Setup Guide Mbox® 2 Mini Version 8.0.
Legal Notices Documentation Feedback This guide is copyrighted ©2009 by Avid Technology, Inc. with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Avid. At Avid, we're always looking for ways to improve our documentation. If you have comments, corrections, or suggestions regarding our documentation, email us at techpubs@digidesign.com.
Communications and Safety Regulation Information Communication Statement Compliance Statement NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
Canadian Compliance Statement: This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES003. Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada. Australian Compliance European Compliance Digidesign is authorized to apply the CE (Conformité Europénne) mark on this compliant equipment thereby declaring conformity to EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC.
contents Chapter 1. Welcome to Mbox 2 Mini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Mbox 2 Mini Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pro Tools LE Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . System Requirements and Compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conventions Used in This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 5. Mbox 2 Mini Hardware Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Mbox 2 Mini Front Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Mbox 2 Mini Back Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Chapter 6. Making Hardware Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Connecting Headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix D. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Backing Up Your Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Common Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Performance Factors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Before You Call Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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chapter 1 Welcome to Mbox 2 Mini Welcome to the Mbox® 2 Mini audio production system. Mbox 2 Mini and Pro Tools LE® provides your USB-equipped computer with two channels of analog audio input, two analog monitor outputs, and one headphone output. Mbox 2 Mini includes one professional-quality mic preamp and 24-bit analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters.
• Zero-latency analog record monitoring with Mix knob for adjustable balance between input and playback. • USB-powered operation. Mbox 2 Mini may not function properly if connected to a USB hub. Connect Mbox 2 Mini to a separate, dedicated USB port.
System Requirements and Compatibility Mbox 2 Mini can be used with a qualified Mac or Windows computer running Pro Tools LE software. A DVD drive is required to use the Pro Tools Installer disc. We can only assure compatibility and provide support for hardware and software we have tested and approved. For complete system requirements and a list of qualified computers, operating systems, hard drives, and third-party devices, refer to the latest information on our website: www.digidesign.
Hard Drive Requirements For optimal audio recording and playback, all Pro Tools systems require one or more qualified drives. For a list of qualified hard drives, visit our website: www.digidesign.com/compatibility If you are using an ATA/IDE or FireWire hard drive, initialize your drive with the Disk Utility application included with Apple System software (Mac) or the Windows Disk Management (Windows). For more information, see Appendix C, “Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance.
Conventions Used in This Guide All of our guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands: : Convention Action File > Save Choose Save from the File menu Control+N Hold down the Control key and press the N key Control-click Hold down the Control key and click the mouse button Right-click Click with the right mouse button The names of Commands, Options, and Settings that appear on-screen are in a different font.
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chapter 2 Installing Pro Tools on Mac This chapter contains information for Mac systems only. If you are installing Pro Tools on a Windows computer, see Chapter 3, “Installing Pro Tools on Windows.” Before installing this version of Pro Tools, refer to the Read Me information included on the Pro Tools Installer disc. Installation Overview Installation of the Mbox 2 Mini on a Mac includes the following steps: 1 “Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your Interface” on page 8.
Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your Interface Before connecting your Pro Tools LE interface to the computer, you need to install Pro Tools LE software. Do not start this procedure with your Mbox 2 Mini connected to your computer. To Install Pro Tools LE 1 Make sure you are logged in as an Administrator for the account where you want to install Pro Tools. For details on Administrator privileges in Mac OS X, refer to your Apple Mac OS X documentation.
8 If prompted, enter your Administrator password and click OK to authenticate the installation. 9 Follow the remaining on-screen instructions. 10 When installation is complete, click Restart. 11 Connect the small end of the included USB cable to the USB port on Mbox 2 Mini. Connect the other end of the USB cable to any available USB port on your computer. Mbox 2 Mini may not function properly if connected to a USB hub. Connect Mbox 2 Mini to a separate, dedicated USB port.
Additional Options The Pro Tools installer provides the following additional options to install along with Pro Tools software and plug-ins. Digidesign CoreAudio Driver This option installs the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver, which lets you use qualified audio interfaces with third-party applications that support the CoreAudio Driver standard. Avid Video Engine This option lets you integrate Avid® video peripherals (such as the Avid Mojo® with your Pro Tools system).
3 Enter the authorization code in the dialog (making sure to type it exactly as printed, and observing any spaces and capitalization), then click Validate. (Your authorization code is located on the inside front cover of this guide.) Use the Quick Start dialog to do one of the following: • Create a new session from template. • Create a new blank session. • Open any other session on your system. .
Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc The Pro Tools Installer disc provides additional software for your system, including audio drivers (for playing other audio applications through your Digidesign hardware) and a Pro Tools demo session. Check your Pro Tools Installer disc for additional software and installers. Third-Party Applications and Plug-ins Your Pro Tools package also includes several free applications and plug-ins from selected third party developers.
Pro Tools Demo Session The Pro Tools LE Installer disc includes a demo session that you can use to verify that your system is working. The demo session for Pro Tool LE is named “Filtered Dreams.” Before installing the demo session to your audio drive, make sure the drive is configured as described in “Formatting an Audio Drive” on page 76. To install the demo session: 1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc into your DVD drive.
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 Uninstall Pro Tools. 3 Click Continue to proceed with the uninstall.
chapter 3 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 2, “Installing Pro Tools on Mac.” Before installing this version of Pro Tools, refer to the Read Me information included on the Pro Tools Installer disc. Installation Overview Installing the Mbox 2 Mini on a Windows computer includes the following steps: 1 “Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your Interface” on page 16.
Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your Interface Before connecting your Pro Tools LE interface to the computer, you need to install Pro Tools LE software. Do not start this procedure with your Mbox 2 Mini connected to your computer. To install Pro Tools LE: 1 Start Windows, logging in with Administrator privileges. For details on Administrator privileges, refer to your Windows documentation.
5 At the Select Features page, do one of the following: • To install all Pro Tools application files and free plug-in suites (and associated content), leave the default Installation options selected and click Continue. – or – • Select (or deselect) a custom configuration of Installation options (see “Installation Options” on page 18) and click Continue. 6 Click Next. 7 Click Install. 8 When prompted, connect the small end of the included USB cable to the USB port on the Mbox 2 Mini.
11 When installation is complete, click Finish and restart your computer. If the USB LED on the front panel of the Mbox 2 Mini does not illuminate after restarting the computer, try unplugging the USB cable from the Mbox 2 Mini USB port and plugging it back in. If the USB LED still does not illuminate, shut down the computer, disconnect Mbox 2 Mini and start the computer. Once the computer has fully restarted, reconnect Mbox 2 Mini.
Installing QuickTime QuickTime is required for Pro Tools if you plan to include movie files, or import MP3 or MP4 (AAC) files in your sessions. QuickTime for Windows is available as a free download from the Apple website (www.apple.com). For information on which version of QuickTime is compatible with your version of Pro Tools, visit the compatibility pages of our website (www.digidesign.com/compatibility). To install QuickTime: 1 Visit www.apple.com and go to the QuickTime page.
4 Use the Quick Start dialog to do one of the following: • Create a new session from template. • Create a new blank session. • Open any other session on your system. Quick Start dialog For more information on the Quick Start dialog and session templates, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc The Pro Tools Installer disc provides additional software for your system, including audio drivers (for playing other audio applications through your Digidesign hardware) and a Pro Tools demo session. Refer to your Pro Tools Installer disc for additional software and installers. Third-Party Applications and Plug-ins Your Pro Tools package also includes several free applications and plug-ins from selected third party developers.
Digidesign WaveDriver (Windows XP Only) The Digidesign WaveDriver Windows System Audio Driver is a single-client, stereo sound driver that allows third-party audio programs that support the WaveDriver MME (Multimedia Extension) standard to play back through Digidesign hardware. For detailed information on configuring the Digidesign WaveDriver, see the Windows Audio Drivers Guide.
To install the demo session: 1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc into your DVD drive. 2 From your DVD drive, locate and open the Additional Files\Demo Sessions Installer folder. 3 Double-click LE Demo Session Setup.exe. 4 Follow the on-screen instructions. 5 When prompted, select your audio drive as the install location and click Next to begin the install. 6 When installation is complete, click Close. The demo session can be opened by double-clicking the Filtered Dream.
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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. Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System To ensure that the components of your Pro Tools system communicate properly with each other, you need to start them in a particular order. Start up your Pro Tools system in this order: 1 Lower the volume of all output devices in your system. 2 Turn on any external hard drives.
Shut down your Pro Tools system in this order: 1 Quit Pro Tools and any other running applications. To quit Pro Tools, choose Pro Tools > Quit (Mac) or File > Exit (Windows). 2 Turn off or lower the volume of all output devices in your system. 3 Turn off your computer. 4 Turn off any MIDI interfaces, MIDI devices, or synchronization peripherals. 5 Turn off any control surfaces. 6 Turn off any external hard drives.
Playback Engine dialog for Mbox 2 Mini (Structure installed) 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 The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) controls the size of the buffer used to handle host processing tasks such as Real-Time AudioSuite™ (RTAS) plug-ins. The H/W Buffer setting can also be used to manage monitoring latency.
To change the Hardware Buffer Size: 1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine. 2 From the H/W Buffer Size pop-up menu, select the audio buffer size, in samples. 3 Click OK. 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.
To set the number of RTAS Processors: 1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine. 2 From the RTAS Processors pop-up menu, select the number of available processors you want to allocate for RTAS plug-in processing. The number of processors available varies depending on how many processors are available on your computer: • Select 1 Processor to limit RTAS processing to one CPU in the system. • Select 2 Processors to enable load balancing across two available processors.
To change the CPU Usage Limit: 1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine. 2 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up menu, select the percentage of CPU processing you want to allocate to Pro Tools. 3 Click OK. RTAS Engine (RTAS Error Suppression) There are two RTAS Engine options: Ignore Errors During Playback/Record When enabled, Pro Tools continues to play and record even if the RTAS processing requirements exceed the selected CPU Usage Limit.
DAE Playback Buffer Size settings higher than 1500 msec (Level 2) allow higher track count, higher density of edits in a session, or the use of slower hard drives. However, a higher setting may increase the time lag when starting playback or recording, or cause a longer audible time lag while editing during playback. Using a larger DAE Playback Buffer Size leaves less system memory for other tasks.
To change the Cache Size: 1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine. 2 From the Cache Size pop-up menu, select a disk cache size. 3 Click OK. System Memory Allocation When you start your computer, Pro Tools automatically reserves a portion of system memory for the DAE Playback Buffer. This reserved memory is unavailable to other applications, even if Pro Tools is not running. You can set Pro Tools to reserve only the minimum amount of required memory, so that more system memory is available to other applications.
Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size settings higher than 250 msec (Level 2) improve the audio quality of sample playback, but they also decrease the amount of memory available for other system tasks, such as RTAS processing. Using a larger Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size leaves less system memory for other tasks. The default setting of 250 ms (Level 2) is recommended unless you are experiencing problems with the audio quality of sample playback.
Pro Tools Hardware Settings In the Hardware Settings dialog, Pro Tools lets you set the default sample rate and clock source for your system, as well as a range of controls specific to each type of audio interface. Default Sample Rate The Sample Rate setting appears as the default sample rate when you create a new session. (This setting is available in the Hardware Setup dialog only when no session is open.
Clock Source The Pro Tools Hardware Setup dialog is set to Internal, which supports recording analog signals directly into Mbox 2 Mini analog inputs 1–2. Configuring I/O Setup Using the I/O Setup dialog, you can label Pro Tools LE input, output, insert, and bus signal paths. The I/O Setup dialog provides a graphical representation of the inputs, outputs, and signal routing of the Mbox 2 Mini. Pro Tools LE has default I/O Setup settings that will get you started.
Configuring MIDI Setup If you plan to use any MIDI devices with Pro Tools, do one of the following: On Mac, configure your MIDI setup with the Apple Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) utility. See Appendix A, “Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only).” – or – On Windows, configure your MIDI setup with MIDI Studio Setup. See Appendix B, “Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only)” for details.
Turning Off Software Update To turn off the Software Update feature: 1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu and click Software Update. 2 Click the Scheduled Check tab and ensure Check for updates is deselected. 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 Sleep and do the following: • Set the computer sleep setting to Never. • Set the display sleep setting to Never.
Disable or Reassign Mac Keyboard Shortcuts Used by Pro Tools To have the full complement of Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts, you need to disable or reassign any conflicting Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts in the Apple System Preferences, including the following: • “Show Help menu” • Under “Keyboard Navigation” • “Move focus to the window drawer” • Under “Dock, Exposé, and Dashboard” • “Automatically hide and show the Dock” • “All windows” • “Application windows” • “Desktop” • “Dashboard” • “Spaces” • Under “Spotli
3 Do one of the following: • Deselect the Mac OS X options that conflict with Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts. – or – • Assign different, non-conflicting keyboard shortcuts to the corresponding Mac OS X options. Reassign Spaces Keyboard Shortcuts If you want to use Spaces, you should reassign the Spaces keyboard shortcuts to avoid conflicts with important Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts.
Disabling Spotlight Indexing The Mac OS X Spotlight feature automatically indexes files and folders on local hard drives in the background. In most cases, this is not a concern for normal Pro Tools operation. However, if Spotlight starts indexing drives while recording in a Pro Tools session with high track counts for an extended period of time, it can adversely affect Pro Tools system performance.
Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools To ensure optimum performance with Pro Tools LE, configure your computer before using Pro Tools hardware and software. For Mac System Optimization, see “Optimizing a Mac System for Pro Tools” on page 36. Before configuring your computer, make sure you are logged in as an Administrator for the account where you want to install Pro Tools. For details on Administrator privileges, see your Windows documentation.
5 Click the Advanced Settings tab. 6 For each device, do one of the following depending on your operating system: • Check the box Enable DMA (Windows Vista) – or – • Set the Transfer Mode to DMA if available (Windows XP) 7 Click OK. 8 Repeat the above steps for any additional IDE Channels. 9 Close the Computer Management window. Disabling System Standby and Power Management When using Pro Tools, the Windows System Standby power scheme must be set to Always On.
To configure Windows Power Management (Windows XP): 1 Choose Start > Control Panel. 2 Double-click Power Options. 3 Click the Power Schemes tab. 4 From the Power Schemes pop-up menu, select Always. 5 Verify that the following settings are set to Never: • Turn off hard disks • System standby • System hibernates 6 Click OK. Disabling User Account Control (Windows Vista Only) For optimal performance with Pro Tools on Windows Vista, disable User Account Control (UAC).
Recommended Optimizations Pro Tools can also be affected by other software and hardware drivers installed on your computer. For best possible performance, it is recommended (but not required) that you do the following: • Avoid running any unneeded programs at the same time as Pro Tools. • Turn off any software utilities that run in the background, such as Windows Messenger, calendars, and disk maintenance programs. • Turn off any non-essential USB devices while running Pro Tools.
Adjusting Processor Scheduling To adjust Processor Scheduling performance: 1 Right-click Computer (Windows Vista) or My Computer (Windows XP) and choose Properties. 2 in the System Properties window, click the Advanced tab. 3 Under the Performance section, click the Settings button. 4 In the Performance Options window, click the Advanced tab. 5 Under the Processor Scheduling section, select the Background Services option. 6 Under the Memory Usage section, select the System cache option.
To Disable System Startup Items: 1 From the Start menu, type “msconfig” in Run (Windows XP) or in Start Search (Windows Vista) and click OK to open the System Configuration Utility. 2 Under the General tab, choose Selective Startup. 3 Deselect Load Startup Items and click OK. 4 Click Restart to restart the computer. 5 After restarting, the computer displays a System Configuration message. Check to see if Pro Tools performance has increased before you deselect Don't show this message again.
chapter 5 Mbox 2 Mini Hardware Overview Mbox 2 Mini Front Panel Features The Mbox 2 Mini front panel provides the following features: Input 1 Gain Headphone/Monitor Mix (Ratio) Output Level Input 2 Gain Headphone Output Monitor Mute USB LED Figure 1. Mbox 2 Mini front panel Headphone Output Use the Headphone Output to connect a stereo headphone with a 1/4-inch stereo connector.
Mon (Monitor) Mute Switch This switch mutes the Monitor Outputs, without muting the Headphone Output. This switch does not affect recording. Mix (Ratio) Control Mbox 2 Mini gives you the ability to monitor your analog input signals while recording, without the delay incurred by A/D/A converters and host-based processing. This zero-latency analog monitoring is controlled with the Mix knob, which you can use to blend and adjust the monitor ratio between Mbox 2 Mini analog inputs and Pro Tools playback.
Mbox 2 Mini Back Panel Features The Mbox 2 Mini back panel provides the following features: Mic Kensington Input Lock port Monitor Line/DI Outputs Input 1 Mic/DI Pad Phantom Line/DI Power Input 2 USB port Pad Figure 2. Mbox 2 Mini back panel Input 1 Section Mic and Line/DI Inputs The Input 1 section includes Mic (XLR) and Line/DI inputs. The Line/DI input accepts line level signals, instruments, and other 1/4-inch TRS (Tip-RingSleeve) or TS (Tip-Sleeve) connections.
Mic/DI Switch This switch selects either the Mic or Line/DI inputs for channel 1. When pressed in, the DI input is enabled. When not pressed in, the Mic input is enabled. Pad Switch The Pad switch engages a –20 dB pad on the input channel 1. When pressed in, the Pad is enabled. 48V Switch When pressed in, 48V phantom power is active on the Mic XLR input. Phantom power is provided for microphones that require it to operate.
Pad Switch The Pad switch engages a –20 dB pad on the input channel 2. When pressed in, the Pad is enabled. Mon Out (Monitor Output) To monitor your mix, these outputs can be connected to a mixing board, directly to a monitoring system such as a stereo power amp, or another stereo destination. These outputs accept TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) or TS (Tip-Sleeve) 1/4-inch connections. The Mon Out L and R outputs play the audio that is routed to analog outputs 1 and 2 from within Pro Tools, respectively.
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chapter 6 Making Hardware Connections To hear audio recorded into a Pro Tools session, you will need to connect headphones or an external sound system (such as powered monitors or a home stereo) to Mbox 2 Mini. Sound from Mbox 2 Mini cannot be played through your computer’s speakers or your computer’s sound output. Connecting Headphones On the front panel of the Mbox 2 Mini is a 1/4-inch jack to connect headphones.Use the Headphone and Monitor Output Level control to adjust headphone and monitor volume.
Connecting Audio Inputs Mbox 2 Mini inputs (sources) support microphones, guitars, keyboards, and other types of instruments. Mbox 2 Mini has two audio input sections, labeled Input 1 and Input 2. For stereo inputs, use Input 1 for the left input, and Input 2 for the right input. For information about connecting specific audio sources, see “Connecting a Microphone to the Mbox 2 Mini” on page 55, and “Connecting Instruments to the Mbox 2 Mini” on page 57.
Connecting a Microphone to the Mbox 2 Mini Mic Cables and Connectors There are several ways to use Mbox 2 Mini with a microphone, depending on the type of microphone and cable you use. Some microphone cables use an XLR connector to attach a microphone to an input (such as those on the Mbox 2 Mini); other microphones use a 1/4-inch connector. If you have a choice, use an XLR connector to connect the microphone to the Mbox 2 Mini to yield better results.
The Mbox 2 Mini can only supply power through a microphone cable with XLR connectors. If you are not sure about the phantom power requirements for your microphone, refer to your microphone’s documentation or contact the manufacturer. Using a Mic that Has an XLR Connector To use a microphone that has an XLR connector: 1 Plug your microphone cable into the Mic input on the back of Mbox 2 Mini. 2 Set the Mic/DI switch on the back to Mic position. The button should be out, not pressed in.
Connecting Instruments to the Mbox 2 Mini Mbox 2 Mini provides Line/DI inputs that support direct instruments (such as electric guitar and electric bass), and line level devices (including electronic audio sources such as mixers, samplers, keyboards, turntables, and synthesizers). To use a guitar with Mbox 2 Mini: 1 On the back of the Mbox 2 Mini, plug your guitar cable into one of the Line/DI inputs. 2 If you are using Input 1, set the Mic/DI switch on the back panel to DI, by pressing the DI switch in.
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appendix a 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. To configure your MIDI studio in AMS: 1 Do one of the following: • Launch Audio MIDI Setup (located in Applications/Utilities). – or – • In Pro Tools, choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio.
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. Making MIDI input and output connections (Digidesign Command|8 shown) 6 Click the arrow for the appropriate input port of the device and drag a cable to the output arrow of the corresponding port of the MIDI interface. To remove a connection, select the cable and press Delete.
To configure an external MIDI device: 1 Select the external device icon and click Show Info (or double-click the new device icon). External Device Icon 2 Select a manufacturer and model for the new device from the corresponding pop-up menus. (If the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus do not provide a name for your particular device, you can type a name.) Naming a new MIDI device For Manufacturer and Model names, AMS refers to one or more files with the suffix “.
3 Click the More Properties arrow to expand the dialog, then enable the appropriate MIDI channels (1–16) for the Transmits and Receives options. (These determine which channels the device will use to send and receive MIDI.
4 Click the device image. The window expands to show images for various MIDI devices (such as keyboards, modules, interfaces, and mixers). Select an icon for your device. Selecting a device icon To use your own custom icons, you can place TIFF image files in /Library/Audio/MIDI Devices/ Generic/Images, and they will appear as choices in the AMS device window. 5 Click OK. The device names you enter appear as MIDI input and output choices in Pro Tools.
MIDI Patch Name Support Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup Language) for storing and importing patch names for you external MIDI devices. Pro Tools installs MIDI patch name files (.midnam) for the factory default patch names of many common MIDI devices. These files reside in directories, sorted by manufacturer, in /Library/Audio/MIDI Patch Names/Digidesign. To import MIDI patch names into Pro Tools: 1 Verify the MIDI Device name in the Audio MIDI Setup window (see “Audio MIDI Setup” on page 59).
Change button Patch Select dialog 5 In the Open dialog, navigate to /Library/Audio/MIDI Patch Names/Digidesign/, and select the MIDI Patch Name file (.midnam) for the MIDI device. 6 Click Open. The Patch Select dialog is populated with patch names and the Patch Name Bank pop-up menu appears in the upper left hand corner of the window. Once patch names have been imported into Pro Tools, they are available for that MIDI device in all sessions.
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appendix b 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.
Interface Controls Create Adds a new instrument to the Instrument Name list. Delete Deletes the instrument or instruments selected in the Instrument Name list. Import Imports an existing MIDI Studio Setup file. Export Exports the current MIDI Studio Setup file.
Properties Section The Properties section lets you edit information for new instruments, or instrument currently selected in the Instrument list. MIDI Studio Setup Properties section When a previously defined instrument is selected in the Instrument list, the Properties section changes to reflect the properties of the selected instrument. To define an instrument with MIDI Studio Setup: 1 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio. 2 Click Create.
6 From the Output pop-up menu, choose the output port on your MIDI interface that is connected to the MIDI In of your instrument. 7 Enable the appropriate MIDI channels (1–16) for the Send Channels and Receive Channels options (These determine which channels send and receive MIDI.) Instrument Name The Instrument Name field shows the user-definable instrument name for the currently selected instrument. Manufacturer The Manufacturer pop-up menu provides a list of MIDI equipment manufacturers.
Output Port The Output Port pop-up menu displays a list of available MIDI interface output ports. The port set and displayed here is the port through which MIDI data is sent from your MIDI interface to the MIDI device specified in the Instrument Name field. If you set the output port to None, the defined instrument will not appear as a choice in a MIDI Output selector. Send Channels The Send Channels grid sets the send channels for the MIDI device specified in the Instrument Name field.
3 Click the MIDI track’s Patch Select button. Patch Select button, (Edit window) Patch Select button, (Mix window) Patch Select button, Edit window 4 In the Patch Select dialog, click Change.
5 In the Open dialog, navigate to Program Files\Common Files\Digidesign\MIDI Patch Names\Digidesign\, and select the MIDI Patch Name file (.midnam) for the MIDI device. 6 Click Open. The Patch Select dialog is populated with patch names and the Patch Name Bank pop-up menu appears in the upper left hand corner of the window. Patch Select dialog with patch names Once patch names have been imported into Pro Tools, they are available for that MIDI device in all sessions.
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appendix c 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.
Hard drive performance depends on factors including system configuration, number of tracks, session sample rate, density of edits, the use of crossfades, and other processes (such as Beat Detective) in a session. For complete hard drive requirements, visit our website: www.digidesign.
To format an audio drive: 1 Launch the Disk Utility application, located in Applications/Utilities. Disk Utility (Mac OS X) 2 Click the Erase tab. 3 Select the drive you want to initialize in the column on the left side of the window. If the drive contains existing data, be sure to back up all data before erasing and formatting the drive. 4 Select the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. Do not choose the “Case-Sensitive” format option.
Formatting Windows Audio Drives For optimal performance, audio drives should be formatted as NTFS. Pro Tools only supports Basic drive types. Do not convert the drive to a Dynamic type. To format an audio drive: 1 On Windows Vista, choose Start. 2 Right-click Computer (Windows Vista) or My Computer (Windows XP) and choose Manage. 3 Under Storage, choose Disk Management.
• Choose a file system. For optimum performance, audio drives should be formatted as NTFS. • Select “Perform a quick format.” • Make sure “Enable file and folder compression” is not selected. • Set the Allocation unit size to Default. • Click OK. 5 If the volume is “Unallocated,” do the following: • In the Disk Management window, right-click the hard drive you will use for audio and choose New Partition. • In the New Partition Wizard window, click Next. • When prompted, select the partition type.
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 (HFS+ for Mac or NTFS for Windows). Mac OS allows drives larger than 4096 MB to be seen as whole volumes. Drives must be initialized with a disk utility that recognizes the 2 terabyte limit. Single Pro Tools audio files cannot exceed 3.4 GB in size.
Window Systems Periodically defragment audio drives to maintain system performance. For maximum recording and playback efficiency, data should be written to your hard drive in a contiguous fashion—minimizing the seek requirements to play back the data. Unfortunately, your computer can’t always store the sound files in this way and must write to disk wherever it can find space. In multitrack recording, audio tracks are written in discrete files, spaced evenly across the disk.
Defragmenting Windows Audio Drives To defragment an audio drive (Windows Vista): 1 Choose Start > Control Panel. 2 Click System and Maintenance. 3 Click Performance Information and Tools. 4 Click Advanced Tools. 5 Click Open Disk Defragmenter. 6 In the Disk Defragmenter window, click the Defragment Now button. The Defragment Now command defragments all your hard drives. This can take a lot of time, especially on systems with multiple drives. Advanced users can use the command line tool Defrag.
Using Mac Drives on Windows Systems Pro Tools for Windows lets you record and play back sessions directly from a Mac-formatted (HFS+) drive connected to a Windows system. This functionality requires that all Mac session and audio files be stored on Mac-formatted drives. During Pro Tools installation, make sure to select the Mac HFS+ Disk Support option. This option lets your Pro Tools system read, write, record, and play back using Mac-formatted HFS+ disks.
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 d 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, including additional hard drives, CD/DVD burners, automated tape backup systems, and high-capacity optical drives.
Common Issues 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. Try a complete restart. Turn off your audio interfaces, computer peripherals and your computer, and then turn them on again in the proper sequence.
Audio Interface Is Not Recognized Problem When you launch Pro Tools it does not recognize an audio interface, or a connected audio interface is not available. Possible Solutions Turn off your computer and check to be sure your cables are properly and securely connected to your computer and to your audio interface. Verify that your Hardware Setup dialog settings are correct. Try unplugging the Mbox 2 Micro from the USB port on your computer and then plugging it back in.
Before You Call Technical Support Register Your System Register your purchase immediately after reviewing the Digidesign Registration Information Card included with every Pro Tools system. Registering your purchase is the only way you become eligible to receive complimentary technical support and future upgrade offers. Registering is one of the most important steps to complete as a new user. Gather Important Information We want to help you resolve problems as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Digidesign Software • Pro Tools software version • Plug-in versions • Other Digidesign software • Additional plug-ins from Digidesign Development Partners Other Hardware Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation for operational details.
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appendix e Resources Whether you are new to Pro Tools or just starting out with your new system, we encourage you to read and utilize the many guides that Pro Tools provides. There are also useful online resources available, giving you everything from Pro Tools tips to Pro Tools answers.
Guides Accessible in Pro Tools The main Pro Tools guides are accessible from the Pro Tools Help menu. (Choose Help, then select a guide.) These include: • Shortcuts Guide, which provides a complete list of keyboard and Right-click shortcuts for Pro Tools. • DigiRack Plug-ins Guide, which describes the DigiRack plug-ins included with Pro Tools for both real-time and file-based audio processing. • Pro Tools Menus Guide, which covers all the Pro Tools on-screen menus.
About www.digidesign.com Our website (www.digidesign.com) is your best online source for information to help you get the most out of your Pro Tools system. The following are just a few of the services and features available. Product Registration Register your purchase online.
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index A H ASIO driver (Windows) 21 audio drivers ASIO driver (Windows) 21 CoreAudio driver (Mac) 12 WaveDriver (Windows) 22 Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) (Mac) 59 authorizing Pro Tools LE Mac 10 Windows 19 hard drives drive formats 75 FireWire requirements 76 formatting 76, 79 IDE/ATA requirements 76 maintenance 75, 81 optimizing 81 partitioning 80 requirements 4 SCSI requirements 76 space requirements 84 Hardware Buffer Size 27 headphones gain control 47 output 47 C Cache Size 31 connecting Mbox 2 Mini Mac 9
M Mbox 2 Mini back panel 49 connecting (Mac) 9 features 1 front panel 47 MIDI setup (Mac) 59 setup (Windows) 67 MIDI Studio Setup (MSS) (Windows) 67 Minimize Additional I/O Latency option 30 mix control (Mbox 2 Mini) 48 monitoring 48 N network cards (Windows), disabling 44 network connections 87 configuration (Windows) 26 demo session (Mac) 13 demo session (Windows) 22 installing (Windows) 16 removing (Mac) 14 removing (Windows) 23 Processor Scheduling performance (Windows) 45 Q QuickTime installing (Win
system settings Cache Size 31 CPU Usage Limit 29 DAE Playback Buffer Size 30 Hardware Buffer Size 27 I/O Setup 35 Plug-in Streaming Buffer 33 Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size 32 Sample Rate 34 System Memory Allocation 32 T technical support 88 U uninstalling Pro Tools Mac 14 Windows 23 USB connection indicator 48 User Account Control (UAC) disabling 43 W WaveDriver (Windows) 22 website 93 Index 97
www.digidesign.com DIGIDESIGN 2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA TECHNICAL SUPPORT (USA) Visit the Digidesign Online Support Center at www.digidesign.com/support PRODUCT INFORMATION For company and product information, visit us on the web at www.digidesign.
