Pinnacle Systems Pro Tools MIX - 6.1 Getting Started

Getting Started
with Pro Tools MIX
Version 6.1 for TDM Systems on Windows XP or Mac OS X
Version 5.3.1 for TDM Systems on Windows
Version 5.1.3 for TDM Systems on Macintosh
Digidesign
2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard
Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA
tel: 650·731·6300
fax: 650·731·6399
tel: 650·731·6100
fax: 650·731·6384
Product Information (USA)
tel: 650·731·6102
tel: 800·333·2137
International Offices
Visit the Digidesign Web site
for contact information
Web Site
www.digidesign.com
Copyright
This guide is copyrighted ©2003 by Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Digidesign.
DIGIDESIGN, AVID and PRO TOOLS are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
All features and specifications subject to change without notice.
PN 910611592-00 REV A 06/03

contents

Chapter 1. Welcome to Pro Tools|24 MIX
Pro Tools TDM Systems
System Requirements
Digidesign Registration
About the Pro Tools Guides
About www.digidesign.com
Chapter 2. Windows Configuration
Installing Windows XP
Configuring Your Computer
Windows System Settings
Pro Tools Hardware Overview
Installing Pro Tools Hardware
Installing Pro Tools Software
Installing QuickTime
Using MIDI
Installing ProControl or Control|24
Installing Demo Sessions
Checking Your TDM System
Launching Pro Tools
Configuring Pro Tools
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Contents
iii
Chapter 3. Macintosh Configuration
Pro Tools Hardware Overview
Installing Pro Tools Hardware
Apple System Settings
Installing Pro Tools Software
Installing Demo Sessions
Checking Your TDM System
Launching Pro Tools
Configuring Pro Tools
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Chapter 4. Connecting Your Studio
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
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Chapter 5. Working with Pro Tools
Session Basics
Transport Controls
Navigating a Session
Tracks
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Regions Lists
Importing Audio
Basic Recording
Editing
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Mixing
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Plug-Ins
Mix Automation
Final Mixdown
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Getting Started with MIX
iv
Appendix A. Connecting SCSI Drives
SCSI Requirements
Connecting SCSI Drives
Quick Formatting SCSI Drives
General Hard Drive Maintenance
Using Macintosh Drives on Windows Systems
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Appendix B. DigiTest Error Codes
Appendix C. Windows System Optimizations
Troubleshooting
Advanced Settings
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Appendix D. Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only)
Introduction
Compatible Software
Installing the ASIO Driver
Changing ASIO Driver Settings
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Appendix E. Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only)
Appendix F. Configuring OMS (Mac OS 9 Only)
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Appendix G. Digidesign Control Panel (Mac OS 9 Only)
Index
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Contents
v
Getting Started with MIX
vi
chapter 1

Welcome to Pro Tools|24 MIX

Welcome to Pro Tools|24 MIX. Pro Tools MIX­series and Pro Tools|24 audio cards and inter­faces bring powerful digital audio recording, ed­iting, TDM signal processing, mixing, and I/O capabilities to Pro Tools.
This guide covers installation and configuration of Pro Tools|24 MIX and Pro Tools|24 hardware and Pro Tools software on Macintosh and Win­dows platforms. System and installation tests are provided, as well as an introduction to Pro Tools software.

Pro Tools TDM Systems

Pro Tools 6.0 for Macintosh, Pro Tools 5.3.1 for Windows, and Pro Tools 5.1.3 for Macintosh support the following systems:

Pro Tools|24 MIX-series Systems

Pro Tools|24 MIX
A core system includes:
• MIX Core card
• Pro Tools TDM software
• Digidesign audio interface (sold separately)
Pro Tools|24 MIXplus
A MIXplus system includes:
• MIX Core card
• MIX Farm card
• Pro Tools TDM software
• Digidesign audio interface (sold separately)
Pro Tools|24 MIX
A MIX3 system includes:
• MIX Core card
•Two MIX Farm cards
• Pro Tools TDM software
• Digidesign audio interface (sold separately)
All Pro Tools|24 MIX-series systems provide:
• Up to 64 tracks of recording and playback of 24-bit and 16-bit audio files
• TDM digital mixing and DSP plug-in environ­ment
• Non-linear, random-access editing and mix automation
• MIDI recording, playback and editing
3
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools|24 MIX
1

Pro Tools|24 Systems

A Pro Tools|24 core system includes:
• d24 Audio card
• DSP Farm card
• Pro Tools TDM software
• Digidesign audio interface (sold separately)
A core Pro Tools|24 system provides:
• Up to 32 tracks of recording and playback of 24-bit and 16-bit audio files
• TDM digital mixing and DSP plug-in environ­ment
• Non-linear, random-access editing and mix automation
• MIDI recording, playback and editing

Audio Interfaces

To record and play audio you must have at least one of the following Digidesign audio inter­faces:
888|24 I/O Audio Interface
Analog: XLR (balanced or unbalanced) con-
nectors, +4 dBu or –10 dBV
Digital: XLR (AES/EBU) or RCA (S/PDIF) con-
nectors
1622 I/O Audio Interface
Analog: 1/4-inch TRS (balanced or unbal­anced) connectors. Inputs are variable from +4 dBu to –10 dBV; outputs are selectable be­tween +4 dBu or –10 dBV
Digital: RCA (S/PDIF) connectors
Digidesign 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O and the Original ADAT Bridge I/O
Analog: 1/4-inch TRS (balanced) connectors,
+4 dBu or –10 dBV
Digital: XLR (AES/EBU) or RCA (S/PDIF) con­nectors
Optical: Two pairs of EIAJ fiber optic connec­tors
MIX-series systems do not support HD-series audio interfaces (such as the 96 I/O and the 192 I/O).
Pro Tools|24 MIX and Pro Tools|24 sys­tems also support some older Digidesign au­dio interfaces, such as the 888 I/O and 882 I/O.
882|20 I/O Audio Interface
Analog: 1/4-inch TRS (balanced or unbal-
anced) connectors, +4 dBu or –10 dBV
Digital: RCA (S/PDIF) connectors
Getting Started with MIX
2

System Requirements

Compatibility Information
Qualified SCSI drives yield up to 32 tracks per drive with 24-bit audio, up to the maximum number of tracks for your system configuration.
Digidesign can only assure compatibility and provide support for hardware and software it has tested and approved. For a list of Digidesign­qualified computers, operating systems, hard drives, and third-party devices, refer to the latest compatibility information on the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com/compato).

Hard Drive Requirements

For optimal audio recording and playback, all Pro Tools TDM systems require one or more Digidesign-qualified drives.
Drive Formats
Windows
formatted with FAT32 or NTFS file system (NTFS preferred).
Macintosh Macintosh systems should use drives formatted with HFS or HFS+ file system 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.
SCSI Hard Drives
For maximum recording and playback perfor­mance, 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.
Windows XP systems should use drives
The UNIX File System (UFS) is not sup­ported with Pro Tools on Mac OS X.
FireWire Hard Drives
FireWire drives are qualified with certain system configurations, up to a maximum of four drives.
Qualified FireWire drives yield up to 24 tracks per drive with 24-bit audio, up to the maximum number of tracks for your system configuration.
IDE/ATA Hard Drives
A qualified internal IDE/ATA drive yields up to 32 tracks of 24-bit audio, at 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz when used as a dedicated audio drive.
For maximum performance, Digidesign rec­ommends the use of SCSI hard drives. IDE 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.
Visit the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com) for a list of qualified hard drives and SCSI HBA cards.
Avoid Recording to System Drives
Although Pro Tools will let you record to your system drive, this is generally not recom­mended. Recording and playback on system hard drives results in lower track counts and fewer plug-ins.
Digidesign does not recommend recording to system drives. Record to system drives only when necessary.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools|24 MIX
3
Hard Drive Storage Space
The same tracks recorded with 24-bit resolution require about 7.5 MB per minute. Table 2 lists
Mono audio tracks recorded with 16-bit resolu­tion at 44.1 kHz (CD quality) require approxi­mately 5 MB of hard disk space per minute.
Table 2. Required hard drive space for audio tracks
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
the required drive space for certain track num­bers and track lengths, to help you estimate your hard disk usage.
16-bit at
48 kHz
24-bit at
44.1 kHz
24-bit at
48 kHz
1 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
Getting Started with MIX4

MIDI Requirements

Conventions Used in This Guide

Both USB and serial MIDI interfaces work effec­tively with Pro Tools.
PCI-based serial expanders do not work with se­rial MIDI interfaces on Macintosh systems. Se­rial MIDI interfaces require a qualified modem­to-serial port adapter. Refer to the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com) for a list of sup­ported adapters.

Digidesign Registration

Complete and return the registration card in­cluded with your Pro Tools TDM system. Regis­tered users are entitled to one year of free tech­nical support, which is activated with the first call to Digidesign Tech Support.

About the Pro Tools Guides

In addition to the printed guides that came with your system, PDF versions of the Pro Tools guides are installed automatically with Pro Tools, and are accessible from the Pro Tools menu (Mac OS X) or the Pro Tools Help menu (Mac OS 9 and Windows). To view or print the PDF guides, you can install Acrobat Reader (in­cluded on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM).
Digidesign guides use the following conven­tions to indicate menu choices and key com­mands:
:
Convention Action
File > Save Session Choose Save Session from
the File menu
Control+N Hold down the Control key
and press the N key
Control-click Hold down the Control key
and click the mouse button
Right-click (Windows) Click with the right mouse
button
The following symbols are used to highlight im­portant information:
User Tips are helpful hints for getting the most from your system.
Important Notices include information that could affect your data or the performance of your system.
Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or mouse shortcuts.
Cross References point to related sections in other Digidesign guides.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools|24 MIX 5

About www.digidesign.com

The Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com) is your best source for information to help you get the most out of your Pro Tools system. The following are just a few of the services and fea­tures available.
Support Contact Digidesign Technical Support or Customer Service; download software up­dates and the latest online manuals; browse the Compatibility documents for system require­ments; search the online Answerbase; join the worldwide Pro Tools community on the Digide­sign User Conference.
Training and Education Become a certified Pro Tools Operator or Expert; study on your own using courses available online, or find out how you can learn in a classroom setting at a certified Pro Tools Training Center.
Products and Developers Learn about Digidesign products; download demo software; learn about our Development Partners and their plug-ins, applications, and hardware.
News and Events Get the latest news from Digidesign; sign up for a Pro Tools demo.
To learn more about these and other resources available from Digidesign, visit our Web site (www.digidesign.com).
Getting Started with MIX6
chapter 2
Windows Configuration
Installation of a Pro Tools|24 MIX or Pro Tools|24 system on a Windows computer includes the following steps:
1 Installing Windows XP (See “Installing Win-
dows XP” on page 7.)
2 Configuring your computer (See “Configuring
Your Computer” on page 7.)
3 Configuring Windows system software set-
tings (See “Windows System Settings” on page 10.)
4 Installing Pro Tools hardware (See “Installing
Pro Tools Hardware” on page 14.)
5 Installing Pro Tools TDM software (See “In-
stalling Pro Tools Software” on page 17.)
6 Checking your Pro Tools system (See “Check-
ing Your TDM System” on page 19.)
7 Configuring your Pro Tools system (See “Con-
figuring Pro Tools” on page 21.)

Installing Windows XP

If you do not already have Windows XP in­stalled on your computer, you will need to in­stall Windows XP Professional edition or Windows XP Home edition. Pro Tools requires an activated version of Windows XP.
If you are changing operating systems, Digide­sign strongly recommends a clean installation of Windows on a newly formatted drive or par­tition rather than upgrading the operating sys­tem.
If you are changing or upgrading your oper­ating system, be sure to deauthorize any key disk authorized plug-ins before changing or upgrading to avoid losing any authoriza­tions.
Configuring Your Computer
To ensure optimum performance with Pro Tools, configure your computer before in­stalling Pro Tools software.
Before you make any changes to your com­puter’s system settings, make a backup copy of your registry (where many of these essen­tial settings are stored). By doing so, you will be able to restore your system’s original settings in case of trouble. See your Win­dows XP documentation for details.
If your computer does not provide the BIOS configuration options included in this sec­tion, or if you do not feel comfortable changing system parameters, consult with a Windows system administrator, computer dealer, or manufacturer for assistance.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 7
Configuring the BIOS
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) parameters vary depending on the make and model of the computer. Refer to the documentation that came with your computer for more details.
Different BIOS manufacturers often use differ­ent names to describe the same system function. Some manufacturers do not provide a particular configuration option at all. Consequently, the names and options that appear in your com­puter’s BIOS may differ from those described in this guide.
These BIOS settings are not applicable to the Compaq Evo W8000 and the IBM Intel­listation M Pro 6850.
9 Disable PCI#2 Access #1 Retry, if present. 10 Save the new BIOS settings. 11 Exit BIOS setup and restart your computer.
Configuring the SCSI BIOS
If you are using SCSI drives or devices, you must modify the settings of your built-in SCSI hard­ware or SCSI host bus adapter card. This allows SCSI hard drives to work properly with Pro Tools. This procedure varies on different computers. Refer to the documentation that came with your computer.
To modify your computer’s SCSI BIOS:
1 Start or restart your computer
To modify your computer’s BIOS:
1 Start or restart your computer. 2 While the computer is starting up, enter BIOS
Setup by pressing the appropriate key (usually indicated in the startup message) on your com­puter keyboard. The F1, F2, or the Delete keys are commonly used.
3 In the appropriate page of the BIOS Setup, dis-
able PCI Parity. If the PCI Parity option isn’t available on your computer, skip this step.
4 If you will be using SCSI drives or devices, and
your computer is equipped with built-in SCSI hardware, enable SCSI support. SCSI support pa­rameters are typically found on the Devices & I/O Options page of the BIOS setup utility. If you do not have built-in SCSI hardware and are us­ing a SCSI host adapter (HBA) card instead, you do not need to enable SCSI support.
5 Disable Power Management, if present. 6 Enable PCI Dynamic Bursting, if present. 7 Enable PCI Master 0 WS Write, if present.
2 While the computer is starting up, when the
text message regarding the SCSI BIOS appears, press the key combination listed on the screen to enter the SCSI BIOS setup utility.
3 Refer to your SCSI host bus adapter card doc-
umentation to set the following parameters:
• For each SCSI ID and SCSI channel con­nected to your audio drives, set the Maxi­mum Sync Transfer Rate parameter to 20 MB/sec.
• If you are using an ATTO host bus adapter card, change the PCI Burst Size to 32 Bytes.
• If you are using an Adaptec host bus adapter card, enable the Host Adapter BIOS option.
4 Save the new SCSI BIOS settings. 5 Exit SCSI BIOS setup and restart your com-
puter.
8 Disable PCI Delay Transaction, if present.
Getting Started with MIX8
Updating the SCSI BIOS

Installing SCSI Drivers

If you are using an ATTO SCSI HBA card, you may need to update its SCSI BIOS. When start­ing your computer, you will see what version of the ATTO SCSI BIOS is installed on the SCSI card. If it is not version 1.6.6 or higher, you will need to flash the SCSI BIOS with 1.6.6 or higher ATTO SCSI BIOS (flash.bat).
To update the BIOS on the ATTO SCSI card:
1 Insert a High Density PC formatted floppy
disk in your floppy drive.
2 Copy the DOS folder from the ATTO folder on
the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM to the floppy disk.
3 Shut down your computer. 4 Disconnect any hard drives connected to the
SCSI card.
5 Start your computer with the floppy disk in
the floppy drive.
6 When prompted, press Control+Z. 7 Press Enter. 8 Select Adapter Menu. 9 Select Update Flash ROM. 10 Press Enter twice.
The SCSI BIOS will be updated. This may take a few minutes.
Do not interrupt this process or your system may be damaged.
11 Select Configure Adapter Channels. 12 Set Host Adapter BIOS to Disabled. 13 Press the Esc key twice. 14 Select Save Parameters and Exit, and press
Enter.
For Pro Tools to run at maximum efficiency with SCSI Host Bus Adapters and SCSI drives, in­stall a Digidesign approved SCSI driver (ATTO or Adaptec, depending on the card you are using).
Check Digidesign’s Compatibility Docu­ments for a list of Digidesign approved com­puters and supported SCSI driver versions. Compatibility Documents are available at the Digidesign Web site (www.digide­sign.com).
Installing the Adaptec SCSI Driver
If you need to install the Adaptec driver, refer to the driver manufacturer’s documentation.
The full name of the Adaptec driver for the IBM M Pro is:
Adaptec
AHA290/291/294x/394x/4944/AIC78xx
Installing the ATTO SCSI Drivers
The full name of the ATTO driver is:
ATTO ExpressPCI
To install the ATTO Windows device driver:
1 Start your computer. Note the version of the
ATTO SCSI BIOS when booting. If it is version
1.6.6, proceed to the next step. If it is not ver­sion 1.6.6, you will need to flash the ATTO SCSI BIOS (see “Updating the SCSI BIOS” on page 9).
2 Insert the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM in your
CD-ROM drive.
3 Open the System Control Panel. 4 Click the Hardware tab. 5 Click Device Manager. 6 Select SCSI and RAID controllers.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 9
7 Double-click the Symbios Logic PCI SCSI
Adapter.

Windows System Settings

8 Click the Driver tab. 9 Click Update Driver and click Next. 10 Select “Search for a suitable driver for my de-
vice” and click Next.
11 Select “Specify a location” and click Next. 12 Click Browse and navigate to the ATTO
folder on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM.
13 Select EXPRESS.INF and click Open. 14 Click OK. 15 Select Install one of the other drivers and
click Next.
16 Select ExpressPCI Adapter and click Next. 17 Click Finish. 18 Click Close. 19 If you have a dual-channel SCSI card, repeat
steps 7–18 for the second channel.
20 Click OK.
Configure your Window system settings, as fol­lows:
Required Settings These instructions must be followed before installing Pro Tools.
Recommended Settings These instructions should be followed to optimize your system’s capabilities, or to let older computers run Pro Tools.
If problems occur after configuring all re­quired and suggested settings, see Appendix C, “Windows System Optimiza­tions” for information on troubleshooting and configuring advanced settings.

Required Settings

To ensure optimum performance with Pro Tools, configure the following Control Panel settings for your version of Windows XP.
When finished updating required Windows system settings, power down your com­puter.
Disable Hyper-Threading
For Pentium IV computers with Hyper-Thread­ing, disable Hyper-Threading in the BIOS.
Enable 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 XP detects and activates DMA mode by default.
Getting Started with MIX10
Enable DMA for any IDE hard drives:
1 Right-click My Computer and choose Man-
age.
2 In Classic view, choose Start > Control Panel >
System > Hardware.
– or –
In Category view, choose Start > Control panel > Performance and Maintenance > System > Hard­ware.
3 Under System Tools, choose Device Manager. 4 In the Device Manager window, double-click
IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, then double-click the Primary IDE Channel for your IDE hard drive.
5 Click the Advanced Settings tab. 6 For each device, set the Transfer Mode to
“DMA if available,” and click OK. In most cases, this will already be set correctly as
Windows XP will detect and activate DMA mode by default.
7 Repeat steps 4–6 for any additional IDE Chan-
nels.
8 Close the Computer Management window.
Disable 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:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel. 2 In Classic View, double-click the Power Op-
tions Control Panel, then click the Power Schemes tab.
– or –
In Category view, click Performance and Main­tenance, then click Power Options, then click the Power Scheme tab.
3 From the Power Schemes pop-up menu, select
Always On.
4 Click OK.
This sets System Standby, System Hibernate, and “Turn off hard disks” to Never.
Disable ClearType Font Smoothing
Disable Virus Protection Software
Avoid running virus protection software while using Pro Tools since it adversely affects system performance (as do all background processes). If you are using virus protection software, you must turn it off or remove it and restart your computer.
When using Pro Tools, the Effects “Clear Type” setting must be disabled.
To disable ClearType font smoothing:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel. 2 In Classic view, double-click Display.
– or –
In Category view, click Appearance and Themes, then click Display.
3 Click the Appearance tab. 4 Click Effects.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 11
5 Deselect “Use the following methods to
smooth edges of screen fonts.”

Pro Tools Hardware Overview

6 Click OK to save your settings and close the
Effects dialog.
7 Click OK.
Completing Windows System Settings
When finished updating required Windows system settings, power down your com­puter.
Recommended Configuration
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:
•Avoid running other Windows programs at the same time as Pro Tools.
•Turn off any software utilities that run in the background, such as Windows Messen­ger, calendars, and disk maintenance pro­grams.
•Turn off any nonessential USB devices while using Pro Tools
• If your video display card supports it, en­able Bus Mastering in the manufacturer’s Control Panel.
• Disable any networking cards (other than any 1394 “FireWire” card that you might use to connect an external drive to your system).
The number of Pro Tools TDM cards in your sys­tem depends on the type of core system you have. Card components for each core system configuration are listed below.
If you are using an Expansion Chassis to add additional cards to your system, refer to the
Expanded Systems Guide included with
your Pro Tools system.

Pro Tools|24 MIX-series Hardware

Pro Tools|24 MIX hardware is available in the following configurations:
Pro Tools|24 MIX Includes a single MIX Core card and a 5-node TDM ribbon cable for con­necting other optional TDM-equipped cards
Pro Tools|24 MIXplus Includes a MIX Core card, a MIX Farm card, and a 5-node TDM ribbon ca­ble for connecting the MIX Core to the MIX Farm and other optional TDM-equipped cards
Pro Tools|24 MIX3 Includes a MIX Core card, two MIX Farm cards, and a 5-node TDM ribbon cable for connecting the MIX Core to the MIX Farm and other optional TDM-equipped cards
For information on disabling networking cards, see “Disabling Network Cards” on page 89.
Getting Started with MIX12
MIX Core Card
The MIX Core card provides up to 64 tracks of direct-to-disk recording and playback to your MIX-series system, as well as DSP power for mix­ing and plug-in processing. The MIX Core card supports up to 24-bit and up to 48 kHz sessions.
audio interface port
DigiSerial port
The MIX Farm card includes a port for connect­ing up to 16 channels of audio input and output to your MIX-series system. You can connect a single 888|24 I/O, 882|20 I/O, or 1622 I/O, 24­Bit ADAT Bridge I/O, or original ADAT Bridge I/O audio interface directly to the card. If you purchase the optional Y-cable (16-channel peripheral cable adapter), you can connect two 8-channel audio interfaces to the card.
The DigiSerial port on a MIX Farm card does not offer any functionality.
MIX Core card
The MIX Core card includes a port for connect­ing up to 16 channels of audio input and output to your MIX-series system. You can connect a single 888|24 I/O, 882|20 I/O, 1622 I/O, 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O, or original ADAT Bridge I/O audio interface directly to the card. If you pur­chase the optional Y-cable (16-channel periph­eral cable adapter), you can attach two 8-chan­nel audio interfaces to the card.
The DigiSerial port is for connecting a Digide­sign Universal Slave Driver (USD), or a 9-pin de­vice for use with the Pro Tools MachineControl option.
MIX Farm Card
The MIX Farm card provides additional DSP power for mixing and plug-in processing to your MIX-series system. The MIX Farm card supports up to 24-bit and up to 48 kHz sessions.
audio interface port
MIX Farm card

Pro Tools|24 Hardware

Pro Tools|24 hardware is available in the follow­ing core configuration:
Pro Tools|24 Includes a d24 audio card, a DSP Farm card, and a 5-node TDM ribbon cable for connecting them.
d24 Audio Card
The d24 audio card provides up to 32 tracks of direct-to-disk recording and playback capabili­ties to your Pro Tools|24 system. The d24 card supports up to 24-bit and up to 48 kHz sessions.
audio interface port
DigiSerial port
d24 card
The d24 card includes a port for connecting up to 16 channels of audio input and output to your Pro Tools|24 system. You can connect a single 888|24 I/O, 882|20 I/O, or 1622 I/O Au­dio Interface directly to the card. If you pur­chase the optional Y-cable (16-channel periph­eral cable adapter), you can connect two 8­channel audio interfaces to the card.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 13
The DigiSerial port on the d24 card is for con­necting an optional Digidesign Universal Slave Driver (USD), or a 9-pin device for use with the Pro Tools MachineControl option.
DSP Farm Card
The DSP Farm card provides the DSP power for mixing and plug-in processing to your Pro Tools|24 system. The DSP Farm card sup­ports up to 24-bit and up to 48 kHz sessions.
audio interface port
DSP Farm card
A 5-node cable comes with your system. If you plan to use your system with an expansion chas­sis, you can order a TDM Ribbon Cable with more nodes from your Digidesign dealer.

Installing Pro Tools Hardware

Disabling Driver Signing Warnings

Before you install your Pro Tools cards, tempo­rarily disable the Driver Signing warning option. 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 the software in­stallation.
The DSP Farm card includes a port for connect­ing up to 8 channels of audio input and output to your Pro Tools system. You can connect a sin­gle 888|24 I/O or 882|20 I/O directly to the card.
The 1622 I/O Audio Interface is not sup­ported by the DSP Farm. It must be con­nected to a MIX Core, MIX Farm, or d24 card. Only one 1622 I/O can be connected to any of these cards. The optional 16­channel peripheral cable adapter is not sup­ported by the 1622 I/O.
TDM Ribbon Cable
The TDM Ribbon Cable is used to connect mul­tiple cards in your Pro Tools system so they can share data along the TDM bus.
TDM Ribbon Cable
To disable the warning option:
1 Open the System Control Panel. 2 Click the Hardware tab in the System Control
Panel.
3 Click the Driver Signing button. 4 Select “Ignore—Install the software anyway
and don’t ask for my approval.”
5 Click OK twice. 6 Turn your computer off. 7 Proceed to install your Pro Tools cards.
Getting Started with MIX14

Installing Pro Tools PCI Cards

This section shows how to install Pro Tools cards in a Windows computer. To install cards into an expansion chassis, see the Expanded Sys- tems 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, monitors, USB and FireWire connections) except for the power ca­ble.
3 Open the computer case.
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.
4 Remove the metal access port cover behind
the PCI slot you want to use by removing the screw and sliding the cover out from the access port.
5 If you are installing a SCSI host bus adapter
(HBA) card, install it in the PCI slot nearest to the video card.
6 Install the MIX Core or d24 card in the next
available PCI slot.
7 Install the remaining TDM cards in slots adja-
cent to the MIX Core or d24 card. Group similar cards together (for example, put all MIX Farm cards next to each other).

Connecting TDM Cards with the TDM Ribbon Cable

All TDM cards in your Pro Tools system must be connected with the TDM ribbon cable.
To connect TDM cards with the TDM ribbon cable:
1 Connect the first node of the cable to the first
TDM card. Make sure the TDM cable is facing the right direction—align the white triangle on the cable plug with the triangle on the card.
Attaching the TDM ribbon cable to MIX Core and MIX Farm cards
2 Push down gently but firmly until the node is
fully connected to the card. When the plug is properly seated, the two tabs on the side of the cable’s TDM connector click shut. T o detach the ribbon cable, squeeze the tabs on the TDM con­nector inward.
3 Attach the remaining nodes on the TDM cable
to subsequent cards.
It is OK to have ribbon connectors that go unused. They should reside after the last TDM card.
8 Secure each card in place with the slot access
port screws you removed earlier.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 15
4 Close the computer case.
The IBM Intellistation M Pro 6850 may not start after updating the BIOS or changing the order of Pro Tools cards. Should this problem occur, remove all plug and play cards and then start Windows; then turn off the computer and re-install the cards. You should then be able to start Windows with the cards installed.

Connecting Audio Interfaces

If you are connecting both 888|24 and 882|20 or 1622 I/O Audio Interfaces to your system, for best system performance, connect the 888|24 to your MIX Core or d24 card, followed by any ad­ditional 888|24 interfaces to the next highest­priority cards. Then connect the 882|20 or 1622 I/O interfaces to subsequent cards.
If you purchase the optional Y-cable (16-chan­nel peripheral cable adapter), you can connect two 8-channel audio interfaces to a single MIX Core, MIX Farm, or d24 card.
Pro Tools MIX-series systems provide a choice of the 888|24 I/O, 882|20 I/O, 1622 I/O, 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O, or the original ADAT Bridge I/O audio interfaces. These devices sup­ply the audio inputs and outputs for your sys­tem.
MIX-series systems do not support HD-series audio interfaces such as the 96 I/O and the 192 I/O.
Pro Tools|24 MIX and Pro Tools|24 sys­tems also support the Digidesign 888 I/O and 882 I/O audio interfaces.
For instructions on connecting a 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O or the original ADAT Bridge I/O, see the Installation Guide that came with that interface.
To connect Pro Tools audio interfaces:
1 Connect the primary audio interface to the
primary Mix Core or d24 card with the provided interface cable. The primary audio interface functions as the clock master.
2 Connect additional audio interfaces to subse-
quent Digidesign audio cards.
To audio interfaces To Pro
Tools card
Optional 16-channel peripheral cable adapter
3 If you are using multiple audio interfaces, con-
nect the Slave Clock Out of the primary inter­face to the Slave Clock In of the second interface with the provided BNC cable. Connect the Slave Clock Out of the second interface to the Slave Clock In of the next audio interface. Connect subsequent interfaces in a similar manner.
78563412785634125/6
ANALOG OUTPUT ANALOG INPUT AES/EBU OUTPUT AES/EBU INPUT
78563412785634125/6
ANALOG OUTPUT ANALOG INPUT AES/EBU OUTPUT AES/EBU INPUT
ANALOG OUTPUTSANALOG INPUTS
1234567812345678
ANALOG OUTPUTSANALOG INPUTS
1234567812345678
1/2
7/8
3/4
1/2
7/8
3/4
IN
OUT
IN
OUT
IN
SLAVE CLOCK
SLAVE CLOCKINS/PDIF
COMPUTER
5/6
1/2
7/8
3/4
S/PDIFINS/PDIF
SLAVE CLOCKINSLAVE CLOCK
OUT
OUT
COMPUTER
5/6
1/2
7/8
3/4
S/PDIFINS/PDIF
SLAVE CLOCKINSLAVE CLOCK
OUT
OUT
IN
COMPUTER
OUT
S/PDIF
COMPUTER
OUT
Connecting multiple audio interfaces together
Getting Started with MIX16

Installing Pro Tools Software

To install Pro Tools 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.
3
Insert the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM for Windows in your CD-ROM drive. Locate and open the Pro Tools Installer folder, and double­click the Setup icon.
4
Click Next to proceed with the installation.
5
Select the hard drive on which to install Pro Tools from the Install pop-up menu. For maximum reliability, install Pro Tools on your startup drive. Click Next.
6
Select “Pro Tools|24 MIX or Pro Tools|24” for the Digidesign Audio Hardware installation, and click Next.
7
Select components to install along with Pro Tools. Click the name of each component for a description of its contents.
A demo version of MacOpener is included on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM, and re­quires a separate installation process. Using MacOpener is required only if you need to mount HFS or HFS+ formatted hard drives for session transfer.
8
Click Next.
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
ence Guide
for more information about Pref-
Pro Tools Refer-
erences.
10
Click Next.
11
Select whether to install the Surround Mixer plug-in. This plug-in is required for mixing, mastering, and monitoring in surround:
• For Surround systems, select “Yes – Moni­toring Pro Tools Film Format” if your mon­itoring is configured for Film Format.
• Select “Yes – Monitoring in ProControl (DTS Format)” if you are using a ProCon­trol dedicated controller.
• Select “No – Stereo mixing only” if your monitoring is configured for Stereo.
Selecting Pro Tools|24 MIX or Pro Tools|24 installation
12
After making a selection, click Next.
Wait for the installer to finish installing all soft­ware components, drivers, and PACE System files before proceeding to the next step.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 17
13
If QuickTime is not already installed, you will be prompted to install the Recommended QuickTime installer option (see “Installing QuickTime” on page 18). Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the QuickTime instal­lation process.
14
When installation is complete, click Finish to
restart your computer.

The Digidesign ASIO Driver

(Optional)
The Digidesign ASIO Driver is a multichannel, multimedia sound driver that allows third-party audio programs that support the ASIO standard to record and play back through Digidesign hardware. The Digidesign ASIO driver is quired to use Pro Tools.
For detailed information on using the Digidesign ASIO Driver, see Appendix D, “Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only).”
not
re-

Installing QuickTime

QuickTime 5.0.2 or later is recommended for Pro Tools. Install the latest version of Quick­Time for Windows (available on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM or from www.apple.com). Be sure to install the “Recommended” install of QuickTime or Pro Tools will not handle Quick­Time video correctly.

Using MIDI

Pro Tools for Windows uses your Multimedia Setup to configure MIDI devices and their prop­erties. Refer to your device’s installation and us­age documentation to properly configure the device.

Installing ProControl or Control|24

18

Removing Pro Tools

If you need to remove Pro Tools from your com­puter, you can use the Add or Remove Programs command.
To remove Pro Tools from your computer:
1
Choose Start > Control Panel.
2
Double-click the Add or Remove Programs
icon.
3
From the Currently installed programs list, se-
lect Digidesign Pro Tools.
4
Click the Change/Remove button.
5
Select Remove, and then click Next.
6
Click OK to remove Pro Tools.
7
Click Finish.
Getting Started with MIX
To install Digidesign Ethernet support for ProControl or Control|24:
1
On the desktop, right-click the My Network
Places icon, and then choose Properties.
2 Right-click the relevant Local Area Connec-
tion icon, and then choose Properties.
3 Click Install, select Protocol, and click Add. 4 Click Have Disk. 5 Select the DigiNet.inf file in either the Pro-
Control or Control|24 directory (on your Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM in Additional Files\Controllers\Controllers), and click OK.
The Installer installs the DigiNet.inf files in the ProControl or Control|24 directory in Digide­sign\DAE\Controllers.
6 Click Close.

Installing Demo Sessions

(Optional)
The Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM includes a demo session that you can use to verify that your system is working.
To install a demo session:
1 Insert the Pro Tools Installer CD in your CD-
ROM drive. Locate and double-click the demo session installer icon.
2 Select the demo session. 3 Set the install location to your audio drive,
and click Install.
4 When installation is complete, click Quit.
4 Turn on any MIDI interfaces and devices, or
synchronization peripherals.
5 Lower the volume of all output devices, then
turn on your Pro Tools audio interfaces. W ait at least fifteen seconds for the audio interfaces to initialize and the status LEDs to stop flashing.
6 Turn on your computer.

Running DigiTest

DigiTest is installed with Pro Tools and resides in the Digidesign Utilities folder located on your hard drive, under 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.

Checking Your TDM System

Before you launch Pro Tools, start up your sys­tem and run the DigiTest diagnostic application to ensure that all TDM cards in the system are recognized, installed in the proper order, and have valid TDM ribbon cable connections.

Starting Up Your System

Whenever you start your system, turn on all of your system components in a specific order.
To start your Pro Tools system:
1 Make sure all your equipment (including your
computer) is off.
2 For TDM systems with an expansion chassis,
turn on the expansion chassis.
3 Turn on any external hard drives. Wait ap-
proximately ten seconds for them to spin up to speed.
To run DigiTest:
1 Choose Start > Programs > Digidesign >
Pro Tools > DigiTest.
2 Test the cards in your system by doing one of
the following:
•To test only one Digidesign card in your system, click the button that corresponds to this card.
•To test all Digidesign cards at once, click Test All Cards.
3 When prompted, power cycle all Pro T ools pe-
ripherals. Click Continue.
4 Check the “Test I/O Box.”
LEDs on your digital interfaces may light up during this test. This is normal.
5 Exit DigiTest by clicking the close box in the
top righthand corner of the application win­dow.
6 Restart your computer.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 19
Errors and Undetected Cards
Complete the steps below if:
There is a problem with a component in your
system and an error message has been displayed to the right of the corresponding card’s button in DigiTest.
– or –
A supported card is installed but not automat-
ically detected during DigiTest.
If a supported card is installed and is not automatically detected:
1 Close DigiTest. 2 Turn off your entire Pro Tools system.

Launching Pro Tools

When launching Pro Tools the first time, you are prompted to enter an authorization code to validate your software.
To validate Pro Tools software:
1 Double-click the Pro Tools application in the
Pro Tools folder inside the Digidesign folder.
2 Enter the authorization code in the dialog
when prompted, making sure to observe any spaces, then click Validate.
The authorization code is located on the inside cover of this guide.
3 Reinstall the cards (see “Installing Pro Tools
PCI Cards” on page 15).
4 Check the card seating. 5 Check the TDM ribbon cable connections. 6 Turn on your system. 7 Run DigiTest again.
For descriptions of all error codes, refer to Appendix B, “DigiTest Error Codes.” For test de­tails, click the Info button to the right of the re­ported error, then click Failures in the pop-up menu and choose Detailed.
If a card continues to fail DigiTest, contact Digidesign Technical Support.

Choosing the Audio Interface Type

The first time you launch Pro Tools, you will be prompted to select the type of Audio Interfaces connected to your system.
To select the Audio Interface:
1 When prompted after launching Pro Tools,
click Hardware Setup.
2 Select the first interface port on the first card
in your system (MIX Card #1, Port A) from the Peripherals list.
3 Choose the type of interface from the Inter-
face pop-up menu.
Getting Started with MIX20
4 Repeat the above steps for each additional in-
terface port with an interface connected to it.
Choosing an Audio Interface
5 Click OK.
Configuring Pro Tools

Pro Tools System Settings

Pro Tools allows you to adjust the performance of your system by changing system settings that affect its capacity for processing, playback, and recording.
In most cases, the default settings for your sys­tem provide optimum performance, but you may want to adjust them to accommodate large or processing-intensive Pro Tools sessions.
Voice Count
The Number of Voices setting lets you control the number of voices available on your system. The default number on a Pro Tools|24 MIX sys­tem is 32 voices (at sample rates of 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz).
Depending on the current sample rate and the number of MIX Core and Farm cards in your sys­tem, you will have different choices available for this setting. For voice limits on different MIX systems, refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
To change the Voice Count:
1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.
Playback Engine dialog for Pro Tools MIX system
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 higher voice numbers when your Digidesign cards are the only PCI cards in your computer, or when using an expan­sion chassis to run higher track counts (such as 64 tracks at 48 kHz).
• Select lower voice numbers if you are using high-bandwidth PCI cards (such as video capture cards) along with your Digidesign cards.
3 Click OK.
Changing the number of voices affects DSP usage, the total number of voiceable tracks, and overall system performance.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 21
Hardware Buffer Size
The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) con­trols the size of the hardware cache used to han­dle host processing tasks such as Real-Time Au­dioSuite (RTAS) plug-ins.
Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings reduce
monitoring latency, and are useful when you are recording live input.
Higher Hardware Buffer Size settings allow for
more audio processing and effects, and are use­ful when you are mixing and using more RTAS plug-ins.
In addition to causing slower screen re­sponse and monitoring latency, higher Hardware Buffer Size settings can affect the accuracy of plug-in automation, mute data, and timing for MIDI tracks.
To change the Hardware Buffer Size:
1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine. 2 From the H/W Buffer Size pop-up menu, select
the audio buffer size, in samples.
3 Click OK.
CPU Usage Limit
Increasing the CPU Usage Limit may slow down screen responses on slower computers.
To change the CPU Usage Limit:
1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine. 2 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up menu, se-
lect the percentage of CPU processing you want to allocate to Pro Tools.
3 Click OK.
DAE Playback Buffer Size
The DAE Playback Buffer Size determines the amount of memory DAE uses to manage disk buffers, which affects system performance.
Higher DAE Playback Buffer Size settings can
allow for a higher density of edits in a session. However, a higher setting can cause a time lag to occur before playback or recording begins. It can also cause a time lag to occur when you are ed­iting during playback.
Lower DAE Playback Buffer Size settings can
improve playback and recording initiation speed. However, a lower setting can make it dif­ficult for slower hard drives to play or record tracks reliably.
The CPU Usage Limit controls the percentage of CPU resources allocated to Pro Tools host pro­cessing tasks.
Lower CPU Usage Limit settings limit the ef-
fect of Pro Tools processing on other CPU-inten­sive tasks, such as screen redraws, and are useful when you are experiencing slow system re­sponse, or when running other applications at the same time as Pro Tools.
Higher CPU Usage Limit settings allocate
more processing power to Pro Tools, and are useful for playing back large sessions or using more real-time plug-ins.
Getting Started with MIX22
To change the DAE Playback Buffer Size:
1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.
Playback Engine dialog for Pro Tools MIX system
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 box.
3 Click OK.
If Pro Tools needs more system memory for the DAE Playback Buffer, it will prompt you to re­start your computer.
Clock Source
The Pro Tools Hardware Setup dialog allows you to 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. The Clock Source automatically changes to Internal when you change the Ch. 1–2 Input to Analog.

Pro Tools Hardware Settings

Pro Tools lets you set the default sample rate and clock source for your system, as well as a range of controls specific to each type of audio interface.
Default Sample Rate
The Sample Rate setting appears as the default sample rate when you create a new session. (This setting is available in the Hardware Setup dialog only when no session is open.)
You can change the sample rate when creat­ing a new Pro Tools session by selecting a different sample rate in the New Session di­alog. (See
To change the default Sample Rate:
1 Make sure that no Pro Tools session is open. 2 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup. 3 Choose the sample rate from the Sample Rate
pop-up menu.
“Starting a Session” on page 55.)
Digital If you are transferring material into Pro Tools from an external digital device, you will usually synchronize Pro Tools to that digital device. The Clock Source automatically changes to the corresponding digital format when you change the Ch. 1–2 Input to a digital format.
To select the Clock Source:
1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup. 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.
Configuring Audio Interfaces
To configure audio interfaces for use with Pro Tools, you select each interface and config­ure its controls separately. The controls vary with the types of interfaces in your system.
4 Click OK.
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.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 23
To identify audio interfaces in your system:
1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup. 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 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.
4 Make a note of which interface in your studio
setup corresponds to the identified interface.
5 Repeat the above steps for each additional au-
dio interface in your setup.
888|24 I/O Controls
• Channel I/O pairs can be set to Analog or Dig­ital
• Output Meter Level Sensitivity can be set
• Interface Meter Peak Hold can be turned on or off
• DAC Muting can be turned on or off
Hardware Setup dialog for 888|24 I/O
To configure audio interfaces:
1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup. 2 From the Peripherals list, select the Digidesign
audio interface connected to the first card in your MIX system. This will be the interface at the top of the list.
3 From the Clock Source pop-up menu, select
the appropriate clock source for the system.
4 Set the controls for your type of audio inter-
face, as shown below.
For more information on Hardware Setup controls for each type of Audio Interface, re­fer to its User
Guide.
882|20 I/O Controls
• Input and Output Reference Level can be set to +4 dBu or –10 dBV
• Channel 1–2 I/O pair can be set to Analog or Digital
• S/PDIF Format can be set to Tascam DA-30 or Other
Hardware Setup dialog for 882|20 I/O
Getting Started with MIX24
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