Getting Started with Pro Tools MIX Version 6.0 for TDM Systems on Macintosh 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 Technical Support (USA) 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.
Copyright This guide is copyrighted ©2002 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.
contents Chapter 1. Welcome to Pro Tools|24 MIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Pro Tools TDM Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Digidesign Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 3. Macintosh Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Pro Tools Hardware Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Installing Pro Tools Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Apple System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix A. Connecting SCSI Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 SCSI Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Connecting SCSI Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Quick Formatting SCSI Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
vi Getting Started with MIX
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. Pro Tools|24 MIXplus 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.
Pro Tools|24 Systems 1622 I/O Audio Interface • DSP Farm card ◆ Analog: 1/4-inch TRS (balanced or unbalanced) connectors.
System Requirements • 2 unused adjacent PCI slots for Pro Tools|24 MIXplus and Pro Tools|24 Compatibility Information • 3 unused adjacent PCI slots for Pro Tools|24 MIX3 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, and third-party devices, refer to the latest compatibility information on the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com).
On Mac OS 9: For Expanded Systems • A Digidesign-qualified Power Macintosh • With an expansion chassis, a single unused PCI slot in the computer is required; all Pro Tools cards are placed in the chassis. • Mac OS 9.2.2 • At least 256 MB RAM; Virtual Memory is not supported • Additional RAM is required for sessions with high track count, high edit density, extensive automation or real-time plug-ins, and addition of options such as MachineControl, DigiTranslator, and AVoption|XL: 384 MB RAM recommended.
SCSI Hard Drives IDE/ATA 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. 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.
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. 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.
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 Windows XP” on page 7.) 2 Configuring your computer (See “Configuring Your Computer” on page 7.) 3 Configuring Windows system software settings (See “Windows System Settings” on page 10.) 4 Installing Pro Tools hardware (See “Installing Pro Tools Hardware” on page 14.
Configuring the BIOS 9 Disable PCI#2 Access #1 Retry, if present. 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. 10 Save the new BIOS settings. Different BIOS manufacturers often use different names to describe the same system function. Some manufacturers do not provide a particular configuration option at all.
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).
7 Double-click the Symbios Logic PCI SCSI Adapter. To enable DMA: 8 Click the Driver tab. 1 Right-click My Computer and choose Manage. 9 Click Update Driver and click Next. 2 Under System Tools, choose Device Manager. 10 Select “Search for a suitable driver for my device” and click Next. 3 In the Device Manager window, double-click IDE ATA/TAPI controllers, then double-click the Primary IDE Channel for your IDE hard drive. 11 Select “Specify a location” and click Next.
Other Software and Hardware Affecting System Performance Disabling Virus Protection Software Pro Tools can also be affected by other software and hardware drivers installed on your computer. For best possible performance, it is recommended that you: If you are using virus protection software, turn it off or remove it and restart your computer. Avoid running virus protection software while using Pro Tools since it adversely affects system performance.
3 Under Performance, click Settings. 4 Click the Advanced tab. 5 Under Processor Scheduling, select Back- ground Services. 6 Under Memory Usage, select System Cache. 7 Click OK twice. You will need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. To disable System Startup Items: Pro Tools Hardware Overview 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.
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 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.
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. 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. DSP Farm Card The DSP Farm card provides the DSP power for mixing and plug-in processing to your Pro Tools|24 system.
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 Systems Guide. 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: 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.
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.
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.
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. 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).
Installing Demo Sessions (Optional) The Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM includes demo sessions that you can use to verify that your system is working. 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. Wait at least fifteen seconds for the audio interfaces to initialize and the status LEDs to stop flashing. 6 Turn on your computer.
Errors and Undetected Cards To validate Pro Tools software: Complete the steps below if: 1 Double-click the Pro Tools application in the Pro Tools folder inside the Digidesign folder. 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. 2 Enter the authorization code in the dialog when prompted, making sure to observe any spaces, then click Validate.
Configuring Pro Tools To change the Voice Count: 1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine. 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.
Hardware Buffer Size CPU Usage Limit 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. The CPU Usage Limit controls the percentage of CPU resources allocated to Pro Tools host processing tasks. Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings reduce monitoring latency, and are useful when you are recording live input.
DAE Playback Buffer Size Pro Tools Hardware Settings The DAE Playback Buffer Size determines the amount of memory DAE uses to manage disk buffers, which affects system performance. 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. Higher DAE Playback Buffer Size settings can allow for a higher density of edits in a session.
To select the Clock Source: To configure audio interfaces: 1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup. 1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup. 2 Choose the clock source from the Clock Source pop-up menu. 2 From the Peripherals list, select the Digidesign 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.
882|20 I/O Controls ADAT Bridge 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 For information on configuring the Hardware Settings for the 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O or the original ADAT Bridge I/O, refer to the guide that came with that interface.
2 Click the Input or Output tab to display the corresponding connections. 3 To change the name of a path or subpath, double-click directly on the Path Name, type a new name for the path, and press Enter. 4 Click OK. Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide for more information on setting up I/O paths.
chapter 3 Macintosh Configuration Installation of a Pro Tools|24 MIX or Pro Tools|24 system on a Macintosh includes the following steps: 1 Installing Pro Tools hardware (See “Installing Pro Tools Hardware” on page 29.) 2 Configuring Apple System Software settings (See “Apple System Settings” on page 33.) 3 Installing Pro Tools TDM software (See “In- stalling Pro Tools Software” on page 34.) 4 Checking your Pro Tools system (See “Checking Your TDM System” on page 36.
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.
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 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.
Power Macintosh “Mirrored Door” G4 models The Power Macintosh “Mirrored Door” G4 has reflective drive bay doors and four holes across the front. Its PCI slot numbers increase from left to right as you face the open computer case from the front. Power Macintosh “QuickSilver” and earlier G4 models The Power Macintosh “QuickSilver” and earlier G4 models have a single speaker grille or hole on the front. Their PCI slot numbers increase from right to left as you face the open computer case from the front.
7 Install any remaining Digidesign cards in sub- sequent slots, in ascending numerical order. 8 Group similar cards together (for example, put Connecting TDM Cards with the TDM Ribbon Cable all MIX Farm cards next to each other). All TDM cards in your Pro Tools system must be connected with the TDM ribbon cable. 9 If you are installing a SCSI HBA card, install it in the highest-numbered remaining slot.
Connecting Audio Interfaces 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. 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.
Apple System Settings To ensure optimum performance with Pro Tools, configure the following settings for your version of Mac OS before you install Pro Tools software. System Settings for Mac OS X The following settings ensure optimum performance and compatibility for systems running Mac OS X. Do not use the Mac OS X automatic Software Update feature, as it may upgrade your system to a version of Mac OS that has not yet been qualified for Pro Tools.
5 In the Extensions Manager Control Panel, choose the “Mac OS 9.2.2 Base” set from the Selected Set pop-up menu. 3 Enter your Administrator password and click OK to authenticate the installation. 4 Select the Pro Tools 6.0 Installer. You can also select from a list of optional items to install along with Pro Tools. Click the information button next to each item for a description of its contents. 5 Click Install.
If you plan to use any MIDI devices with Pro Tools, configure your MIDI setup with the Apple Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) utility. See Appendix D, “Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only).” Installing Pro Tools on Mac OS 9 8 If you installed the Surround Mixer in the previous step, the Installer prompts you to select a Surround Monitor Format.
Installing Demo Sessions Starting Up Your System (Optional) Whenever you start your system, turn on all of your system components in a specific order. The Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM includes demo sessions that you can use to verify that your system is working. To start your Pro Tools system: 1 Make sure all your equipment (including your computer) is off. 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.
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. ◆ Click the Get Results button next to a card name. ◆ Click the Results tab and choose a card slot from the pop-up menu. 6 In the Results page of the DigiTest window, click Show Failures Only to display any tests that failed for the selected card, or click Show All Results to display all test results for the selected card.
Running DigiTest (Mac OS 9) DigiTest for Mac OS 9 is installed with Pro Tools and resides in the Digidesign Utilities folder located on your hard drive. Before you run DigiTest, lower the volume of your monitoring system and all output devices, and be sure to remove your headphones. Very loud digital noise may be emitted during the test. To run DigiTest: 1 Locate and double-click the DigiTest applica- tion.
6 After checking card arrangement, DigiTest checks card functionality. The Status box for each tested card will indicate Passed or Failed. DigiTest only reports valid test results for slots that contain Digidesign cards. 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: 7 If all the Digidesign cards pass, quit DigiTest and restart your computer.
Configuring Pro Tools Allocating Additional Memory to Pro Tools and DAE (Mac OS 9 Only) Under Mac OS 9, allocating additional RAM to both the Pro Tools and DAE applications is highly recommended. To allocate additional memory to Pro Tools: 1 If Pro Tools is currently running, Quit Pro Tools. 2 In the Finder, choose About This Computer from the Apple menu. 3 If you have 3 megabytes or more of memory available (as indicated in the Largest Unused Block portion of this window), go to step 4.
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. To change the Voice Count: 1 Choose Setups > 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. Voice Count Playback Engine dialog (Pro Tools 6.
Hardware Buffer Size To change the CPU Usage Limit: 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. The default Hardware Buffer Size setting is 512 samples. 1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine. Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings reduce monitoring latency, and are useful when you are recording live input.
To change the DAE Playback Buffer Size in Pro Tools 6.0: 1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine. 5 Quit Pro Tools if it is running, or quit the DAE application. The new buffer setting will take effect when you launch Pro Tools again. System Memory Allocation (Pro Tools 6.0 Only) When you start your computer, Pro Tools automatically reserves a portion of system memory for the DAE Playback Buffer. This reserved memory is unavailable to other applications, even if Pro Tools is not running.
Pro Tools Hardware Settings Default Sample Rate 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. 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.
2 Choose the clock source from the Sync Mode pop-up menu (Pro Tools 5.1.3) or the Clock Source pop-up menu (Pro Tools 6.0). 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. To configure audio interfaces: 1 Choose Setups > Hardware (Pro Tools 5.1.3) or Setups > Hardware Setup (Pro Tools 6.0).
882|20 I/O Controls ADAT Bridge 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 For information on configuring the Hardware Settings for the 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O or the original ADAT Bridge I/O, refer to the guide that came with that interface.
To configure I/O routing in I/O Setup: 1 Choose Setups > I/O Setup. 2 Click the Input or Output tab to display the corresponding connections. 3 To change the name of a path or subpath, double-click directly on the Path Name, type a new name for the path, and press Return. 4 Click OK. Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide for more information on setting up I/O paths.
48 Getting Started with MIX
chapter 4 Connecting Your Studio 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 uter 1 Comp uter 2 Comp 1 7 1 7 3 UT 5 OG OUTP ANAL 4 6 3 5 OG INPUT ANAL 4 6 1/2 UT 5/6 BU OUTP AES/E 3/4 7/8 1/2 5/6 BU INPUT AES/E 3/4 7/8 Mode de 8 CH CH Mo 2x4 S/PDIF S/PDIF OUT IN 2 8 2 Digital Inputs/Outputs to DAT recorder 8 Analog Outputs Tape Returns or Inputs Digital Effects Device CLOCK SLAVE T OU CLOCK SLAVE IN Analog Inputs Effects Devices Channel Outputs Instruments Connected to Console Figure 1.
Example Studio Setup without a Mixing Console Power Amp and Speakers Mic Preamp, Direct Box, Synth Analog Outputs 1–2 Digital Inputs/Outputs to DAT recorder Analog Inputs 1–2 R PUTE COM IN IN OUT ANAL AN 1 2 3 IN ALOG 4 1 PUTS 5 6 7 2 3 OG OU 4 TP 5 UTS 6 7 8 S/PDIF OUT SLAVE CLOC K 8 Analog Inputs/Outputs 3–8 Effects Devices Figure 2.
Connecting Equipment with Digital Audio Ins and Outs Because the 888|24 I/O, 882|20 I/O, 1622 I/O, and 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O feature digital inputs and outputs, Pro Tools allows you to digitally record to or from a digital device such as a DAT recorder. The 888|24 I/O and 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O provide both AES/EBU and S/PDIF digital audio input and output. The 882|20 I/O and 1622 I/O provide S/PDIF digital audio input and output.
Connecting Effects Units Digitally To use your audio interface’s inputs and outputs as effects sends & returns to a digital effects device, set your interface to Internal mode (unless it is already synchronized to an external clock source such as a DAT deck). You should then set your digital effects devices to accept an external digital clock so that they will synchronize themselves to Pro Tools.
For fairly short pieces of audio program material, SMPTE Trigger is acceptable, especially if the sync master has a fairly stable transport or is resolved to house sync or a black burst generator. In this case, the master transport and Pro Tools will probably not drift very far apart in such a short period of time.
chapter 5 Working with Pro Tools This overview of Pro Tools software introduces its main windows and features, and also includes a step-by-step overview of audio recording (see “Basic Recording” on page 67). Starting a Session All features described in this chapter are explained fully in the Pro Tools Reference Guide. You can view an electronic PDF version of the Reference Guide by choosing it from the Pro Tools Help menu (Pro Tools 5) or the Pro Tools Application menu (Pro Tools 6).
Main Windows The Mix, Edit, and Transport windows are the main Pro Tools work areas. You can show any of these windows by choosing them from the Windows menu. Press Command+Equals (=) on Macintosh, or Control+Equals (=) in Windows to switch between the Edit and Mix windows. Mix Window Displays the Pro Tools mixer, with its familiar fader strip controls for volume, pan, solo, mute, and signal routing.
Rulers Pro Tools provides several different rulers to select as the timebase for your session. Timebase Rulers, displayed along the top of the Edit window, include Bars:Beats, Minutes:Seconds, Samples, Time Code, and Feet.Frames. The current timebase determines the format of the Main counter, and provides the basis for the Edit window Grid. For post production, select either Time Code or Feet.Frames as your session Timebase in the Rulers view.
Saving Sessions Playback Engine Dialog As you build a session by adding tracks and changing session controls, you will want to save your work. Pro Tools provides three ways to save sessions. The Playback Engine dialog lets you adjust system buffer sizes and allocate CPU processing power to Pro Tools. To save a session: Choose File > Save Session, Save Session As, or Save a Session Copy In. ■ Save Session Saves the currently open session file, leaving it open for you to continue working.
I/O Setup The I/O Setup dialog lets you customize the Pro Tools mixer to match your work style and the needs of your projects. You can rename I/O paths and map Pro Tools channels to hardware inputs and outputs. Transport Controls The Transport window provides access to all Pro Tools transport commands. Different transport controls can be displayed or hidden in this window. To show the Transport window: ■ Choose Window > Show Transport Window.
The Transport window can also display the following MIDI controls: Wait for Note, Click, Countoff, MIDI Merge, Conductor, Meter, and Tempo. Click Wait for Note Countoff MIDI Merge Navigating a Session Pro Tools provides many ways to navigate in a session, including using the mouse or entering a location into one of the counters. To navigate to a location in the Edit window: 1 Select Operations > Link Edit and Timeline Se- lection.
To navigate using the counters: To go to a stored Memory Location: 1 Click in the Main counter and enter a location 1 Choose Windows > Show Memory Locations. using your computer keyboard. 2 Press Return (Macintosh) or Enter (Windows). 2 In the Memory Locations window, click the name of the memory location. Viewing and Zooming Navigating with the Counter Press the * key on the numeric keypad as an alternative to clicking in the counter.
To Zoom in on any area of a track in the Edit window: 1 Click to select the Zoomer. 2 Click or drag with the Zoomer to zoom in horizontally for a track or Ruler. To zoom in or out incrementally: ■ Click the appropriate Zoom button: • Left Arrow (Horizontal Zoom Out) • Right Arrow (Horizontal Zoom In) • Waveform and MIDI buttons, to increase or decrease vertical zoom of the appropriate track type (audio or MIDI) Pro Tools also provides five Zoom preset buttons.
In the Mix window, audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, Master Faders, and MIDI tracks appear as vertical channel strips. Track type is indicated by the Track Type icons just below the faders, and by the color of the track names. In the Edit window, tracks are displayed horizontally along the Timeline. The area in which audio appears for each track is the Playlist.
Inserts Sends Input Output Automation mode Pan sliders Solo Record Enable Mute button Voice Selector Open Output window Volume fader Clipping indicator (lights red) Level meter Group enable Volume Track name Track comment area Figure 4. Stereo audio track in the Mix window Audio Tracks Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, and Master Faders share many identical controls. Figure 4 shows the controls found in an audio or Auxiliary Input track.
Regions Lists Importing Audio All regions that are recorded, imported, or created by editing appear in the Audio and MIDI Regions Lists. Regions can be dragged from either list to tracks and arranged in any order. Audio regions can also be auditioned from the Regions Lists by Option-clicking (Macintosh) or Alt-clicking (Windows) the audio region name. The Regions List pop-up menus provide many useful features for managing regions and files (such as sorting, selecting, importing, or exporting files).
To import a CD audio track (Pro Tools 5.1.3): 1 Insert an audio CD into your CD-ROM drive. 2 Choose Movie > Import Audio From Other Movie. 6 At the bottom of the Options dialog, set the range of the CD track to be imported by adjusting the Start and End times, then click OK. 4 In the Save dialog, click Options. To audition a track before you import it, use the Play and Stop buttons. Adjust playback volume with the vertical slider.
Basic Recording This section describes how to record audio and MIDI into Pro Tools. Routing Audio to a Track To route audio to a track: 1 Verify the connections to your instruments. Refer to the guide for your audio interface for more information about setting up your studio. 2 Create a new track to record on by choosing File > New Track. Select 1 Mono Audio Track and click Create. 3 In the Mix window, click the Input Selector on the new track.
To play back a recorded track: Recording MIDI 1 Click the track’s Record Enable button a second time to take it out of record mode. To configure a MIDI track for recording: 2 Click Play in the Transport window or press the Spacebar to start playback. 3 Click Stop in the Transport window or press the Spacebar to stop playback. Recording To and From Digital Devices 1 (Macintosh Only) Choose MIDI > Input Devices and make sure your input device is selected in the MIDI Input Enable window.
To record onto a MIDI track: To play back a recorded MIDI track: 1 Verify that the MIDI track you want to record to is record-enabled and receiving MIDI. 1 Click the Record Enable button to take the MIDI track out of Record mode. 2 In the Transport window, click Return To Zero to start recording from the beginning of the session. You can also record according to a selection or from the cursor location in the Edit window.
Editing Pro Tools provides several tools for editing audio and MIDI. In the Edit window, audio and MIDI tracks can be edited into regions or repeated in different locations, to create loops, re-arrange sections or entire songs, or to assemble tracks using material from multiple takes. Edit Modes Edit Tools Edit modes and tools (Slip mode, SmartTool enabled) Audio and MIDI editing are typically used to: • Fix or replace mistakes. • Re-arrange songs and projects.
Editing Regions The Edit tools in Pro Tools are used to edit regions in the Edit window. A region is a piece of audio or MIDI data that can also have associated automation data. For example, a region could be a loop, a guitar riff, a verse of a song, a sound effect, a piece of dialog, or an entire sound file. In Pro Tools, regions are created from audio or MIDI files, and can be arranged in audio and MIDI track playlists. 4 Click at the beginning of the region and drag right to shorten the region.
5 Record a drum track (see “Recording an Audio Track” on page 67) keeping in mind that you want to use only the best bar (measure). Your recording should fit the grid at the specified tempo and meter. – or – Import an existing audio file, such as a drum loop from a sample library, and place it on an audio track (see “Importing Audio” on page 65) 6 Drag on the waveform with the Selector to make a one-bar selection. Note that the selection snaps to the specified grid.
6 Repeat steps 2–5 for any further edits. Basic Signal Routing In this way, you can try out different edits of a track, and switch back and forth between playlists for comparison. Signal routing is accomplished by assigning track inputs and outputs. Audio track inputs can be from any hardware input or bus path. Once recorded, an audio track’s input is its audio file on disk. Auxiliary Inputs can be any hardware input or internal bus path.
Creating a Send Creating a Return Pro Tools provides up to five sends per audio track. A send can be mono or stereo, routing to an output or one of 64 internal bus paths. Auxiliary Inputs can be created to act as return channels for busses, as well as for inputs from hardware sources. To assign a send on a track: Send window Send to bus 9–10 Real-time plug-in 1 Make sure Sends View is enabled in the Mix window (Display > Mix Window Shows > Sends View).
Master Faders Master Faders are used as output and bus masters, and can control any mono, stereo or multichannel output or bus path in a session. You can then use the controls on the Master Fader to control the volume, solo and mute, or apply inserts to those paths. When you are mastering your final mix, it is recommended that you use a Dither plug-in on the Master Fader controlling your main outputs (see “Using Dither on Mixdown” on page 78).
Plug-Ins Plug-ins provide EQ, dynamics, delays and many other types of effects processing. Plug-ins function either in real-time or in nonreal time. TDM and RTAS plug-ins are non-destructive effects, which are inserted on tracks to process audio in real time—just like an external hardware processor (during playback). AudioSuite plug-ins, on the other hand, are destructive effects that process audio files on disk in non-real time.
Once written, automation can be re-written or displayed and edited graphically in the Edit window. Final Mixdown The Bounce to Disk command lets you write a final mix to disk, create a new loop, print effects, or bounce any submix. Once you have bounced your final mix to disk, you can use another program to burn the resulting file to Compact Disc.
Using Dither on Mixdown You should use a dither plug-in when using the Bounce To Disk command, or when mastering to an external device. Bounce to Disk does not automatically apply dither. To dither a bounce file, insert an included Digidesign Dither plugin, or another dither plug-in, on a Master Fader assigned to the bounce source path. Master Faders are often preferable to Auxiliary Inputs because Master Fader inserts are post-fader (which is better for dither applications).
appendix a Connecting SCSI Drives SCSI hard drives are the recommended recording media for Pro Tools TDM systems. SCSI Requirements Although Pro Tools will let you record to your system drive, this is generally not recommended. Performance for recording and playback on system drives is worse than on non-system drives, resulting in lower track counts and fewer plug-ins.
SCSI Cables Disk Space for Audio Tracks Use shorter SCSI cables to improve reliability. Table 1 provides guidelines for maximum cable lengths according to SCSI type. In the following table, the maximum cable length includes all cables used in the chain, not just point-to-point connections. A single mono audio track recorded at 24-bit resolution at a CD-fidelity sampling rate of 44.1 kHz requires about 7.5 MB of hard drive space per minute.
Connecting SCSI Drives To connect an external SCSI drive: 1 Turn off power to both the computer and the hard drive. to SCSI accelerator card 2 Attach a SCSI cable from the SCSI port of the hard drive to the SCSI port of the SCSI HBA card or computer. Connecting an external SCSI hard drive 3 Secure the cable’s connectors to the hard drive SCSI Termination and computer. Loose cables can cause data loss. 4 Connect additional drives by daisy-chaining from one drive to another.
Quick Formatting SCSI Drives Macintosh Requirements On Macintosh systems, SCSI hard drives used for audio recording on TDM systems must be formatted (or initialized) for either the HFS or HFS+ file system. Drive partitions of up to 2 terabytes (2000 gigabytes) can be used. TDM systems require that you use the ExpressPro-Tools (Mac OS 9) or ExpressStripe (Mac OS X) utility software from ATTO (included on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM) for all drive formatting and partitioning.
General Hard Drive Maintenance If using Macintosh drives on Windows systems, refer to“Using Macintosh Drives on Windows Systems” on page 85. Formatting Drives There are two different types of formatting: high-level formatting and low-level formatting. Digidesign does not recommend low-level formatting. High-Level Formatting (Initialization) High-level formatting, or initializing a drive replaces the drive’s directory, volume partition map and drivers.
Partitioning Drives Avoiding File Fragmentation Partitioning divides a physical drive into multiple, unique volumes, almost as if you were creating virtual hard drives. Partitioning is usually performed when the drive is high-level formatted (Macintosh) or initialized (Windows). For maximum recording and playback efficiency, data should be written to your hard drive in a contiguous fashion—minimizing the seek requirements to play back the data.
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.
Enabling the MacOpener Driver When you are finished installing MacOpener, the MacOpener driver must be enabled to mount HFS and HFS+ drives. To enable the settings on the MacOpener Driver: 1 Choose Start > Programs > MacOpener > MacOpener Driver Preferences. 2 Under Driver Settings, select Enable MacOpener Driver. 3 Under Extension Mapping, select Do not add the PC extension to the Mac file name.
appendix b DigiTest Error Codes DigiTest Error Codes Code Description Err3 Cards from different Pro Tools systems are incorrectly mixed. Err4 Cards marked with this error are installed in the wrong order. Err5 Too many cards of this type are installed in the system. Refer to the Digidesign Web site for compatibility information: www.digidesign.com/compato/ Err6 A card is installed in a reserve slot.
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appendix c Configuring OMS (Mac OS 9 Only) Pro Tools requires Open Music System (OMS), which is included on the Pro Tools Installer CD. OMS has the following capabilities: Configuring a New Studio Setup (First-Time OMS Users Only) • Keeps track of which MIDI devices you are using, how they are connected, and which patches they are using Before configuring OMS, make sure your MIDI interfaces and devices are connected according to the manufacture’s instructions and turned on.
OMS searches for and displays any detected MIDI interfaces, MIDI cards, and OMS drivers. If your interface is not detected, click Troubleshoot. Once your interface is detected, you are prompted to search for MIDI instruments connected to your interface. 3 Click OK to search for MIDI devices connected to your MIDI interface. To be detected, the device must be turned on and have both of its MIDI ports connected to your MIDI interface.
Disabling SerialDMA in OMS To edit the IAC driver’s name: Pro Tools requires that you deselect the “Use Apple SerialDMA Driver When Available” option in OMS Setup. If you do not disable this option, problems will occur with MIDI and synchronization functions in Pro Tools. 1 Double-click the OMS Setup application. 2 In the Studio Setup window, double-click the IAC driver. To disable SerialDMA in OMS: 1 Double-click the OMS Setup application. 2 Choose Edit > Preferences.
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appendix d Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) Pro Tools 6.0 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. 3 For any MIDI devices connected to the MIDI interface, click Add Device. A new external device icon with the default MIDI keyboard image will appear.
6 Click the arrow for the appropriate input port of the device and drag a cable to the output arrow of the corresponding port of the MIDI interface. 2 Select a manufacturer and model for the new device from the corresponding pop-up menus. (If the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus do not provide a name for your particular device, you can type a name.) To remove a connection, select the cable and press Delete. To delete all connections, click Clear Cables.
3 Click the More Properties arrow to expand the 4 Click the device image. The window expands dialog, then enable the appropriate MIDI channels (1–16) for the Transmits and Receives options. (These determine which channels the device will use to send and receive MIDI.) to show images for various MIDI devices (such as keyboards, modules, interfaces, and mixers). Select an icon for your device.
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appendix e Digidesign Control Panel (Mac OS 9 Only) The Digidesign Control Panel should be installed if you are planning to use your Digidesign hardware with Apple Sound Manager-compatible applications on a Macintosh-based system running Mac OS 9. To use your Digidesign hardware with Apple Sound Manager: 1 Choose Apple menu > Control Panels > Sound. 2 Select the Output tab. 3 Select Digidesign.
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appendix f Digidesign WaveDriver (Windows Only) Introduction The Digidesign WaveDriver is a two-channel, multimedia sound driver for Windows-based Pro Tools TDM systems. This WaveDriver allows third-party audio applications to record and/or play through channels 1–2 of the first peripheral connected to your d24 or Mix Core card. It is compatible with Windows 2000 (Service Pack 1 and Service Pack 2). Check the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.
Disable System sounds before installing the WaveDriver Remove previously installed Digidesign WaveDrivers Digidesign recommends disabling all system sounds. Users may encounter problems when system sounds are associated with Empty Recycle Bin, Select, Open Program, and Close Program and other Windows events. In addition, disabling the Windows Start and Exit Windows sounds helps prevent possible speaker damage. The Digidesign WaveDrivers default to 0 dB when installed.
16 If message appears which states “The file ‘di- Removing the WaveDriver rectio.dll’ on Digidesign WaveDriver is needed.” Browse to the location of the driver, select the “directio.dll” file, and click OK. To remove the WaveDriver: The Digidesign WaveDriver Settings dialog will automatically open. 1 From the Start menu, choose Settings > Control Panel. 2 Click the “Add/Remove Hardware” Icon. 17 Click on the Advanced button to open the 3 Click Next. I/O Setup dialog.
6 Double-click the “Digidesign WaveDriver.” Buffer Size Control 7 Select the Properties tab. When you play a file from a client audio application, the client application divides the file into little chunks (buffers) and sends each of these to the WaveDriver. The WaveDriver copies the client applications buffers to the d24 or MIX system’s own buffers in a double-buffering scheme.
I/O Setup Dialog Click the Advanced button in the WaveDriver Settings to open the I/O Setup dialog: Figure 6. I/O Setup dialog A: No Interface tab Peripheral Type Please choose the (“A”) peripheral you have connected to your d24 or MIX Core card. Sample Rate Available sample rates are 48000 Hz and 44100 Hz. You do not need to change the sample rate in this dialog before playing or recording a file with a new sample rate.
Other Options Button and Recalibrate Button Before installing DigiGain The behavior of these buttons depends on the peripherals you have connected. Refer to the documentation for your specific audio interface. The WaveDriver must be installed before installing DigiGain. If you did not install the WaveDriver or reboot the computer after installing the WaveDriver, do so now.
How to Use DigiGain Record Monitor Mute The Mute buttons under the Record Monitor Level sliders individually mute the left and right recording streams. Gang The Gang button groups the left and right Record Monitor Level sliders and Mute buttons. OK Button Clicking on the OK button saves the volume settings. Volume settings are stored in a registry key. This allows you to maintain the same volume level upon the next reboot or startup of the system. Figure 7.
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appendix g Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only) Introduction Compatible Software 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 Digi 001 hardware. The following software applications have been tested with the ASIO Driver: Check the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com) for the latest thirdparty drivers for Pro Tools LE hardware, as well as current known issues.
Installing the ASIO Driver The ASIO Driver is installed by default when you install Pro Tools. Removing the ASIO Driver If you need to remove the ASIO Driver from your computer, complete the following steps. Changing ASIO Driver Settings Changing ASIO Driver settings is done in your third party ASIO program. Refer to the documentation that came with your software program. For example, with Propellerhead Reason, click on the ASIO Control Panel button (shown below).
ASIO Driver Control Panel Digidesign ASIO Control Panel The Digidesign ASIO Driver Control Panel cannot be accessed under the following circumstances: • When Pro Tools is running. • When playing or recording in an audio program that does not support the ASIO Driver. • When using a third-party audio program that has an option to keep the ASIO Driver “open” even when you are not playing or recording. (You must close the audio program before you can open the ASIO Driver Control Panel.
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index Numerics C 1622 I/O 2, 16, 25, 32, 46 16-channel peripheral cable adapter 16, 32 882|20 I/O 2, 16, 25, 32, 46 888|24 I/O 2, 16, 32 Channel Strip controls Mute 73 Pan 73 Solo 73 Volume 73 click 57 clock master 16, 32 configuring OMS 89, 93 connecting effects units 52 external SCSI drive 81 SMPTE synchronization devices 53 studio 49 A ADAT Bridge I/O 2, 32 Apple Sound Manager 97 ASIO driver 18, 107 audio importing 65, 66 routing 67, 73 audio Interface cable 16, 32 primary 16, 32 requirements 2 Audi
E I Edit mode buttons 70 Edit modes 70 Grid 70 selecting 70 Shuffle 70 Slip 70 Spot 70 Edit tools 70 Grabber 70 Pencil 70 Scrubber 70 Selector 70 Smart Tool 70 Trimmer 70 Zoomer 70 Edit window 56 editing regions 71 error codes DigiTest 87 expansion chassis Macintosh configuration 27 Windows configuration 12 I/O Setup 59 Macintosh configuration 46 Windows configuration 25 IAC Driver Macintosh configuration 91 importing audio 65, 66 Infinity symbol removing from IAC Bus name 91 input levels 67 installing D
O R OMS 35, 89 configuration 89, 93 defining a MIDI device 90 IAC Driver 91 installing 35 Open Music System (OMS) 89 optimizing hard drives 85 recording audio tracks 67 MIDI 69 regions 71 arranging 71 creating 71 editing 71 trimming 71 registration 6 returns 74 creating 74 rulers 57 P Pan slider 73 partitioning hard drives 84 Pencil tool 70 playback starting and stopping 60 Playback Engine dialog 58 playlists 72 plug-ins 76 Preferences 17, 34, 35 Pro Tools automation 76 basics 55 editing 70 Macintosh co
studio configuration of 882|20 I/O without a mixer 51 of 888|24 I/O with a mixer 49 Surround Mixer plug-in installing 35 SYNC I/O 54 system requirements Macintosh computers 3 hard drives 4 Windows computers 3 hard drives 4 system settings Macintosh 33 Pro Tools 58 Windows 10 System Usage window 58 T TDM Ribbon cable 14, 29 tempo 57 setting 57 tempo events 57 termination of SCSI drives 81 track height changing 61 tracks audio 62 Auxiliary Inputs 62, 64, 73 creating 62 Master Faders 62, 64, 75 MIDI 62, 64 pl
