Pinnacle Systems Pro Tools SE - 8.0.3 User Guide
®
Pro Tools SE User Guide
Version 8.0.3
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contents
Chapter 1. Welcome to Pro Tools SE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Pro Tools SE Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Pro Tools SE Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
System Requirements and Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Conventions Used in This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
About www.avid.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 2. Installing Pro Tools on Mac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installing Pro Tools SE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installing Device Drivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Connecting the Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Getting Started with Pro Tools SE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
MP3 Export Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Uninstalling Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 3. Installing Pro Tools on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing Pro Tools SE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing Device Drivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Connecting the Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Getting Started with Pro Tools SE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
MP3 Export Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Uninstalling Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Contents iii
Chapter 4. Configuring Your Pro Tools System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Configuring Pro Tools SE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Optimizing a Mac System for Pro Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Appendix A. Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Formatting an Audio Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Partitioning Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Hard Disk Storage Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Appendix B. Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
About the Pro Tools Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Pro Tools SE User Guideiv
chapter 1
Welcome to Pro Tools SE
Welcome to Pro Tools® SE from Avid®. This
guide provides step-by-step instructions
to install and configure Pro Tools SE software.
Pro Tools SE Systems
The basic components of a Pro Tools SE system
are as follows:
• M-Audio interface qualified for
Pro Tools SE.
• Mac or Windows computer qualified for
Pro Tools SE.
• Pro Tools SE software.
For a list of qualified M-Audio interfaces
and minimum system requirements, refer to
the compatibility information on the Avid
website: (www.m-audio.com/ptsefaq).
Pro Tools SE Capabilities
Pro Tools SE software provides the following capabilities:
• 24-bit audio resolution, at sample rates up to
• 8 Instrument tracks, 16 Audio tracks, 1 Master
• Playback of up to 16 tracks of mono or stereo
• Normal and loop recording.
• Processing with up to 3 effects per track.
• Undo or redo up to 10 operations.
• Comprehensive set of effects and
• Comprehensive collection of loops in many
96 kHz (depending on the M-Audio interface).
Fader.
digital audio, and playback of up to 15 tracks
while recording 1 track (stereo or mono) or up
to 14 tracks while recording 2 mono or stereo
tracks.
software instruments.
musical genres.
Pro Tools uses your computer’s CPU to mix
and process audio tracks (host processing).
Computers with faster clock speeds yield the
best performance and more plug-in
processing.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools SE 1
System Requirements and Compatibility
To use Pro Tools SE, you need:
• A qualified M Audio interface, running on a
qualified Windows or Mac computer.
• A qualified version of Adobe Flash Player
(not included).
• A DVD drive for Installation disc.
Avid can only assure compatibility and provide
support for hardware and software it has tested
and approved.
Refer to the compatibility information on
the Avid website:
(www.m-audio.com/ptsefaq).
Pro Tools Co-installation Information
• Pro Tools SE cannot be co-installed with
Pro Tools HD, LE, M-Powered, and
M-Powered Essential.
• If you already have Pro Tool M-Powered Essential installed and you want to use Pro
Tools SE instead, you must uninstall Pro Tools
M-Powered Essential first.
If you are using an ATA/IDE or FireWire hard
drive, initialize your drive with the Disk Utility
application included with Apple System software (Mac) or the Windows Disk Management
(Windows).
Always back up any important data on your
drive before formatting it, as it will erase all
data on the drive.
For more information, see Appendix A, “Hard
Drive Configuration and Maintenance.”
Session Compatibility
• Pro Tools SE session files can be opened by
Pro Tools HD, LE, and M-Powered.
• Pro Tools HD, LE, M-Powered, and
M-Powered Essential session files cannot be
opened by Pro Tools SE.
• Pro Tools SE session files cannot be opened by
M-Powered Essential.
MIDI Requirements
USB MIDI keyboards and interfaces work effectively with Pro Tools systems on Mac or Windows.
Hard Drive Requirements
Pro Tools SE can be used on your system drive. A
5400 RPM drive is the minimum system requirement. If your computer has a slower drive (but
otherwise meets all the specifications) you can
add a drive or use the application with some reduced track count.
Pro Tools SE User Guide2
Conventions Used in This Guide
All of our guides use the following conventions
to indicate menu choices and key commands:
:
Convention Action
About www.avid.com
The Avid website (www.avid.com) is your best
online 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.
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 system.
Important Notices include information that
could affect your data or the performance of
your system.
Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or
mouse shortcuts.
Product Registration Register your purchase
online.
Support and Downloads Contact Avid Customer
Success (technical support); download software
updates and the latest online manuals; browse
the Compatibility documents for system requirements; search the online Knowledge Base
or join the worldwide Pro Tools community on
the User Conference.
Training and Education 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 Avid
products; download demo software or learn
about our Development Partners and their
plug-ins, applications, and hardware.
News and Events Get the latest news from Avid
or sign up for a Pro Tools demo.
Compatibility Information
www.m-audio.com/ptsefaq.
Cross References point to related sections in
this guide and other Pro Tools guides.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools SE 3
Pro Tools SE User Guide4
chapter 2
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 3, “Installing
Pro Tools on Windows.”
Before installing this version of Pro Tools,
refer to the Read Me information included
on the Pro Tools SE Installer disc.
Installing Pro Tools SE
Before installing drivers and connecting your
M-Audio interface to the computer, you need to
install Pro Tools SE software.
Do not start this procedure with your
M-Audio interface connected to your
computer.
Installation Overview
Installation of Pro Tools SE on a Mac includes
the following steps:
1 “Installing Pro Tools SE” on page 5.
2 “Installing Device Drivers” on page 6.
3 “Connecting the Interface” on page 7.
4 “Getting Started with Pro Tools SE” on page 7.
5 Configuring your system for improved perfor-
mance (see Chapter 4, “Configuring Your
Pro Tools System”).
To install Pro Tools SE on Mac OS X:
1 Make sure you are logged in as an Administra-
tor for the account where you want to install
Pro Tools.
When the installation is complete, you will
need to reboot your computer.
For details on Administrator privileges in
Mac OS X, see your Apple OS X documentation.
2 Insert the Pro Tools SE Installer disc in your
DVD drive.
Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 5
3 Double-click the installer icon when you are
prompted.
9 Click Install.
Software instrument content is very large
and may take up to 30 minutes to install.
During this time, the progress bar may not
appear to move even though your software
is still installing. Do not terminate your installation.
Pro Tools SE installer icon
4 Click Continue when you are prompted.
5 Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed
with installation.
6 Click Continue each time you are prompted.
7 When the “Installation Type” dialog appears,
leave the following boxes checked:
Pro Tools SE 8.0.3 Installs all Pro Tools application files (which includes the free plug-in suite
and associated content).
SE Audio Loops and Demo Songs Installs additional loops and demo songs.
8 Click Continue.
When the installation is complete, the M-Audio
driver dialog appears.
Installing Device Drivers
1 When the following dialog appears, do one of
the following:
• Click on the icon for the device that represents the one you are installing and follow
the on-screen instructions to install your
device drivers.
– or –
• Click the Other SE Device option if there is
not an icon that represents the one you are
installing. Then follow the on-screen instructions.
2 If prompted, enter your Administrator pass-
word and click OK to authenticate the installation.
3 Follow the remaining on-screen instructions.
Pro Tools SE User Guide6
4 When installation is complete, click Restart.
If you clicked the “Other SE Device” option
then your device drivers have not yet been
installed and you will need to install them
now. See the User Guide that came with
your M-Audio interface for instructions on
driver installation.
Once these loops and demo songs are installed,
they can be found in the following locations:
• Applications/Digidesign/Loops
• Applications/Digidesign/Demo Songs
Getting Started with Pro Tools SE
Connecting the Interface
1 After the computer has restarted, connect
your interface to your computer.
See the User Guide that came with your system for instructions on connecting your interface.
2 Launch Pro Tools SE by clicking its icon in the
Dock.
Pro Tools SE application icon
3 Connect headphones, speakers or an instru-
ment to your interface so you can verify that
you have sound once you launch Pro Tools.
Use the “Demo Songs” option in the Quick
Start dialog to verify you have sound. See
“Listening to Demo Songs” on page 8.
The first step in beginning a Pro Tools project is
creating a session. Pro Tools provides a Quick
Start dialog “on launch” that lets you quickly
and easily create a session, or listen to demo
songs and view tutorials.
To launch Pro Tools
1 Click the Pro Tools SE icon in the Dock (or
double-click the application icon in the
Pro Tools folder inside the Digidesign folder).
2 Use the Quick Start dialog to do one of
the following:
• Create a session from templates.
• Listen to demo songs (lets you verify
sound).
• Open any other session on your system.
• Open and view tutorials.
Loops and Demo Songs
Pro Tools SE installation includes Loops and
Demo Songs.
The loops are pro-quality loops that you can use
to quickly sketch out musical ideas. The demo
songs let you see and hear many of the things
you’ll soon be doing in Pro Tools.
Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 7
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