all output devices low-

ered, turn on any Pro Tools Legacy I/Os (such as an 888|24 I/O or 882|20 I/O). Wait at least ﬁfteen seconds for the audio interface to initialize and the status LEDs to stop ﬂashing.

8 With the volume of all output devices low-

ered, turn on your Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces. Wait at least ﬁfteen seconds for the audio interface to initialize and the status LEDs to stop ﬂashing.

9 Turn on your computer.

10 Launch Pro Tools or any third-party audio or

MIDI applications.

Shut down your Pro Tools system in this order:

1 Quit Pro Tools and any other running applica-

tions.

To quit Pro Tools, choose File > Exit (Windows) or Pro Tools > Quit (Mac).

2 Turn off or lower the volume of all output de-

vices in your system.

3 Turn off your computer.

4 Turn off your Pro Tools audio interfaces.

5 For Pro Tools|HD systems with an expansion

chassis, turn off the chassis.

6 Turn off any MIDI interfaces, MIDI devices, or

synchronization peripherals.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 37

7 Turn off any control surfaces or worksurfaces.

8 Turn off any external hard drives.

Checking the System

Before you use Pro Tools, you may want to run the DigiTest diagnostic application to ensure that all Pro Tools|HD cards in the system are recognized, installed in the proper order, and have valid TDM FlexCable connections.

Running DigiTest

DigiTest is installed with Pro Tools and resides in the following folder on your hard drive: Digidesign/Pro Tools/Pro Tools Utilities.

Before you run DigiTest, lower the volume of all output devices. Very loud digital noise may be emitted during the test.

DigiTest main test window

For more information on the DigiTest application, see the DigiTest Guide.

To run DigiTest:

1 Quit Pro Tools if it is running.

2 Lower the volume of all output devices on

your system.

3 Locate and double-click the DigiTest icon on

your hard drive.

DigiTest opens and lists the supported cards it finds in your system, showing their corresponding slot locations.

If you have a large number of cards or audio interfaces, it may take a while for the DigiTest window to appear, as DigiTest scans for all cards and interfaces connected to the system.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide38

The order in which cards are listed within DigiTest may not match the actual slot locations of cards installed in your computer or expansion chassis. This is normal, and does not affect DigiTest operations in any way.

4 Select the cards in your system you want to

test by selecting Test in the left hand column for each card.

5 Click Run.

If cards are not installed in the proper order, DigiTest will display error codes in the Status box of each card identified as being misconfigured.

The more cards and audio interfaces in your system, the longer the test will take.

6 When prompted, power cycle all Pro Tools pe-

ripherals in your system. Click Continue.

7 To test the interfaces connected to your sys-

tem, check “Test I/O Box.”

LEDs on your digital interfaces may light up during this test. This is normal.

8 When the test is ﬁnished, you can view the

test results by doing one of the following:

• Click the Get Results button next to a card name.

• Click the Results tab and choose a card slot from the pop-up menu.

9 In the Results page of the DigiTest window,

click Show Failures Only to display failed tests for the selected card, or click Show All Results to display all test results for the selected card.

For descriptions of error codes, refer to “DigiTest Error Codes” on page 39

10 Click Quit to close DigiTest.

11 Restart your computer.

Errors and Undetected Cards

Complete the steps below if any of the following occur:

 DigiTest fails to launch.

 An error message has been displayed for a card

in DigiTest.

 A supported card is installed but not automat-

ically detected during DigiTest.

If a supported card is installed and is not automatically detected:

1 Quit DigiTest.

4 Check the card seating.

5 Check the TDM FlexCable connections.

Check the orientation of the cable from card to card (ports B to A), and check the integrity of the FlexCable connections to the cards.

6 Turn on the system.

7 Run DigiTest again.

DigiTest Error Codes

Code Description

Err3 Cards from different Pro Tools

systems are incorrectly mixed. See the conﬁguration chapters.

Err4 Cards marked with this error are

installed in the wrong order. See the conﬁguration chapters.

Err5 Too many cards of this type are

installed in the system. Refer to the Digidesign website for compatibility information.

Err6 A card is installed in a reserve

slot. For example, a Digidesign card is installed in the slot reserved for the Expansion Chassis Host Interface card. Refer to the conﬁguration chapters, as well as related installation guides.

Err1220 SCSI Accelerator card is installed

in the wrong slot. See the conﬁguration chapters for correct location of the card.

Err1221 Expansion Chassis Host Interface

card is installed in the wrong slot. See Expanded Systems Guide for correct location of the card.

2 Turn off the entire Pro Tools system.

3 Reinstall the Pro Tools|HD cards.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 39

Identifying Digidesign Cards with DigiTest

Updating Audio Peripheral Firmware with DigiTest

You can use DigiTest to identify which cards are in which slots in your system. This is especially useful if you have multiple Digidesign cards of the same type installed in your system.

To identify Digidesign cards with DigiTest

1 Quit Pro Tools if it is running.

2 Locate and double-click the DigiTest icon on

your hard drive.

DigiTest opens and lists the supported cards it finds in your system.

3 Open your computer case or expansion chas-

sis so you can see the top edge of the cards installed in your system.

4 In the DigiTest window, select the ID check

box next to a card name. The green LED near the top edge of the corresponding card ﬂashes.

Viewing Card Information with DigiTest

DigiTest can display identifying information such as serial number, date of manufacture, and firmware ROM version for each card in your system. This information is useful if you need to contact Digidesign Technical Support about your Pro Tools hardware.

To display information for a card in your system:

1 Quit Pro Tools if it is running.

2 Locate and double-click the DigiTest icon on

your hard drive.

3 Click the Slot Info tab.

4 Choose a card slot from the pop-up menu.

If firmware updates are available for any of your Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces (192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 96 I/O, or 96i I/O), you can use DigiTest to perform the update. Within DigiTest, the Firmware Update page tells you the firmware version for the selected peripheral and lets you update to a newer version, if necessary.

To update the ﬁrmware in a Pro Tools|HD audio interface:

1 Quit Pro Tools if it is running.

2 Locate and double-click the DigiTest applica-

tion on your hard drive.

3 Click the Firmware tab.

4 Choose a card slot from the pop-up menu. If

any Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces are connected to the card, the Primary or Secondary options will become available in the HD Peripheral section of the Firmware page.

If any connected interfaces are not recognized, check the connections and power to each interface and click Re-Scan.

5 Under HD Peripheral, select Primary or

Secondary to view the ﬁrmware version for the

corresponding interface. The ﬁrmware version is displayed just below the HD Peripheral section of the Firmware page.

6 If the ﬁrmware version is not current, click

Begin Update to update the ﬁrmware in the selected audio interface.

The status of the firmware update process is displayed in the status area at the bottom of the Firmware page.

7 After the update process is complete, click Quit

to close DigiTest.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide40

Conﬁguring Pro Tools Software

Pro Tools System Settings

In the Playback Engine dialog, Pro Tools lets you adjust the performance of your system by changing system settings that affect its capacity for processing, playback, and recording. These system settings are available in the Playback Engine dialog (Setup > Playback Engine).

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.

• Lower settings reduce monitoring latency that occurs on tracks that have one or more RTAS plug-ins. Lower settings can also improve the accuracy of MIDI track timing on systems that are not using a MIDI I/O (or other MIDI interface that supports time stamping). Tracks using MIDI virtual instruments that do not support time stamping will also have better MIDI track timing with lower settings.

 Higher Hardware Buffer Size settings are use-

ful for sessions that are using more RTAS plugins for playback. These settings allow for more audio processing. They can also be useful to reduce errors on machines that require a higher buffer size.

Hardware Buffer Size

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

• Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings are useful for improving latency issues in certain recording situations or for improving certain system performance problems.

• Lower settings reduce RTAS MIDI-to-audio latency (such as when playing an RTAS virtual instrument live and monitoring the instrument’s output). Lower settings can also improve screen response or the accuracy of plug-in and mute automation data.

To change the Hardware Buffer Size:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

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

the audio buffer size, in samples.

Playback Engine dialog for Pro Tools|HD system

3 Click OK.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 41

RTAS Processors

The RTAS Processors setting determines the number of processors in your computer allocated for RTAS (Real-Time AudioSuite) plug-in processing.

With multiprocessor computers, this setting lets you manage multi-processor support for RTAS processing. With multiple processor computers that support Hyper-Threading (and have it enabled), you must disable Hyper-Threading for this setting to become available. See your computer’s documentation for steps on how to enter the computer’s BIOS and disable Hyper-Threading.

Used in combination with the CPU Usage Limit setting, the RTAS Processors setting lets you control the way RTAS processing and other Pro Tools tasks are carried out by the system. For example:

• For sessions with large numbers of RTAS plugins, you can allocate 2 or more processors to RTAS processing and set a high CPU Usage Limit.

• For sessions with few RTAS plug-ins, you can allocate fewer processors to RTAS and set a low CPU Usage Limit to leave more CPU resources available for automation accuracy, screen response, and video.

• Increase these settings to accommodate TDM to RTAS plug-in conversion. Conversely, decrease these settings if you are only using TDM plug-ins or are converting RTAS plug-ins to TDM. TDM/RTAS conversion can be desirable during recording, depending on latency, voicing needs, and record-monitoring capabilities of the speciﬁc TDM and RTAS plug-ins.

• Depending on the importance of video and overall screen response, and on the density of automation being employed, try different combinations of RTAS Processing and CPU Usage Limit settings to achieve the best results. For example, to improve screen response in a medium-sized session using a moderate number of RTAS plug-ins, try reducing the number of RTAS plug-ins, but keep the CPU Usage Limit set to the maximum (99%) on a single processor system.

To set the number of RTAS Processors:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 From the RTAS Processors pop-up menu, select

the number of available processors you want to allocate for RTAS plug-in processing. The number of processors available varies depending on how many processors are available on your computer:

• Choose 1 Processor to limit RTAS processing to one CPU in the system.

• Choose 2 Processors to enable load balancing across two available processors.

• On systems running four or more processors, choose the desired number of RTAS processors as needed.

3 Click OK.

CPU Usage Limit

The CPU Usage Limit controls the percentage of CPU resources allocated to Pro Tools host processing tasks. Used in combination with the RTAS Processors setting, the CPU Usage Limit setting lets you control the way Pro Tools tasks are carried out by the system.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide42

 Lower CPU Usage Limit settings limit the ef-

fect of Pro Tools processing on other CPU-intensive tasks, such as screen redraws, and are useful when you are experiencing slow system response, or when running other applications at the same time as Pro Tools.

 Higher CPU Usage Limit settings allocate

more processing power to Pro Tools, and are useful for playing back large sessions or using more real-time plug-ins.

The maximum available CPU Usage Limit depends on the number of processors in your computer and on the number of processors you specify for RTAS processing. This value can range from 85 percent for single-processor computers to 99 percent for multi-processor computers.

On multiprocessor computers, the maximum CPU Usage Limit is reduced when you use all your processors (as selected in the RTAS Processing pop-up menu). For example, on dual-processors, the limit will be 90%. On four-processor computers, the limit will be 95%.

RTAS Engine (RTAS Error Suppression)

The RTAS Engine option determines RTAS error reporting during playback and recording. This is especially useful when working with instrument plug-ins.

You should only enable RTAS error suppression if you are experiencing frequent RTAS errors that are interrupting your creative workflow. When RTAS error suppression is enabled, you can experience a degradation of audio quality. However, this may be acceptable in order to avoid interrupting playback and recording when working with instrument plug-ins. Be sure to disable RTAS error suppression when you need to ensure the highest possible audio quality, such as for a final mix.

To enable RTAS error suppression:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 Select Ignore Errors During Playback/Record.

3 Click OK.

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

To change the CPU Usage Limit:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up menu, se-

lect the percentage of CPU processing you want to allocate to Pro Tools.

3 Click OK.

RTAS Error Suppression Option

On Pro Tools|HD systems, there is a single RTAS Engine option:

Ignore Errors During Playback/Record When enabled, Pro Tools continues to play and record even if the RTAS processing requirements exceed the selected CPU Usage Limit. This can result in pops and clicks in the audio, but does not stop the transport.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 43

Number of Voices

The Number of Voices setting lets you control the number of voices available on your system. For example, the default number of voices on an Pro Tools|HD 1 system is 48 voices, using one DSP (at sample rates of 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz).

Changing the number of voices affects DSP usage, the total number of voiceable tracks, and overall system performance.

Depending on the current sample rate and the number of cards in your system, and whether you are using an expansion chassis, you will have different choices for voice count.

For additional information on voice count, refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

To change the Number of Voices and DSP to allocate for voicing:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 Select the number of voices and DSPs to allo-

cate for voicing by choosing a value from the Number of Voices pop-up menu.

• Select minimum voice numbers if you are using high-bandwidth PCI or PCIe cards (such as video capture cards) along with your Digidesign cards. These settings place the lightest processing load on each allocated DSP chip, but generally require more DSP chips be dedicated to voicing and mixing (leaving fewer available for plug-ins).

• Select medium voice numbers when your Digidesign cards are in an expansion chassis, or when you are using other PCI or PCIe cards along with Digidesign cards. These settings generally provide an optimum balance between number of chips needed for voicing, and the processing load placed on each.

• Select higher voice numbers when your Digidesign cards are the only PCI or PCIe cards in your computer, or when you are using an expansion chassis to run higher track counts (such as 64 tracks at 96 kHz) and you want more voices per DSP (such as 16 voices per DSP at 96 kHz). These settings use fewer DSP chips for mixing (leaving more available for plug-ins) but place the highest processing load on each.

Number of Voices menu (HD|1-equipped system)

3 Click OK.

Default Sample Rate

The Sample Rate setting determines the default sample rate when you create a new session. This setting is available only when there is no session open. Otherwise, the current session sample rate is displayed, but cannot be changed.

The Sample Rate setting can affect the number of available voices.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide44

You can change the sample rate when creating a new Pro Tools session by selecting a different sample rate in the New Session dialog.

You can also change the default Sample Rate in the Hardware dialog, as long as no session is open.

To change the default Sample Rate in the Playback Engine:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 Select the sample rate from the Sample Rate

pop-up menu.

3 Click OK.

Delay Compensation Engine

To maintain phase coherent time alignment, Pro Tools adds the exact amount of delay to each track necessary to make that particular track’s delay equal to the total system delay. The System Delay is shown in the Session Setup window.

Delay Compensation should be enabled during mixing and playback for phase coherent time alignment between track outputs.

With Delay Compensation enabled, it is recommended that you do not use any inserts on any Auxiliary Input or Master Fader tracks you may be using to control the cue mix volume. Also, you should avoid using inserts on any record tracks. (Some low latency inserts may be acceptable depending on the talent

∂

s preference.)

The Delay Compensation Engine determines how much DSP resources are dedicated for Delay Compensation, which managing DSP delays in the Pro Tools mixer.

Within a session, you can choose to enable or disable Delay Compensation (Options > Delay Compensation).

Delay Compensation automatically manages DSP delays that occur on audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, or Master Faders because of plug-in use and mixer routing. With Delay Compensation enabled, Pro Tools maintains phase coherent time alignment between track outputs that have plug-ins with differing DSP delays, tracks with different mixing paths, tracks that are split off and recombined within the mixer, and tracks with hardware inserts.

When recording, in most cases Delay Compensation can be enabled. However, it is still recommended that you disable Delay Compensation for certain dubbing workflows (such as when recording to multiple audio tracks in series).

For more information on using Delay Compensation, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

To conﬁgure the Delay Compensation Engine:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 From the Delay Compensation Engine pop-up

menu, select a Delay Compensation setting.

3 Click OK.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 45

Delay Compensation Settings

There are three settings in the Playback Engine dialog for dedicating DSP resources for Delay Compensation:

None Allocates no DSP resources for Delay Compensation.

• DAE Playback Buffer Size settings higher than 1500 msec (Level 2) allow higher track count, higher density of edits in a session, or the use of slower hard drives. However, a higher setting may increase the time lag when starting playback or recording, or cause a longer audible time lag while editing during playback.

Short Allocates minimum DSP resources of Delay Compensation for each channel. This is the most efficient setting for Pro Tools|HD Accel systems. For sessions with only a few plug-ins that do not induce too much DSP-based delay, this setting should be sufficient.

Long Allocates maximum DSP resources for Delay Compensation for each mixer channel. For sessions with a lot of plug-ins resulting in a large amount of DSP-induced delay, select this setting.

DAE Playback Buffer Size

The DAE Playback Buffer Size determines the amount of memory DAE allocates for disk buffers. In addition to levels, the DAE Playback Buffer Size shows values in milliseconds, which indicates the amount of audio buffered when the system reads from disk.

The optimum DAE Playback Buffer Size for most disk operations is 1500 msec (Level 2).

• DAE Playback Buffer Size settings lower than 1500 msec (Level 2) may improve playback and recording initiation speed. However, a lower setting may make it difﬁcult to play or record tracks reliably with sessions containing a large number of tracks or a high density of edits, or with systems that have slower or heavily fragmented hard drives.

Using a larger DAE Playback Buffer Size leaves less system memory for other tasks. The default setting of 1500 msec (Level 2) is recommended unless you are encountering

-9073 (“Disk too slow or fragmented”) errors.

To change the DAE Playback Buffer Size:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 From the DAE Playback Buffer pop-up menu,

select a buffer size. Memory requirements for each setting are shown at the bottom of the Playback Engine dialog.

Playback Buffer Size menu in the Playback Engine dialog

3 Click OK.

If Pro Tools needs more system memory for the DAE Playback Buffer, it will prompt you to restart your computer.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide46

Cache Size

System Memory Allocation

The Cache Size determines the amount of memory DAE allocates to pre-buffer audio for playback and looping when using Elastic Audio.

The optimum Cache Size for most sessions is Normal.

• A Cache Size setting of Minimum reduces the amount of system memory used for disk operations and frees up memory for other system tasks. However, using Elastic Audio features at this setting may decrease performance.

• A Cache Size of Large improves performance when using Elastic Audio features, but it also decreases the amount of memory available for other system tasks, such as RTAS processing.

Using a larger Cache Size leaves less system memory for other tasks. The default setting of Normal is recommended unless you are encountering -9500 (“Cache too small”) errors.

To change the Cache Size:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 From the Cache Size pop-up menu, select a

disk cache size.

When you start your computer, Pro Tools automatically reserves a portion of system memory for the DAE Playback Buffer. This reserved memory is unavailable to other applications, even if Pro Tools is not running.

You can set Pro Tools to reserve only the minimum amount of required memory, so that more system memory is available to other applications.

To minimize system memory allocation:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 Select the “Minimize System Memory Allocation”

option.

3 Click OK.

4 Restart your computer.

Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size

(Structure Plug-in Only)

This setting appears in the Playback Engine dialog only if the Structure sampler instrument plug-in is installed on your system. The Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size determines the amount of memory DAE allocates for streaming playback from disk with the Structure plug-in. This setting only affects playback if disk streaming is activated in Structure’s plug-in controls (see the Structure Plug-in Guide for more information).

Cache Size menu in the Playback Engine dialog

3 Click OK.

The optimum Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size for most sessions is 250 ms (Level 2).

• Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size settings lower than 250 msec (Level 2) reduce the amount of system memory used for sample playback and frees up memory for other system tasks. However, reliability of sample playback may decrease.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 47

• Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size settings higher than 250 msec (Level 2) improve the reliability of sample playback, but they also decrease the amount of memory available for other system tasks, such as RTAS processing.

Using a larger Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size leaves less system memory for other tasks. The default setting of 250 ms (Level 2) is recommended unless you are experiencing problems with the reliability of streaming playback from disk.

To change the Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 From the Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size pop-up

menu, select a buffer size.

Optimizing the Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size

(Structure Plug-in Only)

This option appears in the Playback Engine dialog only if the Structure sampler instrument plug-in is installed on your system. This option is useful when you are playing samples from the same drive that contains audio for the current session. When this option is selected, Pro Tools automatically optimizes the size of the Plug-in Streaming Buffer to facilitate disk access from both Pro Tools and Structure. The Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size pop-up menu is unavailable when this option is selected.

To set Pro Tools to automatically optimize the Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 Select the Optimize for Streaming Content on Au-

dio Drives option.

3 Click OK.

Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size menu in the Playback Engine dialog

3 Click OK.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide48

Conﬁguring MIDI Setup

If you plan to use any MIDI devices with Pro Tools, do one of the following:

 On Windows, conﬁgure your MIDI setup with

MIDI Studio Setup. See Appendix C, “Conﬁguring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only)” for details.

– or –

 On Mac, conﬁgure your MIDI setup with Au-

dio MIDI Setup. See Appendix D, “Conﬁguring AMS (Mac OS X Only)” for details.

Conﬁguring Pro Tools Hardware Settings

In the Hardware Setup dialog, Pro Tools lets you set the default sample rate and clock source for your system, as well as a range of controls specific to each type of audio interface.)

Default Sample Rate

The Sample Rate setting appears as the default sample rate when you create a new session. (This setting is available in the Hardware Setup dialog only when no session is open.)

You can change the sample rate when creating a new Pro Tools session by selecting a different sample rate in the New Session dialog.

To change the default Sample Rate:

1 Choose Setup > Hardware.

High Sample Rates and Expanded Systems

With 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz sample rates, as many as four Pro Tools|HD cards can be used. Any additional cards (up the total system maximum of seven cards) will switch to Inactive mode. The cards and any attached peripherals will become active again when the sample rate is set to 96 kHz or lower. See the Pro Tools Ex- panded Systems Guide for more information.

Clock Source

The Pro Tools Hardware Setup dialog lets you select the Clock Source for the system.

Internal If you are recording an analog signal directly into Pro Tools, you will usually use the Pro Tools Internal clock source.

External If you are transferring material into Pro Tools from an external digital device, or if you utilize a common house clock signal, you will synchronize Pro Tools to that digital device or common signal. Depending on your audio interface, external options can include AES/EBU [Encl], S/PDIF, Optical [Encl], AES/EBU 1–8, TDIF, ADAT, and Word Clock. For details, refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide or the guide for your audio interface.

Hardware Setup dialog for 192 I/O, Main page

2 Choose the sample rate from the Sample Rate

pop-up menu.

3 Click OK.

To select the Clock Source:

1 Choose Setup > Hardware.

2 Choose the clock source from the Clock

Source pop-up menu.

3 Click OK.

Your digital input device must be connected and powered on for Pro Tools to synchronize to it. If your input device is not powered on, leave the Clock Source set to Internal.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 49

Conﬁguring Audio Interfaces

Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces support 16 channels of simultaneous I/O and multiple I/O formats (including analog, AES/EBU, ADAT Optical, S/PDIF, and TDIF).

The Main page of the Hardware Setup dialog is where you define which physical inputs and outputs on your audio interface are routed to available inputs and outputs in Pro Tools. You can think of this window as a patchbay that allows you to route any of the inputs or outputs on your Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces to channel assignments in the Pro Tools mixer.

Hardware Setup dialog for 192 I/O, Main page

The Main page also provides controls for defining whether Expansion Port or Legacy Port peripherals are active.

Additional pages are available to configure other controls for each audio interface (such as setting operating levels).

Identifying Audio Interfaces

If you have multiple audio interfaces of the same type connected to your system, before you make audio connections to them, you should confirm the identity of each interface. This ensures that you choose the appropriate interface in the Peripherals list when you define its inputs and outputs in the Hardware Setup dialog.

To identify audio interfaces in your system:

1 Choose Setup > Hardware.

2 From the Peripherals list, select an audio inter-

face connected to your system.

Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to scroll though the Peripherals list in the Hardware Setup dialog.

3 Make sure the Main page is shown.

4 Select the Identify option, located in the lower

left corner of the Hardware Setup dialog. This illuminates all the LEDs on the front panel of the selected audio interface.

5 Make a note of which interface in your studio

setup corresponds to the identiﬁed interface.

6 Repeat the above steps for each additional au-

dio interface in your setup.

Legacy I/Os must be initialized in the Peripherals list before they can be identified. See “Configuring Legacy I/Os” on page 54.

To conﬁgure Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces:

1 Choose Setup > Hardware.

2 From the Peripherals list, select the Digidesign

audio interface connected to the ﬁrst card in your system. This will be the interface at the top of the list.

3 Click the Main tab.

4 From the Clock Source pop-up menu, select

the appropriate clock source for the interface.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide50

In many cases, you will use Internal. The other choices are for resolving Pro Tools to external clock sources. Depending on your audio interface, Clock Source options can include: AES/EBU

[Encl], S/PDIF, Optical [Encl], AES/EBU 1–8, TDIF, ADAT, and Word Clock (optional Word Clock

rates are available when operating at higher sample rates).

5 If you want to send clock output to other de-

vices attached to the audio interface, select the appropriate output from the Ext. Clock Output pop-up menu.

If the Legacy I/O Port is enabled (and not the Expansion I/O Port) then the Ext. Clock Output automatically switches to Slave Clock (256x sample rate). To reset the Ext. Clock Output to Word

Clock, change the Port Settings back to Expansion I/O, then select the Legacy I/O in the

Peripherals list, and set it to No Interface in the Interface pop-up menu. (The 96i I/O does not support Legacy I/O.)

6 Select which digital I/O port on your audio in-

terface enclosure is active by selecting an option under Digital Format. Depending on the type of interfaces in your system, choices include

AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and Optical (S/PDIF). Selecting Optical (S/PDIF) resets the Optical I/O port

(which is, by default, eight channels of ADAT Optical I/O) to two channels of S/PDIF Optical I/O. (The 96i I/O supports stereo S/PDIF RCA digital input and output only.) For more information about Pro Tools|HD enclosure and card ports, refer to the guide for your audio interface.

7 For S/PDIF compatibility with Tascam DA-30

DAT recorders, select the Tascam option under S/PDIF Format.

9 From the Input and Output channel pop-up

menus, select the physical ports (such as Analog 1–2 or Optical 1–2), that will be routed to the

corresponding Pro Tools input and output channels (such as Ch 1–2, Ch 3–4), listed on the left side of the Main page. (This feature is not available with the 96i I/O.)

Inputs and outputs of similar format are differentiated in the input and output channel popup menus. For example, the AES/EBU inputs and outputs in the 192 I/O enclosure are listed as AES/EBU [Encl], while the AES/EBU inputs and outputs on the factory-installed Digital I/O card are listed (in pairs) as AES/EBU 1–2, AES/EBU 3–4, AES/EBU 5–6, and AES/EBU 7–8. For 192 I/Os equipped with the optional Digital I/O Card, the additional AES/EBU I/O ports on the optional card are listed as AES/EBU 9–10,

AES/EBU 11–12, AES/EBU 13–14, and AES/EBU 15–16.

Refer to your peripheral’s guide for configuration details and restrictions. For example, the Optical 1–8 channels (on the 192 I/O enclosure) will not be available at session sample rates of 88.2 kHz or higher, while the ports on the 192 I/O Digital I/O card will still be available.

10 Conﬁgure controls for your Pro Tools|HD au-

dio interface. See “Conﬁguring 192 I/O and 192 Digital I/O Controls” on page 52, “Conﬁguring 96 I/O Controls” on page 53, and “Conﬁguring 96i I/O Controls” on page 53.

11 For additional Pro Tools|HD interfaces,

choose the interface in the Peripherals list, and repeat the above steps.

8 For the 96 I/O and 96i I/O, click the Meters

pop-up menu and select whether to meter the input or output signal.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 51

Conﬁguring 192 I/O and 192 Digital I/O Controls

To conﬁgure controls for a 192 I/O:

1 With the 192 I/O selected in the Peripherals

list, click the Analog In tab for the following options:

• You can set your operating level on a channel-by-channel basis by selecting Reference Level +4 dBu or –10 dBV. These settings correspond to two different input connectors on the back of the 192 I/O. Refer to the 192 I/O Guide for more information on setting operating levels.

• Each of the analog channels in the 192 I/O has two Input Trims, labeled A and B, for precisely calibrating and switching levels. You can select Input Trim A or B on a channel-by-channel basis. Refer to the 192 I/O Guide for information on setting the rear panel trims.

• You can select Soft Clip on a channel-bychannel basis. The Soft Clip limiter attenuates the incoming analog signal, providing extra protection from temporary clipping transients that can cause digital distortion when they exceed the maximum input of the unit. With Soft Clip enabled, 192 I/O supports an additional 4 dB of headroom by rounding off the top 4 dB to the clip point. This is useful for eliminating stray transients or for emulating analog tape saturation.

2 Click the Analog Out tab for the following op-

tion:

• Each of the analog channels in the 192 I/O has two Output Trims, labeled A and B, respectively. You can select Output Trim A or B on a channel-by-channel basis.

Hardware Setup dialog for 192 I/O, Analog Out page

To conﬁgure controls for a 192 Digital I/O or 192 I/O with an optional Digital I/O card:

 On the 192 Digital I/O or a 192 I/O with an

optional Digital I/O card, click the Digital tab to set the Input Format (AES/EBU, TDIF, or ADAT Optical) and enable real-time sample rate conversion (in channel pairs, with the SR Conversion option).

At session sample rates above 48 kHz, sample rate conversion for the TDIF and Optical (ADAT) inputs on the Digital I/O card is automatically enabled on all eight inputs of the selected format.

Hardware Setup dialog for 192 I/O, Analog In page

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide52

Hardware Setup dialog for 192 I/O, Digital page

Conﬁguring 96 I/O Controls

Conﬁguring 96i I/O Controls

To conﬁgure controls for a 96 I/O:

1 With the 96 I/O selected in the Peripherals

list, conﬁgure your I/O front panel meters for input or output metering from the Meters pop-up.

2 Click the Analog In tab for the following op-

tion:

• You can set your operating level on a channel-by-channel basis by selecting Reference Level +4 dBu or –10 dBV. Refer to the 96 I/O Guide for more information on setting operating levels.

Hardware Setup dialog for 96 I/O, Analog In page

3 Click the Analog Out tab for the following op-

tion:

• You can set your output level on a channelby-channel basis by selecting Reference

Level +4 dBu or –10 dBV. Refer to the 96 I/O Guide for more information on setting op-

erating levels.

To conﬁgure controls for a 96i I/O:

1 With the 96i I/O selected in the Peripherals

list, conﬁgure your I/O front panel meters for input or output metering from the Meters pop-up.

2 Set input sensitivity by doing the following:

• For Inputs 1–4, set the input trim slider to match the output level of the connected instrument. Choices range from –12 dBV to +4 dBu. If you do not know the output level of the device, use the default input trim level, then ﬁne tune the input level sensitivity.

• For each input 5–16 being used, select –8 dBV or +4 dBu as appropriate to best match the output level of the connected instrument.

3 Set Output levels (select –10 dBV or +4 dBu).

4 Click Done.

Hardware Setup for 96i I/O

Hardware Setup dialog for 96 I/O, Analog Out page

You can select analog or digital input as sources for 96i I/O channels 1–2. Only channels 1–2 can access the S/PDIF inputs.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 53

To select analog or digital input for channels 1-2:

1 Choose Setup > Hardware, and select 96i I/O in

the Peripherals list to display the 96i I/O window.

2 Click to set Ch 1–2 Input to Analog or S/PDIF,

as appropriate.

The 96i I/O only supports analog and digital switching for channels 1–2, and only from within the Hardware Setup and I/O Setup dialogs. The 96i I/O does not support path remapping within I/O Setup.

Conﬁguring Legacy I/Os

Before you can configure a Legacy I/O, it must first be initialized in Hardware Setup.

To initialize a Legacy I/O on a Pro Tools|HD system:

1 Lower the volume of your output devices.

2 Start up your Pro Tools system (see “Starting

Up or Shutting Down Your System” on page 37).

7 From the Interface pop-up, select the type of

Legacy I/O you connected.

After you select the type of Legacy I/O, the Main page updates with controls that can be configured. If your Legacy interface does not appear, check connections and repeat from step 1, above.

8 Repeat the above steps for each additional

Legacy I/O.

9 Click OK to close the Hardware Setup dialog.

For information on Hardware Setup controls for each Legacy I/O, refer to the guide for that interface.

To remove a Legacy I/O:

1 Lower the volume of your output devices.

2 Turn off your Legacy I/O.

3 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Hardware.

4 In the Peripherals list, select the name of a

Legacy interface.

Before turning on your Legacy I/O, make sure to lower the volume of your output devices. Very loud digital noise may be emitted before the Legacy I/O is initialized.

3 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Hardware.

4 From the Peripherals list, choose the primary

audio interface (the interface to which your Legacy I/O is connected).

5 In the Main page of the Hardware Setup dia-

log, select the Legacy I/O option under Port Settings.

6 In the Peripherals list, No Interface is listed

twice, directly below the primary audio interface. Click the ﬁrst No Interface. An Interface pop-menu appears in the Hardware Setup dialog, listing supported I/O choices.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide54

5 From the Interface pop-up menu, choose No

Interface.

6 Repeat steps 4–5 for each additional Legacy

I/O.

7 In the Peripherals list, select the name of the

the Pro Tools|HD audio interface to which the Legacy I/O was connected.

8 Select the Expansion I/O option under Port Set-

tings.

9 Click OK to close the Hardware Setup dialog.

Offline Peripherals

When a Legacy I/O and Pro Tools|HD peripheral are connected to your primary Pro Tools|HD peripheral, only one can be online at a time. An offline peripheral is indicated by brackets in the

Peripherals list of the Hardware Setup dialog. For example, if you have a 96 I/O and an 882|20 connected to a 192 I/O, and the 96 I/O is offline, it will appear in the Peripherals list as “[96 I/O].”

Peripherals will also go offline if the audio interface or card to which they are attached is made inactive.

Conﬁguring I/O Setup

The I/O Setup dialog provides a graphical representation of the signal routing for each connected audio interface, with controls to route physical ports on the audio interface to Pro Tools inputs and outputs. These controls mirror the routing controls found in the Hardware Setup dialog—changes made to physical routing in one dialog are always reflected in the other.

The I/O Setup dialog also lets you label and map Pro Tools input, output, insert, and bus signal paths. The I/O Setup dialog also provides important audition, meter, and surround settings.

4 To change the destination of an Input or Out-

put path or subpath, click directly on an Input or Output Selector for an interface channel pair, just below an audio interface icon. (This feature is not available for the 96i I/O.)

5 From the pop-up menu, select a physical port

pair (such as Analog 1–2), to route to the corresponding Pro Tools channel pair (such as A 1–2) in the Path Name column on the left.

6 Repeat the above steps for additional channel

pairs.

7 Click OK.

Pro Tools comes with default I/O Setup settings that will get you started. You only need to go to I/O Setup if you want to remap or rename the default I/O paths or if you change your system hardware (for example, adding an expansion card to a 192 I/O).

Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide for more information on setting up I/O paths.

To conﬁgure I/O routing in I/O Setup:

1 Choose Setup > I/O.

2 Click the Input or Output tab to display the

corresponding connections.

3 To change the name of a path or subpath, dou-

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

I/O Setup dialog for Pro Tools|HD system

Routing a Pro Tools Output Pair to Multiple Destinations

Pro Tools channel pairs can be routed to multiple outputs on your Digidesign audio interface through the Hardware Setup dialog.

For example, if you assign both Analog 1–2 and Analog 3–4 interface outputs to Pro Tools Output pair 1–2, when you send a signal to Pro Tools Output pair 1–2, that signal will be routed simultaneously to both pairs of output ports on your audio interface.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 55

This lets you send the same signal (such as a stereo pair, a stem mix, or a multichannel mix) to multiple destinations (such as multiple mastering devices).

To route a Pro Tools output channel pair to multiple audio interface output ports:

1 Choose Setup > Hardware.

2 From the Peripherals list, select an interface.

3 Click the Main tab.

Backing Up Your System Conﬁguration

After configuring your system and Pro Tools, you should save an image of your system drive using a backup utility such as Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost (Windows), or Bombich Carbon Copy Cloner (Mac). By doing this, you can quickly restore your system configuration and settings if you encounter any problems.

4 Select an output pair from an Output pop-up

menu.

5 Start-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac)

the same pop-up menu a second time to choose an additional output port pair.

The output name updates with a plus sign (“+”) before it to indicate that multiple output ports are selected. In the pop-up menu, each physical port pair assigned to that Pro Tools output pair is indicated by a check mark.

Hardware Setup dialog for 96 I/O, Main page

6 Repeat the above steps to select additional

output destinations. The only limit to output choices is the number of outputs available in your system.

Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools

To ensure optimum performance with Pro Tools|HD, configure your computer before using Pro Tools hardware and software.

For Mac System Optimization, see “Optimizing a Mac System for Pro Tools” on page 59.

Before configuring your computer, make sure you are logged in as an Administrator for the account where you want to install Pro Tools. For details on Administrator privileges, see your Windows documentation.

Required Optimizations

To ensure optimum performance with Pro Tools, configure the following settings before using Pro Tools hardware and software.

When you are finished changing Windows system settings, restart your computer.

Pro Tools output pairs can also be routed to multiple audio interface outputs in the I/O Setup dialog. For more information, see the Pro Tools Ref- erence Guide.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide56

Enabling DMA

Enabling your computer's DMA (Direct Memory Access) frees up CPU bandwidth so your computer can do other Pro Tools tasks.

In most cases the DMA option will already be set correctly, as Windows detects and activates DMA mode by default.

To enable DMA for any IDE hard drives:

1 Right-click My Computer (Windows XP) or

Computer (Windows Vista).

2 In the left-hand pane of the Computer Man-

agement window under System Tools, click on

Device Manager.

3 In the right-hand pane, click the plus (+) sign

to expand IDE ATA/API Controllers.

4 Right-click on the Primary IDE Controller and se-

lect Properties.

5 Click the Advanced Settings tab.

6 For each device, do one of the following de-

pending on your operating system:

• Set the Transfer Mode to DMA if available (WIndows XP)

– or –

• Check the box Enable DMA (Windows Vista)

7 Click OK.

8 Repeat the above steps for any additional IDE

Channels.

9 Close the Computer Management window.

Disabling User Account Control

(Windows Vista Only)

For optimal performance with Pro Tools on Windows Vista, disable User Account Control (UAC).

To disable User Account Control (UAC):

1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

2 Double-click User Accounts.

3 Click “Turn User Account Control on or off.”

4 Deselect the “Use User Account Control (UAC) to

help protect your computer” option.

5 Click OK.

Disabling System Standby and Power Management

When using Pro Tools, the Windows System Standby power scheme must be set to Always On. This helps prevent long record or playback passes from stopping due to system resources powering down.

To conﬁgure Windows Power Management (Windows Vista):

1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

2 Double-click Power Options.

3 In the Power Options window, select High Per-

formance.

4 Click Change plan settings.

5 In the Edit Plan Settings window, click Change

advanced power settings.

6 In the Power Options dialog, reveal Hard disk >

Turn off hard disk after.

7 Click Setting option.

8 Select the value in the Setting (Minutes) ﬁeld

and press Backspace on your computer keyboard.

9 Press Enter. The hard disk setting changes to

Never and the Power Options dialog closes.

10 In the Edit Plan Settings window, click Save

changes and close the window.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 57

To conﬁgure Windows Power Management (Windows XP):

1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

2 Double-click Power Options.

3 Click the Power Schemes tab.

4 From the Power Schemes pop-up menu, select

Always.

5 Verify that the following settings are set to

Never:

• Turn off hard disks

• System standby

• System hibernates

6 Click OK.

Recommended Optimizations

Pro Tools 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.

• 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.

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

Optional Optimizations

The following system optimizations may help Pro Tools perform better on some systems. It is recommended that you only try these optimizations if necessary, as they may disable or adversely affect the functionality of other programs on your system.

Disabling Network Cards

If applicable, disable any networking cards (other than a FireWire card that you might use to connect an external drive to your system).

To disable a network card:

1 Right-click My Computer (Windows XP) or

Computer (WIndows Vista) and choose Manage.

2 Under System Tools, select Device Manager.

3 In the Device Manager window, double-click

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

4 Under the General tab, choose “Do not use this

device (disable)” from the Device Usage pop-up menu, and click OK.

5 Close the Computer Management window.

Adjusting Processor Scheduling

To adjust Processor Scheduling performance:

1 Right-click My Computer (Windows XP) or

Computer (WIndows Vista) and choose Properties.

2 in the System Properties window, click the

Advanced tab.

3 Under the Performance section, click the

Settings button.

4 In the Performance Options window, click the

Advanced tab.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide58

5 Under the Processor Scheduling section, select

the Background Services option.

6 Under the Memory Usage section, select the

System cache option.

7 Click OK to close the Performance Options

window.

8 Click OK to close the System Properties win-

dow.

9 Restart the computer for the changes to take

effect.

5 After restarting, the computer displays a Sys-

tem Conﬁguration message. Check to see if Pro Tools performance has increased before you deselect the “Don't show this message again” option. If performance has not changed, run “msconﬁg” and return your computer Startup Selection back to Normal Startup - load all device drives and services. Alternatively, try disabling Startup items and non-essential processes individually.

Disabling System Startup Items

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

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 Run

(Windows XP) or in Start Search (Windows Vista) and click OK to open the System Conﬁguration Utility.

2 Under the General tab, choose Selective Star-

tup.

Optimizing a Mac System for Pro Tools

To ensure optimum performance with Pro Tools, configure your computer before using Pro Tools software.

For Windows System Optimization, see “Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools” on page 56.

Before configuring your computer, make sure you are logged in as an Administrator for the account where you want to install Pro Tools. For details on Administrator privileges 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, see the latest compatibility information on the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com/ compatibility).

3 Deselect Load Startup Items and click OK.

4 Click Restart to restart the computer.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 59

Turning Off Software Update

To turn off the Software Update feature:

1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple

menu and click Software Update.

2 Click the Software Update tab.

3 Deselect Check for Updates.

1 Turning Off Energy Saver

To turn off the Energy Saver feature:

1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple

menu and click Energy Saver.

2 Click the Sleep tab and do the following:

• Set the computer sleep setting to Never.

• Set the display sleep setting to Never.

• Deselect “Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible” option.

Setting Processor Performance

To set the Processor Performance:

1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple

menu and click Energy Saver.

2 Click the Options tab and set Processor Perfor-

mance to Highest.

Disable or Reassign Mac Keyboard Shortcuts Used by Pro Tools

To have the full complement of Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts, you need to disable or reassign any conflicting Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts in the Apple System Preferences, including the following:

• “Show Help menu”

• Under “Keyboard Navigation”

• “Move focus to the window drawer”

• Under “Dock, Exposé, and Dashboard”

• “Automatically hide and show the Dock”

• “All windows”

• “Application windows”

• “Desktop”

• “Dashboard”

• “Spaces”

• Under “Spotlight”

• “Show Spotlight search ﬁeld”

• “Show Spotlight window”

For a complete list of Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts, see the Keyboard Shortcuts Guide (Help > Keyboard Shortcuts).

To disable or reassign Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts:

1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple

menu and click Keyboard & Mouse.

2 Click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab.

3 Do one of the following:

• Deselect the Mac OS X options that conﬂict with Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts.

– or –

• Assign different, non-conﬂicting keyboard shortcuts to the corresponding Mac OS X options.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide60

Reassign Spaces Keyboard Shortcuts

Disabling Spotlight Indexing

If you want to use Spaces, you should reassign the Spaces keyboard shortcuts to avoid conflicts with important Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts. You can reassign Spaces keyboard shortcuts to use a combination of modifier keys (Command+Option+Control+Shift) in addition to the default Spaces keyboard shortcut assignments to avoid these conflicts.

To reassign Spaces keyboard shortcuts to use modiﬁer key combinations that do not conﬂict with Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts:

1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple

menu and click Exposé & Spaces.

2 Click the Spaces tab.

3 Ensure that Enable Spaces is selected.

4 Press and hold Command+Option+Con-

trol+Shift and select “Control+Option+Shift+Command+F8” from the “To activate Spaces” pop-up

menu.

5 Press and hold Command+Option+Con-

trol+Shift and select “Control+Option+Shift+Command+Arrow Keys” from the “To switch between spaces” pop-up menu.

6 Press and hold Command+Option+Con-

trol+Shift and select “Control+Option+Shift+Command+Number Keys” from the “To switch directly to a space” pop-up menu.

The Mac OS X Spotlight feature automatically indexes files and folders on local hard drives in the background. In most cases, this is not a concern for normal Pro Tools operation. However, if Spotlight starts indexing drives while recording in a Pro Tools session with high track counts for an extended period of time, it can adversely affect Pro Tools system performance. You may want to disable Spotlight indexing for all local drives before using Pro Tools for big recording projects.

Disabling Spotlight indexing also disables the Find function in Mac OS X.

To disable Spotlight indexing:

1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple

menu and click Spotlight.

2 In the Spotlight window, click the Privacy tab.

3 To prevent indexing of a drive, drag its icon

from the desktop into the list.

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.

Chapter 4: Conﬁguring Your Pro Tools System 61

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide62

chapter 5

Making Studio Connections

This chapter provides general information on connecting Pro Tools to your system, including digital equipment, effects units, MIDI gear, and SMPTE synchronization devices.

Refer to the 192 I/O Guide, 192 Digital I/O Guide, 96 I/O Guide, or 96i I/O Guide for specific details regarding:

• Front and back panel connectors and indicators

• Installation of optional expansion I/O cards (192 I/O only)

Setting Up Your Studio

Figure 9 on page 64 illustrates a typical studio setup, with a 192 I/O connected to a mixing console, effects and other equipment.

Figure 10 on page 65 illustrates a setup without a mixer, where effects and monitoring gear are connected directly to a 96 I/O.

Chapter 5: Making Studio Connections 63

Example Studio Setup with a Mixing Console

Analog Inputs

Channel Outputs

Optical

in/out

to ADAT

Analog Outputs

Digital Inputs/Outputs

to DAT recorder

Digital Effects Device (set to external sync)

Effects Devices

Tape Returns

or Inputs

Instruments

Connected to Console

Figure 9. Typical studio conﬁguration using a 192 I/O with mixer connections

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide64

Power Amp

and Speakers

Example Studio Setup without a Mixing Console

Mic Preamp,

Direct Box, Synth

Digital Inputs/Outputs

Analog Inputs

Analog Outputs

to DAT recorder

Optical

in/out

to ADAT

Digital Effects Device (set to external sync)

Effects Devices

Power Amp

and Speakers

Figure 10. Typical studio conﬁguration using a 96 I/O without a mixer

Chapter 5: Making Studio Connections 65

192 I/O

96i I/O

The 192 I/O features two DB-25 breakout connectors for two sets of eight inputs each, at +4 dBu and –10 dBV respectively.

There are no –10 dBV outputs, however; analog outputs break out from a single DB-25 output at +4 dBu operating levels.

When driving unbalanced lines on the 192 I/O output card, leave the negative “–” terminals disconnected. Failure to do so will result in noisy outputs.

The 192 I/O requires a custom DB-25 snake. Digidesign sells several different DigiSnake DB25 cables for this purpose. Contact your dealer or Digidesign for more information.

192 Digital I/O

The 192 Digital I/O features two DB-25 breakout connectors for two sets of eight AES/EBU or TDIF inputs and outputs, along with a pair of ADAT Optical ports.

The 192 Digital I/O requires a custom DB-25 snake. Digidesign sells several different DigiSnake (DB-25) cables for this purpose. Contact your dealer or Digidesign for more information.

96 I/O

The 96 I/O analog connectors are TRS 1/4-inch with TIP wired hot (or “+”), RING cold (or “ and SLEEVE ground. If connecting to unbalanced loads, use unbalanced TS cables.

There is one bank of eight inputs (software-switchable between +4 dBu and –10 dBV line levels on a line-by-line basis).

There is one bank of eight outputs (that use +4 dBu line levels).

–”),

The 96i I/O analog connectors are balanced TRS 1/4-inch with TIP wired hot (or “+”), RING cold (or “

–”), and SLEEVE ground. If connecting to

unbalanced loads, use unbalanced TS cables.

The 96i I/O provides 16 inputs and two outputs. Inputs 1–4 feature variable, multi-level input sensitivity, controllable from within Pro Tools (from –12 dBV to +4 dBu). Inputs 5–16 provide a choice of two fixed operating levels (–8 dBV or +4 dBu).

Outputs 1–2 are selectable between –10 dBV and +4 dBu.

Connecting Equipment with Digital Audio Ins and Outs

Each Pro Tools|HD audio interface includes at least one AES/EBU, S/PDIF, or Optical (ADAT) digital option. For example, the 192 I/O includes additional AES/EBU and optical ports, as well as TDIF, dual-wire AES/EBU at 192 kHz, and sample rate converters. The 96i I/O provides two channels of S/PDIF only. (See the documentation for your audio interface for details.)

The following example provides basic setup guidelines for connecting Pro Tools to a DAT recorder.

To connect your Pro Tools system to a DAT recorder:

1 Connect the AES/EBU or S/PDIF output on the

enclosure of your Pro Tools|HD audio interface to the AES/EBU or S/PDIF input of your DAT deck. By default, this port is assigned to Pro Tools Output 1–2.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide66

2 Connect the AES/EBU or S/PDIF input on the

enclosure to the AES/EBU or S/PDIF output of your DAT deck. Route the digital input to Pro Tools inputs in the Hardware Setup dialog.

You can route any of the physical input or output pairs to any of the input and output channel assignments in the Pro Tools mixer. (The 96i I/O does not support input mapping, however.) For more information see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Connecting Effects Units

The 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O and 96 I/O let you connect analog or digital effects units to your Pro Tools system, and use them as inserts or make them the destination for effects sends and returns. (The 96i I/O supports a single pair of hardware inserts using channels 1–2. See the 96i I/O Guide for more information.)

Five inserts are available on each audio channel. Each insert can be a hardware insert (or software plug-in), and can be mono or stereo.

When using a hardware insert, you must connect the device to matching inputs and outputs on your system. For example, a stereo insert could use outputs 7–8 and inputs 7–8 for the sends and returns, respectively. Routing the physical inputs and outputs of the interface to Pro Tools inputs and outputs can be done in either the Hardware Setup dialog or I/O Setup dialog. From I/O Setup, inserts can also be defined, and their channels mapped to audio interface channels (for more information, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide).

You can also connect effects units to your system by using any analog or digital inputs and outputs as Auxiliary Inputs and Outputs for effects sends and returns. Once an effects unit is attached this way, you can send a variable amount of a track’s output to the effects unit using a send in Pro Tools.

Ten separate send controls on each Pro Tools track allow you to route audio to any of the available outputs connected to your system or through any of the 128 internal busses in the Pro Tools Mixer. Outputs can be returned to Auxiliary Inputs for automated mixing or processing.

When you are using an effect in this send and return type of configuration, make sure the unit’s internal mix or balance between direct (unprocessed) and wet (effected) signal is set so that only the processed signal is returned to Pro Tools. On most effect units, a balance setting of 100% (completely wet) is the appropriate setting.

If you’ve been using an effects unit in an instrument setup, such as a guitar effects rack, you’ll probably find the balance to be below 50%. If the unit has separate dry and effect level knobs, turn dry level control off. If you don’t do this, the dry, unprocessed signal will be present in an effect’s output along with the desired processed sound, and you’ll have trouble accurately controlling the effect balance in your final mix.

Chapter 5: Making Studio Connections 67

Connecting Effects Units Digitally

To use your audio interface’s inputs and outputs as effects sends and returns to a digital effects device, set your interface’s Clock Source to Internal in the Hardware Setup dialog (unless it is referenced to another clock source or peripheral). You should then set your digital effects devices to accept an external digital clock so that they will synchronize themselves to Pro Tools. Make sure you set the channel pair to the digital input in the Hardware Setup dialog (or I/O Setup dialog).

Connecting MIDI Devices

By adding a compatible MIDI interface to your system, you can take advantage of all the MIDI features of Pro Tools, including recording and editing MIDI tracks, and synchronizing to MIDI Time Code or MIDI beat clock.

USB MIDI interfaces work effectively with Pro Tools systems on Windows or Mac. Serial MIDI interfaces are supported on Windows systems only.

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

to the MIDI IN of your MIDI interface.

4 Connect the MIDI IN of your MIDI device to

the MIDI OUT of your MIDI interface.

Connecting SMPTE Synchronization Devices

If you intend to synchronize Pro Tools to external devices with SMPTE, your system must be connected properly. For details on SMPTE and synchronization, see the Pro Tools Reference

Guide or the SYNC HD Guide.

Only USB MIDI interfaces are compatible with Pro Tools systems on Mac OS X. Modem-to-serial port adapters and serial MIDI devices are not supported.

See Appendix C, “Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only)”or Appendix D, “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.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide68

Digidesign SYNC Peripherals

Digidesign SYNC peripherals provide all the functions and connections needed to synchronize to a variety of devices with Pro Tools|HD.

Digidesign SYNC peripherals support all Pro Tools sample rates, and synchronize to most major time code and clock reference standards used in audio, video, film, and multimedia production.

SYNC peripherals integrate into the Loop Sync configuration of a Pro Tools|HD system, offering extremely fast lockup, near-sample accurate synchronization, and an exceptionally low-jitter clock. These features provide professional performance and maximum audio fidelity under a wide range of synchronization conditions.

For more information, refer to the SYNC HD

Guide.

Connecting Ethernet Control Surfaces

If you are using a built-in Ethernet port or a PCI or PCIe Ethernet card to connect your computer directly (rather than across a network) to a D-Control C|24 be set manually. The default manual settings will work in most cases. Do not use DHCP unless your computer is connected to a network that provides DHCP services.

, D-Command®, ProControl™,

™

, or Control|24™, the TCP/IP address must

Chapter 5: Making Studio Connections 69

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide70

appendix a

Connecting SCSI Drives

SCSI hard drives are supported recording media for Pro Tools|HD systems on Windows and Mac.

SCSI Requirements

Although Pro Tools will let you record to your system drive, this is generally not recommended. Performance for recording and playback on system drives is sometimes worse than on non-system drives, resulting in lower track counts and fewer plug-ins.

Be aware that recording to your system drive can quickly use up available hard drive space. This can negatively affect system stability and the performance of all applications including Pro Tools.

For the most current information on hard drive requirements and recommendations, visit the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).

Digidesign recommends qualified SCSI hard drives and a qualified SCSI host bus adapter (HBA) card or (on Windows systems) a qualified built-in SCSI HBA connector on the motherboard.

For a list of qualified SCSI hard drives and SCSI HBA cards, visit the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).

Software RAID is not supported for audio drives.

Appendix A: Connecting SCSI Drives 71

SCSI Cables

Distribute Audio Across Multiple Drives

Use shorter SCSI cables to improve reliability. Table 1 provides guidelines for maximum cable lengths according to SCSI type.

In the following table, the maximum cable length includes all cables used in the chain, not just point-to-point connections.

Table 1: Maximum cable length and number of drives supported according to SCSI type

SCSI Type and Transfer Rate

Maximum Cable Length

Maximum Number of Drives

Fast SCSI 10 MB/sec

Wide SCSI 20 MB/sec

Ultra SCSI 20 MB/sec (8-bit narrow)

Ultra SCSI 40 MB/sec (16-bit wide)

Ultra SCSI 20 MB/sec (8-bit narrow)

Ultra SCSI 40 MB/sec (16-bit wide)

Ultra1 SCSI Low Voltage Differential (LVD) 160 MB/sec

Ultra2 SCSI Low Voltage Differential (LVD) 80 MB/sec

Ultra3 SCSI Low Voltage Differential (LVD) 320 MB/sec

3 meters 8

3 meters 16

3 meters 5

1.5 meters 6–8

12 meters 16

For best recording and playback performance, don’t record and play back all audio files in a session from the same drive. Instead, use Pro Tools Disk Allocation features to distribute audio files between multiple drives. See the Pro Tools Refer- ence Guide for details.

Separate Video and Audio Files

If you are working with QuickTime, movie files must reside on a different SCSI bus than audio files. If audio files reside on disks connected to a SCSI HBA card, video data should reside on drives connected to a different SCSI bus.

Dual-Channel SCSI HBA Cards

If you use a dual-channel SCSI HBA card, allocate audio files equally to drives connected to each of the two busses on the card for optimal performance.

If using video files, make sure to put your video files on one bus and audio files on the other bus.

Connecting SCSI Drives

To connect an external SCSI drive:

1 Turn off power to both the computer and the

hard drive.

2 Attach a SCSI cable from the SCSI port of the

hard drive to the SCSI port of the SCSI HBA card or computer.

3 Secure the cable’s connectors to the hard drive

and computer.

4 Connect additional drives by daisy-chaining

from one drive to another. Keep cable lengths to a minimum (see Table 1).

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide72

5 Verify that the last SCSI device in the chain is

properly terminated. (See “SCSI Termination” on page 73.)

6 Make sure each SCSI device has a unique ID.

SCSI ID 7 is reserved for the host computer. Do not use ID 7 with any of your SCSI devices.

7 Attach power cables to the hard drives.

SCSI HBA Card

To SCSI Drive

SCSI Termination

Your computer’s SCSI chain must be properly terminated or your system will not function correctly. Only the last device on the chain should be terminated using the termination type recommended by the hard drive manufacturer.

The drive should use either an external terminator plug or have its internal terminators enabled. If you are using a terminator plug, Digidesign recommends that you purchase and use an

active terminator.

Do not enable internal termination and install an external terminator plug on the same drive. This will cause SCSI errors. See your hard drive’s documentation for information on which type of termination it uses.

Connecting a SCSI cable to a SCSI HBA card

to SCSI accelerator card

Connecting an external SCSI hard drive

Appendix A: Connecting SCSI Drives 73

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide74

appendix b

Hard Drive Conﬁguration and Maintenance

It is recommended that you start with a newly formatted external or secondary internal audio drive. You should also periodically defragment your audio drive to ensure continued system performance.

Supported Drive Formats and Drive Types

Drive Formats

Always back up any important data on your drive before formatting it, as it will erase all data on the drive.

Avoid Recording to the System Drive

Recording to your system drive is not recommended. Recording and playback on a system drive may result in lower track counts or fewer plug-ins.

Windows Windows systems should use drives formatted as NTFS only.

Windows systems can also support Mac drives formatted using the HFS+ system (also commonly referred to as Mac OS Extended). Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide for more information.

Mac Mac systems should use drives formatted with HFS or HFS+ file system only.

HFS drives are supported as Transfer drives only.

Hard drive performance depends on factors including system configuration, number of tracks, session sample rate, density of edits, and the use of crossfades and other processes such as Beat Detective in a session.

For complete hard drive requirements, see the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com/ compatibility).

Appendix B: Hard Drive Conﬁguration and Maintenance 75

SCSI Hard Drives

Digidesign recommends qualified SCSI hard drives and a qualified SCSI host bus adapter (HBA) card or (on Windows systems) a qualified built-in SCSI HBA connector on the motherboard.

Formatting an Audio Drive

Formatting Windows Audio Drives

For optimal performance, audio drives should be formatted as NTFS.

For more information, see Appendix A, “Connecting SCSI Drives.”

For complete information on track count and the supported number and configuration of SCSI drives, visit the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com/compatibility).

FireWire Hard Drives

Digidesign recommends qualified FireWire drives for all systems. On systems without Fire Wire ports, a Digidesign-qualified FireWire host adapter is recommended.

For complete information on track count and the supported number and configuration of FireWire drives, visit the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).

IDE/ATA/SATA Hard Drives

A qualified internal IDE/ATA/SATA drive may be used as a dedicated audio drive.

For complete information on track count with internal drives, refer to the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).

IDE/ATA/SATA hard drives provide limited track count performance and are not supported when an Expansion Chassis is used. For more information regarding Expansion Chassis operating procedures, see the Pro Tools Expanded Systems Guide.

To format an audio drive:

1 Right-click My Computer (Windows XP) or Com-

puter (Windows Vista) and choose Manage.

2 Under Storage, choose Disk Management.

Disk Management window

3 If the volume is “Healthy,” do the following:

Healthy volumes are volumes that have previously been partitioned and formatted.

• In the Disk Management window, rightclick the hard drive you will use for audio and choose Format.

• In the Format window, name the volume.

• Choose a ﬁle system. For optimum performance, audio drives should be formatted as NTFS.

• Select “Perform a quick format.”

• Make sure “Enable file and folder compres- sion” is not selected.

• Set the Allocation unit size to Default.

• Click OK.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide76

Pro Tools only supports Basic drive types. Do not convert the drive to a Dynamic type.

4 If the volume is “Unallocated,” do the follow-

ing:

• In the Disk Management window, rightclick the hard drive you will use for audio and choose New Partition.

• In the New Partition Wizard window, click Next.

• When prompted, select the partition type.

Digidesign recommends using Primary partitions, instead of Extended partitions.

• Follow the on-screen instructions to select a partition size and other partition settings.

• When prompted, choose a ﬁle system. For optimum performance, audio drives should be formatted as NTFS.

• Select “Perform a quick format.”

• Make sure “Enable file and folder compres- sion” is not selected.

• Set the Allocation unit size to Default.

• Click OK.

Pro Tools only supports Basic drive types. Do not convert the drive to a Dynamic type.

Formatting Mac Audio Drives

For optimum performance, audio drives should be formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

To format an audio drive:

1 Launch the Disk Utility application, located in

Applications/Utilities.

Disk Utility (Mac OS X)

2 Click the Erase tab.

3 Select the drive you want to initialize in the

column on the left side of the window.

4 Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

Do not choose the “Case-Sensitive” format option. Pro Tools will not operate properly with case-sensitive formatted drives.

5 Type a name for the new volume.

6 If you plan to connect the drive to a Mac OS 9

computer, select Install Mac OS 9 Drivers.

7 Click Erase.

The drive appears on the Desktop with the new volume name.

Appendix B: Hard Drive Conﬁguration and Maintenance 77

Partitioning Drives

Partitioning creates a logical volume or volumes on a physical drive, almost as if you were creating virtual hard drives. Partitions can then be formatted with the appropriate ﬁle system (NTFS for Windows, HFS+ for Mac).

The NTFS file system allows drives to be seen as whole volumes. Single Pro Tools audio files cannot exceed 3.4 GB in size.

Mac OS allows drives larger than 4096 MB to be seen as whole volumes. Drives must be initialized with a disk utility that recognizes the 2 terabyte limit. Single Pro Tools audio files cannot exceed 3.4 GB in size.

Seek Times on Partitioned Drives

Seek times are actually faster on partitioned drives (assuming that reads and writes are performed on a single partition), since the heads only have to seek within the partition boundaries, rather than the whole capacity of the drive.

Smaller partitions perform faster than larger partitions, but this comes at the expense of contiguous storage space. When you partition a drive, you will need to find the compromise that best suits your performance and storage requirements.

Avoid distributing audio files within a session over different partitions on the same drive since this will adversely affect drive performance.

Defragmenting an Audio Drive

Mac Systems

When working with larger files (such as video), you can limit fragmentation by backing up your important files to another disk, erasing the files from the original hard disk, then copying the files back, instead of doing a defragmentation.

Window Systems

Periodically defragment audio drives to maintain system performance.

For maximum recording and playback efficiency, data should be written to your hard drive in a contiguous fashion—minimizing the seek requirements to play back the data. Unfortunately, your computer can’t always store the sound files in this way and must write to disk wherever it can find space.

In multitrack recording, audio tracks are written in discrete files, spaced evenly across the disk. While fragmentation of individual files may be zero, the tracks may be far enough apart that playback will still be very seek-intensive. Also, the remaining free space on the disk will be discontiguous, increasing the likelihood of file fragmentation on subsequent record passes.

Increased fragmentation increases the chance of disk errors, which can interfere with playback of audio, and result in performance errors.

On Windows, to avoid fragmentation, format drives with higher cluster sizes (such as 32K).

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide78

Optimizing (Defragmenting) Drives

To prevent fragmentation, you can optimize your drive, which rearranges your ﬁles into a contiguous format. Most optimizing software lets you run a check on a drive to ﬁnd out the percentage of fragmentation. If your drive shows moderate to heavy fragmentation, you should consider optimizing it.

If you use your system for intensive editing, or if you frequently delete audio or fade ﬁles from your hard drive, you may need to optimize your drives on a weekly basis, or even every few days, since it doesn’t take long for even a large hard drive to become fragmented.

Using Mac Drives on Windows Systems

Pro Tools for Windows lets you record and play back sessions directly from a Mac-formatted (HFS+) drive connected to a Windows system. This functionality requires that all Mac session and audio files be stored on Mac-formatted drives.

During Pro Tools installation, make sure to select the Mac HFS+ Disk Support option. This option lets your Pro Tools system read, write, record, and play back using Mac-formatted HFS+ disks.

Backing Up Data Before Optimizing

Since your files will be rewritten by the optimization process, always make a backup copy of the data on your hard drive before you optimize it. You should also use a hard drive utility to find and repair any problems before optimizing data or re-initializing your drives. If there is any damage to your hard drive's directories prior to optimizing, serious data loss may result.

Defragmenting Windows Audio Drives

To defragment an audio drive:

1 Right-click My Computer (Windows XP) or

Computer (Windows Vista) and choose Manage.

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.

When defragmenting is complete, close the Computer Management window.

For information on sharing sessions between Mac and Windows systems, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Formatting and Maintaining HFS+ Drives

To format and partition any drives as HFS+, connect the drives to a Mac computer and use the Apple OS X Disk Utility.

Appendix B: Hard Drive Conﬁguration and Maintenance 79

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.

Stereo audio tracks recorded with 16-bit resolution at 44.1 kHz (CD quality) require approximately 10 MB of hard disk space per minute. The same tracks recorded with 24-bit resolution require about 15 MB per minute.

Table 3 lists the required disk space for certain track numbers and track lengths, to help you estimate your hard disk usage.

Table 3. Required hard drive space for audio tracks (44.1 kHz and 48 kHz sessions shown)

Number of Tracks and Length 16-bit at

44.1 kHz

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

16-bit at

48 kHz

24-bit at

44.1 kHz

24-bit at

48 kHz

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

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide80

appendix c

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

Appendix C: Conﬁguring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only) 81

Interface Controls

Properties Section

Create Adds a new instrument to the Instrument Name list.

Delete Deletes the instrument or instruments selected in the Instrument Name list.

Import Imports an existing MIDI Studio Setup file.

Export Exports the current MIDI Studio Setup file.

Show Duplicate Emulated Ports When this option is selected and you are using a MIDI interface that supports timestamping (such as MIDI I/O), in addition to the MIDI ports on Mbox 2, the MIDI Studio setup window shows both the DirectMusic time-stamped output ports, and non-stamped 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.

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

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.

To deﬁne an instrument with MIDI Studio Setup:

1 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio.

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.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide82

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.)

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.

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 “MIDI Patch Name Support” on page 83.

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 “MIDI Patch Name Support” on page 83.

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.

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

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.

MIDI Patch Name Support

Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup Language) for storing and importing patch names for your 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 import 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 81).

2 Verify the Instrument or MIDI track output is

correctly assigned to the MIDI device.

Appendix C: Conﬁguring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only) 83

3 Click the Instrument or MIDI track Patch Se-

lect button.

Patch Select button

Patch Select button, Edit window

Patch Select button

Patch Select button, Mix window

4 In the Patch Select dialog, click Change.

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.

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.

To clear patch names:

 In the Patch Select dialog, click Clear, and

then click Done.

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.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide84

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.

appendix d

Conﬁguring AMS (Mac OS X Only)

2 Click the MIDI Devices tab. AMS scans your

Audio MIDI Setup

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 ensure optimum performance, do not change the AMS configuration while Pro Tools is playing back. Stop the Pro Tools transport before launching AMS.

To conﬁgure your MIDI studio in AMS:

1 Do one of the following:

• Launch Audio MIDI Setup (located in Applications/Utilities).

– or –

• In Pro Tools, choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio.

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 D: Conﬁguring AMS (Mac OS X Only) 85

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.)

Naming a new MIDI device

To remove a connection, select the cable and press Delete.

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

MIDI setup.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide86

For Manufacturer and Model names, AMS refers to one or more files with the suffix “.middev” in the directory Root/Library/ Audio/MIDI Devices. Pro Tools installs a file that contains information for many commercially available MIDI devices, named “Digidesign Device List.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 the .middev file in any text editor (such as TextEdit).

3 Click the More Information 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 Select a device image and click Apply.

6 Close the AMS window to quit the AMS appli-

cation.

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

Appendix D: Conﬁguring AMS (Mac OS X Only) 87

MIDI 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 import MIDI patch names into Pro Tools:

1 Verify the MIDI Device name in the Audio

MIDI Setup window (see “Audio MIDI Setup” on page 85).

2 Verify the Instrument or MIDI track output is

correctly assigned to the MIDI device.

3 Click the Instrument or MIDI track Patch Se-

lect button.

Patch Select button

4 In the Patch Select dialog, click Change.

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.

Patch Select button, Edit window

Patch Select button

Patch Select button, Mix window

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide88

To clear patch names:

 In the Patch Select dialog, click Clear, and the

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.

appendix e

DSP-Induced Delays in Mixing

This appendix provides an overview of DSP-induced mixer delays, and explains how you can compensate for these delays to improve time and phase alignment of audio in complex or critical mixing situations.

• To learn about DSP-induced delays and when you should compensate, see “Introduction to DSP-Induced Delay” on page 89.

• To learn how to compensate for delays automatically with Delay Compensation (Pro Tools HD only), see “Using Delay Compensation” on page 90.

• For details on the sources of DSP-induced delay, see “Delay Factors” on page 96.

Introduction to DSP-Induced Delay

In all digital systems, DSP processing causes signal delays of varying amounts. These DSP-induced delays can vary from as short as several microseconds to as long as several milliseconds, depending on the type of processing or routing being performed.

Do not confuse signal processing-induced delays with monitoring latency or time domain effects processing (such as delay, echo, reverb, and other desirable delay effects).

Each plug-in, hardware insert, and mixer assignment on a track delays that track by an amount equal to the total of all DSP-delay factors. (For more information on these delays, see “Delay Factors” on page 96.)

In some cases, signal processing delays matter only if you use a real-time TDM plug-in on one channel of a stereo or multichannel signal but not the others. This imparts an unequal amount of delay to the signals on that channel, which subsequently may cause undesirable cancellation of certain frequencies.

Audible symptoms of phase issues include comb-filtering and loss of high frequencies.

In simple terms, DSP-induced delay can cause audio to arrive at the main output (or a submix output) at different times. To maintain time alignment, you can compensate for DSP-induced delays.

When to Compensate

You may only really need to compensate for delays between tracks where phase coherency must be maintained (as with instruments recorded with multiple microphones or stereo pairs). If you are working with mono signals, and the accumulated delays are small (just a few samples, for example), you probably do not need to worry about compensating for delays.

Appendix E: DSP-Induced Delays in Mixing 89

However, larger sessions with higher track and voice counts, many plug-ins, and/or complex mixer routing can benefit when DSP-induced delays are compensated to maintain phase coherent time alignment.

In any session, if you want to maintain absolute time alignment across all tracks you should always compensate for signal processing delays.

Delay Compensation should be enabled during playback and mixing so that all tracks’ outputs are correctly time-aligned.

When recording, Delay Compensation should usually be turned off (see “Low Latency Monitoring During Recording” on page 93).

When Delay Compensation is enabled, the Delay Compensation status indicator in the Edit Window Toolbar is displayed.

Delay Compensation indicator

If desired, the Delay Compensation View for tracks can be displayed in the Mix Window (see “Delay Compensation View” on page 91).

Conﬁguring Delay Compensation Engine

Using Delay Compensation

Pro Tools provides automatic Delay Compensation for managing DSP delays from plug-in and hardware inserts, and mixer routing (bussing and sends). With Delay Compensation enabled, Pro Tools maintains phase coherent time alignment between tracks that have plug-ins with differing DSP delays, tracks with different mixing paths, tracks that are split off and recombined within the mixer, and tracks with hardware inserts.

To maintain phase coherent time alignment, Delay Compensation should always be enabled during playback and mixing. Delay Compensation should also be used in most recording situations.

Enabling Delay Compensation

To enable Delay Compensation:

 Select Options > Delay Compensation.

The amount of Delay Compensation available for your session is set in the Playback Engine. The total amount of delay due to inserts and mixer routing for the entire session is displayed in the Session Setup window.

There are three settings in the Playback Engine dialog to dedicate DSP resources for Delay Compensation:

None Allocates no DSP resources for Delay Compensation.

Long Allocates maximum DSP resources for Delay Compensation for each mixer channel. For sessions with a lot of plug-ins resulting in a large amount of DSP-induced delay, select this setting.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide90

To conﬁgure the Delay Compensation Engine:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 From the Delay Compensation Engine pop-up

menu, select a Delay Compensation setting.

3 Click OK.

Delay Compensation Time Mode

System Delay

System Delay in Session Setup window

Delay values can be specified in either samples or milliseconds, as selected with the Delay Com- pensation Time Mode setting in the Operation Preferences page.

Delay Compensation Limit

The Delay Compensation limit is displayed in samples in the Delay Compensation Engine pop-up menu in the Playback Engine dialog. This is the maximum amount of Delay Compensation available for the session. This value is different depending on the session sample rate and which Delay Compensation Engine option is selected.

System Delay

Pro Tools adds the exact amount of delay to each track necessary to make that particular track’s delay equal to the total System Delay. The total system delay is the longest delay reported on a track, plus any additional delay caused by mixer routing.

The System Delay is shown in the Session Setup window (Session > Setup). Reference the reported System Delay to monitor whether or not you are close to exceeding the Delay Compensation limit.

Delay Compensation View

The Delay Compensation View displays the total amount of plug-in (TDM and RTAS) and hardware insert delay on each track, lets you apply a user offset of track delay, and displays the total amount of delay that Pro Tools applies to each track. The Delay Compensation View can be shown or hidden in the Mix Window.

Delay indicator User Offset field Track

Compensation indicator

Delay Compensation View

Delay Compensation view only shows the insert delay for each track. To view the complete system delay, including mixer delays, see System Delay in the Session Setup window (see “System Delay” on page 91).

To view Delay Compensation information:

 Select View > Mix Window > Delay Compensa-

tion.

Appendix E: DSP-Induced Delays in Mixing 91

Delay Compensation View Indicators and Field

Delay (dly) Indicator

The Delay (dly) indicator reports the total plugin (TDM and RTAS) and hardware insert delay on the track.

The Delay indicator’s report to Pro Tools Delay Compensation Engine can be bypassed when Delay Compensation is enabled. This is useful for manually time-aligning a track when the total delay on a track exceeds the Delay Compensation limit. See “Delay that Exceeds the Compensation Limit” on page 93.

The display color indicates reported track delay, as follows:

Green Indicates that track delay reporting is enabled and the track does not exceed the available amount of Delay Compensation.

User Offset (+/–) Field

This field lets you adjust track delays manually while Delay Compensation is enabled. The User Offset is in addition to or subtraction from the amount of delay applied by Track Compensation. The User Offset is useful for the following cases:

• For manually time-aligning a track if a plug-in is incorrectly reporting its delay.

• For adjusting the timing “feel” of a track.

The color of the values in this field indicate User Offset status, as follows:

White Indicates that the User Offset is enabled on the track and the User Offset compensation value is applied to the track.

Gray Indicates that the User Offset is disabled on the track and the User Offset compensation value is not applied.

Orange Indicates that this is the track reporting the longest plug-in and hardware insert delay in the session.

Red Indicates that the amount of plug-in and hardware insert delay on the track exceeds the available amount of Delay Compensation (see “Delay that Exceeds the Compensation Limit” on page 93).

Gray Track delay report is bypassed.

Pro Tools|HD Setup Guide92

To change track delay using the User Offset ﬁeld:

1 In the Delay Compensation View, click in the

User Offset edit ﬁeld.

2 To set your delay value (in samples or millisec-

onds depending on your current preferences), do one of the following:

• Enter a positive number (with or without the “+” modiﬁer) for a positive delay (later in time) or negative number (with the “–” modiﬁer) for a negative delay (earlier in time).

• Drag in the User Offset ﬁeld to scroll to a new value. For ﬁner resolution, Controldrag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac).

• Press the Up and Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease the numerical values.

3 Press Enter.

Pinnacle Systems Pro Tools HD - 8.0 Setup Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

contents

Welcome to Pro Tools|HD

Pro Tools|HD Systems

Pro Tools|HD (for PCIe) Systems

Pro Tools|HD (for PCI) Systems

Pro Tools|HD System Packages

Pro Tools HD Capabilities

Audio Recording and Playback Capabilities

Pro Tools Hardware Overview

Pro Tools|HD (for PCIe) Hardware

Pro Tools|HD (for PCI) Hardware

Audio Interfaces

System Requirements and Compatibility

Hard Drive Requirements

MIDI Requirements

Digidesign Registration

Conventions Used in This Guide

Installing Pro Tools on Windows

Installation Overview

Installing Pro Tools Hardware

Disabling Driver Signing Warnings

Installing Pro Tools|HD Cards

Connecting Pro Tools|HD Cards

Connecting Audio Interfaces

Installing Pro Tools HD Software

Launching Pro Tools

Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc

HD Pack Plug-ins

Third-Party Applications and Plug-ins

Windows Audio Drivers

Pro Tools Demo Session

Uninstalling Pro Tools

Installing Pro Tools on Mac

Installing Pro Tools Hardware

Installing Pro Tools|HD Cards

Installation Overview

Connecting Pro Tools|HD Cards

Connecting Audio Interfaces

Installing Pro Tools HD Software

Launching Pro Tools

Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc

Digidesign CoreAudio Driver

HD Pack Plug-ins

Pro Tools Demo Session

Uninstalling Pro Tools

Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System

Checking the System

Running DigiTest

Pro Tools System Settings

Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools

Required Optimizations

Recommended Optimizations

Optional Optimizations

Optimizing a Mac System for Pro Tools

Making Studio Connections

Setting Up Your Studio

Example Studio Setup with a Mixing Console

Example Studio Setup without a Mixing Console

Connecting Equipment with Digital Audio Ins and Outs

Connecting Effects Units

Connecting MIDI Devices

Connecting SMPTE Synchronization Devices

Digidesign SYNC Peripherals

Connecting Ethernet Control Surfaces

Connecting SCSI Drives

SCSI Requirements

SCSI Cables

Connecting SCSI Drives

SCSI Termination

Supported Drive Formats and Drive Types

Avoid Recording to the System Drive

Formatting an Audio Drive

Partitioning Drives

Defragmenting an Audio Drive

Mac Systems

Window Systems