Getting Started Pro Tools|HD® Version 7.
Legal Notices This guide is copyrighted ©2007 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.
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contents Chapter 1. Welcome to Pro Tools|HD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Pro Tools|HD Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Pro Tools|HD System Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Pro Tools HD Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 4. Configuring Your Pro Tools System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Checking the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Configuring Pro Tools Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix D. Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Audio MIDI Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 MIDI Patch Name Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Appendix E. DSP-Induced Delays in Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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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® software on Windows and Mac platforms.
Pro Tools|HD System Packages All Pro Tools|HD systems include the following: Pro Tools HD on Windows or Mac provides the following capabilities: • Pro Tools Installer disc containing Pro Tools software, DigiRack RTAS (RealTime AudioSuite) and AudioSuite plug-ins, and electronic PDF guides • 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 • Pre-authorized iLok for running
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 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 • Up to 48 tracks at 88.
HD Accel (for PCIe) Card 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.
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 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.
Audio Interfaces 192 Digital I/O Audio Interface To record and play audio you must have at least one of the following Digidesign audio interfaces: • 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.) 192 I/O Audio Interface • Supports digital connections, including AES/EBU, S/PDIF, TDIF, and ADAT Optical: • Supports sample rates up to 192 kHz.
96 I/O Audio Interface Optional Legacy I/O Audio Interfaces • Supports sample rates up to 96 kHz. 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™ (the 96i I/O™ does not support Legacy interfaces). The following supported legacy interfaces can only be used with 44.
System Requirements Pro Tools|HD system hardware and supported audio interfaces can be used with a Digidesignqualified Windows or Mac computer running Pro Tools HD software. A DVD drive is required to use the Pro Tools Installer disc. For complete system requirements, visit the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com). Compatibility Information Digidesign can only assure compatibility and provide support for hardware and software it has tested and approved.
Digidesign Registration About the Pro Tools Guides 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.
Conventions Used in This Guide 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 following symbols are used to highlight important information: User Tips are helpful hints for getting the most from your system.
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.
Installing Pro Tools|HD Cards 7 Install the first HD Accel card (if any) in the second PCI slot. 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. 8 Install any remaining HD Accel cards in the remaining consecutive PCI slots. 9 Install any HD Process cards in the remaining consecutive PCI slots (64-bit or 32-bit). To install Pro Tools cards: 1 Turn off your computer and any peripherals.
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 straight towards you and inwards, as shown below. Do not bend the cable more than you need to, as you may damage the traces in the cable. Top view of two cards connected with TDM FlexCable 4 Verify the connection.
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.
HD Core or Accel Core card 12-foot DigiLink cable Loop Sync cables 18-inch DigiLink cable Figure 1. Two 96 I/Os (32-channel system) HD Core or Accel Core card 12-foot DigiLink cable 18-inch DigiLink cable Loop Sync cables TDM FlexCable Loop Sync cables HD Accel card or HD Process card 12-foot DigiLink cable Figure 2.
Connecting an Additional 16 Channels of Audio with 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.
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 If you have Media Station|PT or Media Sta- tion|V10 installed on your system, uninstall it before proceeding.
13 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. 14 Click Next. 15 Select whether to install the Surround Mixer plug-in. This plug-in is required for mixing, mastering, and monitoring in surround.
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. Do not remove the iLok during Pro Tools launch or use. 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.
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. To install factory session templates: 1 Insert the Pro Tools Installer disc into your DVD drive. 2 From your DVD drive, locate and open the Additional Files/HD Session Templates Installer folder. 3 Double-click HD Session Templates Setup.exe.
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. Installation Overview Installation of a Pro Tools|HD system on a Mac includes the following steps: 1 “Installing Pro Tools Hardware” on page 22.
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. Mac Pro and Power Mac G5 (PCI Express) The PCI Express-equipped Mac Pro and Power Mac G5 have 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.
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.
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: 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 first card.
For examples of connecting multiple I/Os, see Figure 3 and Figure 4 on page 26. 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.
HD Core or Accel Core card 12-foot DigiLink cable Loop Sync cables 18-inch DigiLink cable Figure 3. Two 96 I/Os (32-channel system) HD Core or Accel Core card 12-foot DigiLink cable 18-inch DigiLink cable Loop Sync cables TDM FlexCable Loop Sync cables HD Accel card or HD Process card 12-foot DigiLink cable Figure 4.
Connecting an Additional 16 Channels of Audio with 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.
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 Administrator for the account where you want to install Pro Tools.
12 Select whether to install the Surround Mixer plug-in. This plug-in is required for mixing, mastering, and monitoring in surround: • Select “Yes – Monitoring in Standard Pro Tools (Film Format)” if your monitoring is configured for Film Format surround. • 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. AFL/PFL Solo modes require the Surround Mixer plug-in.
Pro Tools Demo Session Pro Tools Session Templates The Pro Tools HD Installer disc includes a demo session that you can use to verify that your system is working. The Pro Tools HD Installer disc includes factory session templates that are pre-configured to common track and mixer setups. Using these templates will save you the trouble of having to create your studio setup from scratch every time you start a new session. The demo session for Pro Tool HD is named Meant To Be.
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 Administrator for the account where Pro Tools is installed. For details on Administrator privileges in Mac OS X, refer to your Apple OS X documentation. 2 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.
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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. 7 With the volume of all output devices low- Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System 8 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.
7 Turn off any control surfaces or worksurfaces. 8 Turn off any external hard drives. 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.
6 When prompted, power cycle all Pro Tools peripherals in your system. Click Continue. 4 Check the card seating. 7 To test the interfaces connected to your sys- 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. tem, check “Test I/O Box.” LEDs on your digital interfaces may light up during this test. This is normal.
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. 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.
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.
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.
Lower CPU Usage Limit settings limit the effect 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. RTAS Engine (RTAS Error Suppression) 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.
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.
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. You can change the sample rate when creating a new Pro Tools session by selecting a different sample rate in the New Session dialog.
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 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.
• 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. To minimize system memory allocation: 1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine. 2 Select the “Minimize System Memory Allocation” option. 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 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. 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 Audio Drives” option. 3 Click OK.
To change the default Sample Rate: 1 Choose Setup > Hardware. [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. To select the Clock Source: 1 Choose Setup > Hardware. 2 Choose the clock source from the Clock Source pop-up menu. 3 Click OK. Hardware Setup dialog for 192 I/O, Main page 2 Choose the sample rate from the Sample Rate pop-up menu. 3 Click OK.
The Main page also provides controls for defining whether Expansion Port or Legacy Port peripherals are active. To configure Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces: 1 Choose Setup > Hardware. 2 From the Peripherals list, select the Digidesign Additional pages are available to configure other controls for each audio interface (such as setting operating levels). audio interface connected to the first card in your system. This will be the interface at the top of the list.
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.
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: 2 Click the Analog Out tab for the following option: • 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.
Configuring 96 I/O Controls Configuring 96i I/O Controls To configure controls for a 96 I/O: To configure controls for a 96i I/O: 1 With the 96 I/O selected in the Peripherals 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. list, configure your I/O front panel meters for input or output metering from the Meters pop-up.
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 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.
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. 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.
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 (Windows XP): 1 Choose Start > Control Panel. 2 Double-click System. 3 Click the Hardware tab. 4 Under Device Manager, choose Device Man- ager.
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. To disable a network card: 1 Right-click My Computer and choose Manage.
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.
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.
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.
Example Studio Setup with a Mixing Console Optical in/out to ADAT Analog Inputs Digital Inputs/Outputs to DAT recorder Analog Outputs Digital Effects Device (set to external sync) Effects Devices Channel Outputs Tape Returns or Inputs Instruments Connected to Console Figure 5.
Example Studio Setup without a Mixing Console Mic Preamp, Direct Box, Synth Digital Inputs/Outputs to DAT recorder Analog Inputs Optical in/out to ADAT Analog Outputs Digital Effects Device (set to external sync) Effects Devices Power Amp and Speakers Figure 6.
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. 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. There are no –10 dBV outputs, however; analog outputs break out from a single DB-25 output at +4 dBu operating levels.
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 Digitally To connect MIDI devices to your system: 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.
SYNC I/O integrates 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 I/O Guide.
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appendix a Connecting SCSI Drives SCSI hard drives are the recommended recording media for Pro Tools|HD systems on Windows, and can also be used with Pro Tools on the Mac. 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.
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. 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 Reference Guide for details.
5 Verify that the last SCSI device in the chain is properly terminated. (See “SCSI Termination” on page 67.) 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 Termination Your computer’s SCSI chain must be properly terminated or your system will not function correctly.
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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. 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.
FireWire Hard Drives To format an audio drive: Digidesign recommends qualified FireWire drives and (on Windows systems) a qualified FireWire host adapter. 1 Right-click My Computer and choose Man- age. 2 Under Storage, choose Disk Management. 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.
4 If the volume is “Unallocated,” do the follow- ing: To format an audio drive: 1 Launch the Disk Utility application, located in • In the Disk Management window, rightclick the hard drive you will use for audio and choose New Partition. Applications/Utilities. • In the New Partition Wizard window, click Next. • When prompted, select the partition type. Digidesign recommends using Primary partitions, instead of Extended partitions.
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). Windows XP allows drives formatted with the NTFS file system to be seen as whole volumes. Single Pro Tools audio files cannot exceed 2048 MB in size. Mac OS allows drives larger than 4096 MB to be seen as whole volumes.
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.
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.
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. MIDI Studio Setup Window The MIDI Studio Setup window is organized into three sections.
Show Duplicate Emulated Ports If you are using a MIDI interface that supports timestamping (such as MIDI I/O), when the Show Duplicate Emulated Outputs option is selected, the MIDI Studio Setup window shows both the DirectMusic time-stamped output ports, and nonstamped duplicate emulated output ports. Some MIDI Interfaces will not properly load or unload their drivers unless you quit and re-launch Pro Tools. Check the documentation that came with your MIDI interface for more information.
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 77. Input Port The Input Port pop-up menu displays a list of available MIDI interface input ports.
4 In the Patch Select dialog, click the Change button. To clear patch names: In the Patch Select dialog, click the Clear button, and click Done. MIDI patch name files (.midnam) can be edited in any text editor, or you can use third-party patch librarian and editor software to create your own custom patch names.
appendix d Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) 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. 2 Click the MIDI Devices tab. AMS scans your system for connected MIDI interfaces. If your MIDI interface is properly connected, it appears in the window with each of its ports numbered.
5 Connect the MIDI device to the MIDI interface 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. 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 Making MIDI input and output connections device from the corresponding pop-up menus.
4 Click the device image. The window expands 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 .
MIDI Patch Name Support 4 In the Patch Select dialog, click the Change button. 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.
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. 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 86.
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. To use Delay Compensation to compensate for DSP-induced delays: In any session, if you want to maintain absolute time alignment across all tracks you should always compensate for signal processing delays.
To see the amount of processing delay on a track that uses plug-in or hardware inserts: In the Mix window, Control-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac) the track’s Volume indicator to toggle between Volume (“vol”), Peak (“pk”) and Channel Delay (“dly”) indications. Delay that Exceeds the Compensation Limit When the total delay on a track exceeds the total available amount of Delay Compensation (selected in the Playback Engine dialog), no Delay Compensation is applied on that track.
Delay Compensation on Auxiliary Inputs Delay Compensation on Auxiliary Inputs can be bypassed to let you monitor outside sources (such as the audio tracks of a slaved video deck) with minimal latency, while still reporting the track’s delay.
Using Sends When you send a track to another track and return it to a track (audio, Auxiliary Input, or Master Fader), the following delays are incurred: Sends delays for Pro Tools|HD systems HD Mixer Sends Delay Stereo Mixer Pre-fader send to bus 10 samples Post-fader send to bus 8 samples Pre-fader send to bus 8 samples Post-fader send to bus 12 samples Surround Mixer Hardware sends also produce delays (see below).
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appendix f TDM Mixing and DSP Usage Benefits of TDM II Digidesign’s TDM (or time division multiplexing) technology is based on the concept of a single, high-speed data highway, or bus that transmits data between your Pro Tools CPU, Pro Tools cards, and the DSP chips on the cards. Pro Tools|HD cards feature Digidesign’s enhanced TDM II architecture. The TDM II architecture provides many advantages over the original TDM (or TDM I) architecture in terms of its mixing capacity and flexibility.
TDM II With TDM II, there is a separate TDM I/O bus between each DSP chip on the Pro Tools cards, each with up to 512 bi-directional time slots at a session sample rate of 44.1 or 48 kHz (both between DSPs on each card, and between the DSPs that communicate between cards). The DSP chips are arranged serially, with a TDM I/O bus connecting one chip to the next. This means that every TDM II connection need only use time slots between the two DSPs that are being connected. See Figure 7 on page 90.
DSP Allocation Digital Signal Processing (or DSP) capability is one of the most powerful elements of your system. The DSP chips in your system provide the real-time processing power for your TDM Mixer and plug-ins. There is a limit, depending on your system, to how many functions a single DSP chip can power at once. This section contains some guidelines for getting the most from your available DSP capacity. Mixing and DSP Usage Pro Tools builds a TDM mixer every time a session is opened.
Monitoring DSP Usage The System Usage window provides a display of DSP usage. As you allocate DSP to mixing or processing with plug-ins, the System Usage window indicates when DSP chips are available and when they are in use. Green indicates a chip is free. Red indicates a chip is in use. There are five different System Usage View formats: Small, Large, Detailed, Gas Gauge, and Activity Only. The Detailed and Gas Gauge formats show the percentage of each DSP chip in use.
Setting up Sessions to Use DSP Efficiently The dynamically configurable mixing environment in Pro Tools lets you make choices based on the type of setup you want to have—such as how many inputs you want for your mixer, how many plug-ins you want to use, or how many sends you need. For example, you could allocate all of your DSP power to create a large mixer with dozens of channels—but you would not be able to use as many busses, sends, or TDM plug-ins.
Mono and Stereo Each TDM mono or stereo mixer is of the dimensions “N x 2,” meaning that it mixes a variable number of inputs to an output pair. For example: A session with six tracks routed to Output 1–2 would require a single 6 x 2 mixer. If one of the six tracks is assigned to Output 3–4, however, two mixers are required—one 5x2 mixer routed to Output 1–2, and one 1x2 mixer routed to Output 3–4.
In Pro Tools|HD systems, the number of available mixers per DSP chip is based on the type of card and session sample rate. HD card (for PCI), default Standard mixers Mixer Sample Rate (kHz) Usage per Chip Stereo 44.1, 48 68x2 88.2, 96 44x2 176.4, 192 16x2 44.1, 48 22x6 HD Accel (for PCI or PCIe) card, Standard mixers Mixer Sample Rate (kHz) Usage per Chip Stereo 44.1 and 48 124x2 88.2 and 96 54x2 176.4 and 192 16x2 88.2, 96 12x6 44.1 and 48 46x6 176.4, 192 4x6 88.
48-Bit Mixing Precision The Pro Tools mixer plug-ins use a register area inside of the DSPs on the hardware to hold a full 48-bits of precision when mixing signals together. This allows a fader to be lowered in level without any loss of resolution. (Even if the fader is lowered almost to the bottom, all 24 of the original 24 bits of the signal are preserved.
Stereo and Surround Dithered Mixers The Stereo Dithered and Surround Dithered mixer plug-ins provide non-correlated dither in addition to other basic attributes of the mixers described above. Every output summing point (whether to an internal bus or an physical output) is dithered in these mixers.
Plug-in Features Switching Mixer Plug-ins Standard Surround and Stereo Mixers To switch TDM Mixer plug-ins: Both the Surround and Stereo Mixer plug-ins provide the following: • 24-bit digital output, from an audio interface output or Bounce to Disk. Mix level scaling stores 48-bit results, using a 56-bit accumulator for maximum precision. • 48 dB of mix headroom. • Output clip indication. • Multichannel mixing formats for surround (Surround Mixer only).
DSP Usage with TDM Plug-Ins To get the best results when using TDM plugins, keep in mind the following guidelines Pro Tools|HD systems use Digidesign’s MultiShell™ technology, that lets any MultiShell compatible plug-in share DSP chips HD cards. Up to five types of MultiShell compatible plugins can share a single DSP chip. Refer to the DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide for details on MultiShell plug-ins. Stereo DSP plug-ins generally use up twice as much DSP as mono plug-ins.
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appendix g Troubleshooting Backing Up Your Work It is highly recommended that you back up your work on a regular basis, and especially before making changes to your system configuration. Backing Up Your Session Data Back up your session and audio data frequently. There are a variety of media that are suited to back up projects of various sizes, from automated tape backup systems to high-capacity optical drives, to CD/DVD burners.
Common Issues Audio Interface Is Not Recognized Problem Pro Tools Won’t Launch Problem When you double-click the Pro Tools application or a Pro Tools session file, Pro Tools doesn’t launch, or displays an error message. Possible Solutions Check to be sure your computer has the required amount of RAM to launch Pro Tools. Refer to the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com). Try a complete restart.
Performance Factors There are several conditions that may adversely affect the performance of Pro Tools. These include: Network Connections Close any network connections unless you are using them for network interchange of audio data. Background Applications Any software utilities that run in the background or generate disk activity, such as virus protection, disk optimization, or file savers, should be turned off or removed.
Gather Important Information Other Hardware Digidesign wants to help you resolve problems as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you have the following information handy when you contact Technical Support, it will make the diagnosis of your problem easier. Take a few minutes to collect the following basic information: Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation for operational details.
index Numerics C 1622 I/O 7 16-channel peripheral cable adapter 16, 27 192 Digital I/O 6, 48, 60 192 I/O 6, 48, 60 24-bit ADAT Bridge I/O 7 882|20 I/O 7 888|24 I/O 7 96 I/O 7, 49, 60 96i I/O 7, 49, 60 Cache Size 42 Channel Delay indicator 84 ClearType font smoothing (Windows), disabling 53 Clock Source 45 connecting digital recorders 60 external SCSI drive 66 Pro Tools cards 13, 24 SMPTE synchronization devices 62 CoreAudio driver (Mac) 29 CPU Usage Limit 38 A Accel Core (for PCIe) 3 ADAT Bridge I/O 7
DSP 91 allocating 91, 93 and Auxiliary Inputs 98 and Master Faders 99 and mixing 91 and TDM plug-ins 99 monitoring usage 92 DSP delays 83 automatic compensation 41 DSP Manager 91 I E L Energy Saver (Mac), turning off 56 error codes DigiTest 35 Ext.
plug-ins RTAS Processors setting 38 power management settings (Windows) 53 Preferences 28 Pro Tools authorizing 18, 29 capabilities 2 configuration 37 demo session (Windows) 20, 30 installing 17, 28 launching 18, 29 preferences 18 removing (Mac) 31 removing (Windows) 20 session templates (Windows) 20, 30 Pro Tools software installation Mac 28 Windows 17 Pro Tools|HD cards installing 12, 22 processor performance (Mac) 56 Processor Scheduling performance (Windows) 54 Program Change dialog 78, 82 Q QuickTime
T TDM FlexCable 5 TDM Mixer plug-ins 98 TDM plug-ins and DSP usage 99 MultiShell 99 termination of SCSI drives 67 time alignment 83 U uninstalling Pro Tools Mac 31 Windows 20 W WaveDriver (Windows) 19 Window menu System Usage window 92 Word Clock 46 108 Pro Tools|HD Getting Started Guide
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