Pro Tools® Troubleshooting Guide

Legal Notices

This guide is copyrighted ©2008 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.

003, 96 I/O, 96i I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 192 I/O, 888|24 I/O, 882|20 I/O, 1622 I/O, 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O,
AudioSuite, Avid, Avid DNA, Avid Mojo, Avid Unity, Avid Unity ISIS, Avid Xpress, AVoption, Axiom, Beat
Detective, Bomb Factory, Bruno, C|24, Command|8, Control|24, D-Command, D-Control, D-Fi, D-fx, D-
Show, D-Verb, DAE, Digi 002, DigiBase, DigiDelivery, Digidesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign
Intelligent Noise Reduction, Digidesign TDM Bus, DigiDrive, DigiRack, DigiTest, DigiTranslator, DINR, D-
Show, DV Toolkit, EditPack, Eleven, HD Core, HD Process, Hybrid, Impact, Interplay, Lo-Fi, M-Audio,
MachineControl, Maxim, Mbox, MediaComposer, MIDI I/O, MIX, MultiShell, Nitris, OMF, OMF Interchange,
PRE, ProControl, Pro Tools M-Powered, Pro Tools, Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, QuickPunch, Recti-Fi, Reel
Tape, Reso, Reverb One, ReVibe, RTAS, Sibelius, Smack!, SoundReplacer, Sound Designer II, Strike,
Structure, SYNC HD, SYNC I/O, Synchronic, TL Aggro, TL AutoPan, TL Drum Rehab, TL Everyphase, TL
Fauxlder, TL In Tune, TL MasterMeter, TL Metro, TL Space, TL Utilities, Transfuser, Trillium Lane Labs,
Vari-Fi Velvet, X-Form, and XMON are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid
Technology, Inc. Xpand! is Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.

Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice.

Guide Part Number 9300-58017-00 REV B 11/08

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Pro Tools Troubleshooting Guide

Contents
Chapter 1 ..............................................................................................................1
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1
Compatibility Information ............................................................................................... 1
Support Information ....................................................................................................... 2
Performance Considerations ......................................................................................... 3
Chapter 2 ..............................................................................................................4
Hard Drive Considerations............................................................................................. 4
Internal Audio Hard Drive Considerations ..................................................................... 5
External Audio Hard Drive Considerations .................................................................... 6
Chapter 3 ..............................................................................................................7
Setting Up Your Interface .............................................................................................. 7
LE Hardware.................................................................................................................. 7
HD Hardware ................................................................................................................. 9
Chapter 4 ............................................................................................................10
Installation and First Launch........................................................................................ 10
Installing or Upgrading Pro Tools ................................................................................ 10
Installation Errors ......................................................................................................... 12
Launching Pro Tools.................................................................................................... 13
Chapter 5 ............................................................................................................17
Operational Errors ....................................................................................................... 17
Pro Tools Fails To Launch........................................................................................... 17
Pro Tools Quits Unexpectedly ..................................................................................... 21
Pro Tools Session Fails to Open ................................................................................. 21
The Tech Support Folder............................................................................................. 23
Appendix A .........................................................................................................24
About the Digidesign Audio Engine (DAE) .................................................................. 24
Appendix B .........................................................................................................27
Common DAE Errors and What They Mean................................................................ 27

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Page iv
Chapter 1

Introduction
This guide is a troubleshooting resource for Pro Tools. It covers most
issues that you might encounter (even if you are an experienced user)
when using Pro Tools. As well, it provides information on common Pro
Tools errors and why they occur.

We hope that you will find this guide useful should you experience
problems in Pro Tools, but it is by no means all encompassing. If you are
still having trouble after reviewing this guide and the other documentation
provided with your Pro Tools system (be sure to see the Read Me
documents for known issues with your version of Pro Tools), please visit
our website at http://www.digidesign.com. Our online Answerbase and
support forums are constantly being updated with the latest compatibility
and troubleshooting information. If necessary, you can also contact
Customer Support (see Support Information).

Compatibility Information
Before installing a Digidesign® product, configuring a computer for
Pro Tools, or upgrading your system, it is very important to check system
compatibility. A comprehensive list of supported systems and compatibility
information can be found online at http://www.digidesign.com/compatibility.

If your computer or system configuration is not specifically listed on our

support page, then we have not tested it with Pro Tools and cannot
guarantee its performance. For some errors, upgrading to a supported
system may be the only solution. Our Tech Support department cannot
fully troubleshoot an unsupported system, as we will have no empirical
data on that system's performance.

Please keep in mind that technology changes quickly. If you upgrade to a

new system configuration, there is a chance it will not work with the current
version of Pro Tools. Digidesign tests and qualifies new operating systems,
processors, chipsets, and other technology changes before supporting
them. If a new release of Pro Tools is required for compatibility, it will be
available on our website at http://www.digidesign.com/compatibility.

Page 1
Use a Digidesign-qualified computer to achieve maximum performance
and track count. When considering a new computer purchase or upgrade,
it is always best to choose a system that has specifically been qualified by
Digidesign. Use the online list of minimum system requirements as a
starting point when building a custom computer.

Support Information
There is a limited period for free technical phone support for Digidesign
products. The length of this period depends on the system, software, or
upgrade purchased (we do not offer phone support for demo software).
This complimentary phone support period is only available to registered
customers who are the original purchaser of the product. The free support
period is based on the date of purchase, not the date of registration. To
determine the support period of your product, visit the Digidesign Product
Registration page on our website at http://www.digidesign.com/reg.

To register your product online, complete the instructions on the Digidesign

Registration Information Card included with your product. If you do not
have an Internet connection, are missing the card, or purchased your
product second-hand, please contact Customer Service for assistance.

Once the complimentary phone support period for your product has
passed, you can still receive technical support from Digidesign:
• By completing the Technical Support Request Form on our website at
http://www.digidesign.com/tsr.
• By purchasing a one-year Support Assurance Contract.
For Telesales contact info, visit the Digidesign Support Assurance &
Hardware Assurance Contracts on our website at
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?navid=54&itemid=4930,
or visit our online store at http://www.avidstore.com.
• By paying a per-incident fee on our Pro Access Line.
For contact information, see the Contact Digidesign page on our
website at http://www.digidesign.com/contact.

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Performance Considerations
To increase the performance of Pro Tools, it is sometimes necessary to
disable certain devices or processes that reduce available system
resources. This is especially important for Pro Tools LE® and Pro Tools®
M-Powered™ systems, since these systems rely entirely on the host CPU
to perform audio processing tasks. Disabling certain items can also
prevent conflicts with Pro Tools operation.

See the Setup Guide for your system and refer to the configuration
information for your OS (Mac OS X or Windows XP/Vista). All Pro Tools
systems include a printed Setup Guide, as well as an electronic PDF that
is automatically installed to the Digidesign Documentation folder when you
install Pro Tools. This folder contains many other useful guides as well.
Additional information can be found in the online Pro Tools FAQ at
http://www.digidesign.com/support/faq.

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Chapter 2
Hard Drive Considerations
In order to achieve maximum performance and the highest possible track
count with Pro Tools, a supported hard drive configuration is necessary.
This section covers hard drive configuration, including:
• Internal and external audio drives
• FireWire PCI and PCMCIA cards
• SCSI adapters

Hard Drive Recording Information

Recording to your system drive is not recommended. Think about your

hard drive as a record player, where the spinning vinyl is storing your
information and the tone arm is responsible for reading and writing data.
Your operating system and applications are constantly asking the tone arm
to search and gather the information necessary to keep them running. This
data is usually scattered around different areas of the platter (disk).

By recording to your system drive, the read-and-write head (the “tone arm”
to follow the record player metaphor) has to move across the disk to write
audio files. Audio files have a much higher bandwidth than your typical
system files, and therefore require more time to read and write. This extra
time can cause interruptions with normal system operation, and can result
in Pro Tools reporting DAE errors (–9093, –9073, –6086, and others).

By simply adding a dedicated audio drive to your system, you can alleviate
many such errors. For a complete list of supported hard drive
configurations, please visit http://www.digidesign.com/compatibility.

Approximate Storage Consumption (Megabytes per Minute per Track)

To avoid running out of disk space and prevent drive-related errors when
recording, use the following information to approximate drive consumption
by the number of tracks in your Pro Tools session and by the session bit-
depth and sample rate.

16-Bit Audio Files:

• 5 MB per minute per track at 44.1 kHz sample rate
• 5.5 MB per minute per track at 48 kHz sample rate
• 11 MB per minute per track at 96 kHz sample rate

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24-Bit Audio Files:
• 7.5 MB per minute per track @ 44.1 kHz sample rate
• 8 MB per minute per track @ 48 kHz sample rate
• 16 MB per minute per track @ 96 kHz sample rate

Additional Notes:
• Pro Tools 8 has a single audio file size limit of limit of 3.4 GB. This
equates to about 7.5 hours at 24-bit, 44.1 kHz
• High Speed Drives (above 7200 RPM) require a manufacturer-
approved enclosure to ensure proper heat dissipation, which is
required for sustained drive reliability.

Internal Audio Hard Drive Considerations

If you are using an internally mounted, dedicated audio hard drive, please
review the following:
• IDE/ATA or Serial ATA (SATA) drives are supported by Digidesign
(non-RAID configurations only)
• Spindle speed of 7200 RPM or higher required
• Less than 10 milliseconds of Seek Time required
• DMA must be enabled for Windows formatted drives (PIO mode not
supported—more on this in Chapter 4).
• SCSI drives require a host bus adapter card (all SCSI configurations
must be properly terminated). For more information on SCSI
configurations, see the Setup Guide supplied with your product
(either printed or PDF).

SCSI Drives—Approximate Track Count

The following test results are with Avid MediaDrive rS250, Avid MediaDrive
rS80, and DigiDrive® FireWire 80. Performance with other drives may vary.

Drive 44.1/48 kHz 44.1/48 kHz 192 kHz 192 kHz

96 kHz
Count no Chassis with Chassis no Chassis with Chassis
6 192 160 96 36 30
4 128 128 64 24 16
2 64 64 32 12 12
1 32 32 16 6 6

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External Audio Hard Drive Considerations
If you are using a dedicated external audio hard drive, please review the
notes below:
• If you have no available FireWire ports on your computer, you can
add a supported PCI or PCMCIA FireWire card to gain additional
FireWire ports. For a list of supported cards, please visit our website
at http://www.digidesign.com/compatibility.
• Laptops using FireWire audio interfaces with no option for additional
PCMCIA (Cardbus) cards can not be expected to achieve reliable
audio recording performance with Pro Tools.
• You can connect a supported FireWire audio interface (such as the
003™ to the secondary port on some FireWire 400 drives. If you
experience FireWire- or drive-based errors with this configuration,
moving the peripherals to two separate FireWire busses on your
computer may resolve your problem (see Appendix B).
• Sometimes using FireWire 800 drives in conjunction with FireWire
400 interfaces can cause errors. This is usually due to both FireWire
ports sharing the same bus. Moving the interface to a secondary
FireWire 400 bus can help (depending on your motherboard
specifications). You can also try adding a PCI or PCMCIA FireWire
Host Bus Adapter card to facilitate the connection of external
FireWire drives (the card utilizes a separate bus so conflicts are less
likely to arise).
• If you are using an Mbox® 2 Pro or M-Audio® FireWire interface, the
use of FireWire 800 drives is not supported. Please only use
FireWire 400 drives if you have one of these interfaces.
• USB drives are not supported.

FireWire Drives—Approximate Track Count

The following test results are with Avid MediaDrive rS250, Avid MediaDrive
rS80, and DigiDrive FireWire 80. Performance with other drives may vary.

Drive Count 44.1/48 kHz 96 kHz 192 kHz

1 24 12 6
2 48 24 12
3 72 36 18
4 96 48 24
5 120 60 30
6 128 72 36
8 192 96 36

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Chapter 3
Setting Up Your Interface
The following section covers general information for setting up your
Digidesign interface, and is divided between LE and HD product lines.
Always refer to the Setup Guide that came with your Digidesign interface
for installation and setup procedures regarding your particular interface.
For M-Audio devices, please refer to the M-Audio documentation that came
with your M-Audio interface regarding installation and setup.

Note: In all cases, on Windows, the Found New Hardware Wizard should
not be used to install drivers for your hardware.

LE Hardware
USB Interfaces include Mbox, Mbox 2, Mbox 2 Mini, Mbox 2 Micro, and
supported M-Audio USB Interfaces. All USB interfaces require an available
USB port on the computer. Using USB hubs or chaining to another USB
peripheral is not supported and can result in errors.

Once you have plugged in the USB interface, the power LEDs on the
interface may not light until the appropriate drivers are installed. The
correct drivers are installed when you install Pro Tools.

USB interfaces receive power directly from the USB bus (note that there is
no power switch for Digidesign USB interfaces), so be sure the USB bus
provides enough power for your interface. This is especially important
when phantom power (+48V) is needed for condenser microphones.

Note: Some laptops do not supply enough power for condenser

microphones, and are not supported for use with phantom power. A list of
these laptops can be found on the website (http://www.digidesign.com/
compatibility). If you're using an Mbox 2 with a supported laptop and are
having power issues, install the latest firmware revision (available online
and on the installation disc that came with your system).

In addition, some laptops require USB interfaces to be plugged into a

specific USB port (full information can be found on the website) to resolve
dropped samples, clicks and pops during playback, and frequent buffer
errors.

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FireWire Interfaces include 003, 003 Rack, Mbox 2 Pro, Digi 002®, Digi
002 Rack™, and M-Audio FireWire interfaces. All FireWire interfaces
require an available FireWire 400 port on the computer. Connecting
interfaces to hubs, unsupported PCI or PCMCIA cards, or other FireWire
peripherals is not supported and can result in errors.

FireWire devices should never be hot-swapped (plugging in or unplugging

the FireWire cable while there is power present). Be sure to turn off both
the interface and computer before you connect or remove the FireWire
cable.

Once you have the interface plugged in, the computer may not recognize
the interface until the appropriate drivers are installed. The correct drivers
are installed with Pro Tools.

While the 003 family and Digi 002 series interfaces have a dedicated
power supply, the Mbox 2 Pro can receive its power directly from the
FireWire bus. However, when using with a laptop, the AC power adapter
supplied with the Mbox 2 Pro should be used to power the interface.

If you are using a dual-processor G5 computer, your interface should

always be connected to the front FireWire port. On Mac Pro models, the
interface should always be connected to the back FireWire port.

Note: The second FireWire port on the back of FireWire audio interfaces is
meant to supply power or communication to devices that are not being
used when Pro Tools is running (such as digital cameras or portable MP3
players). This port is not meant for sending and receiving data while
Pro Tools is launched. FireWire hard drives should be connected to a
separate port on the computer (see Hard Drive Considerations).

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HD Hardware
HD Cards include Accel Core (PCIe), HD Core™ (PCI), HD Accel (PCIe or
PCI), and HD Process™ (PCI) cards. All HD cards require an available
PCIe or PCI slot. For expanded systems or systems running on a laptop, a
supported chassis is required and all cards must be in the chassis (for
more information, see the Expanded Systems Guide). PCIe and PCIe
cards cannot be combined in the same system.

Before installing the cards, please refer to your HD Setup Guide for proper
slot and card order, and interface connection. For systems with an
expansion chassis, see the Expanded Systems Guide.

HD Audio Interfaces (192 I/O™, 192 Digital I/O™, 96 I/O™, 96i I/O™)
require an available Accel Core, HD Core, HD Accel, or HD Process card,
or an Expansion port on a supported primary HD audio interface.
Interfaces should follow the slot order of the HD Cards installed (the first
interface connected to the Core Card, the second into the Expansion port
of the first interface (preferred) or the next Accel or Process card, and so
on). Refer to HD Setup Guide for proper interface installation and
configuration.

Note: Connecting a second interface to the second card requires a

dedicated DSP chip on that card, whereas connecting it to the Expansion
port of the first interface uses the DSP chip already allocated on the first
card. If DSP traffic errors occur in high track-count recordings, moving the
second interface to the second card (rather than the expansion port) can
help to alleviate these errors.

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Chapter 4
Installation and First Launch
This chapter covers problems that can occur during installation, or the first
time you launch Pro Tools. Remember, before installing Pro Tools; please
follow the instructions in the Setup Guide that came with your system for
detailed installation and configuration information.

This may also be a good time to back up your system to a restore point.
There are several third-party applications that let you save a copy of your
current operating system, such as Norton Ghost, Acronis TrueImage, and
Carbon Copy Cloner. Please consult your computer manufacturer or
dealer for more information.

Once your computer has been correctly configured and optimized, you can
install Pro Tools. If Pro Tools has already been installed on your computer
and is launching without errors, you can skip this chapter.

Installing or Upgrading Pro Tools

When installing Pro Tools software on a new system, follow the
instructions in the Setup Guide (either printed or PDF). When installing a
Pro Tools update, follow the instructions in the Upgrading To Pro Tools
Guide.

Removing Previous Versions

If this installation is an upgrade, or an older version of Pro Tools from

another system is already installed on your computer, then all previous
versions of Pro Tools should be removed before proceeding with the
installation (unless otherwise stated in the documentation.)

Not completely removing an older version of Pro Tools before you install
your new version can cause severe errors in the operating system, such as
Windows Registry or Mac Library corruption. These errors may be
resolved by uninstalling all versions of Pro Tools (including the current
version), but in worst-case scenarios you may need to reinitialize or
reinstall your operating system.

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Removing Pro Tools on Mac OS X

To remove Pro Tools 7.1.1 and higher on Mac OS X:

1. Open the Mac HD/Applications/Digidesign/Pro Tools/Pro Tools
Utilities folder.
2. Run the Uninstall Pro Tools utility.
3. When prompted, choose “Clean Uninstall.”
4. When the uninstaller is finished, select “Quit.”

To remove Pro Tools 7.1 and lower:

1. Run the regular installation off the disk or web installer and select
"Uninstall" on the Custom Install page.
2. When prompted, choose "Clean Uninstall."
3. When the uninstaller is finished, select “Quit.”

Removing Pro Tools on Windows XP

To remove Pro Tools 7.4 and lower on Windows XP:

1. Choose the appropriate version in the Windows Add or Remove
Programs list in the Control Panel.
2. When prompted, choose the uninstall option that removes the most
items (i.e., Digidesign Pro Tools, databases, drivers, etc.).
3. Restart your computer when prompted.

Removing Pro Tools on Windows Vista

To remove Pro Tools 7.4 on Windows Vista:

1. Choose the appropriate version in the Windows Programs and
Features Control Panel.
2. When prompted, choose the uninstall option that removes the most
items (i.e., Digidesign Pro Tools, databases, drivers, etc.).
3. Restart your computer when prompted.

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Installation Errors
Software Installation Errors

Pro Tools must be installed on the system drive for proper performance. If
you have installed Pro Tools to a non-system drive (such as an external
FireWire drive), follow the steps above to uninstall Pro Tools, and then
install Pro Tools on the system drive.

Always be sure to double-check that your version of Pro Tools is

compatible with your operating system. Current compatibility information
can be found on the Digidesign website at
http://www.digidesign.com/compatibility.

Follow the steps outlined in the Setup Guide or Upgrading To Pro Tools
Guide for proper installation.

Driver Installation Errors

Improper installation or driver conflicts can cause the installer to incorrectly

install the drivers. If this has occurred, an error is displayed after
installation or the first time you launch Pro Tools.
• On Mac, the hardware interface may not be recognized by
Pro Tools, or may not be fully functional.
• On Windows, these errors usually refer to the tpkd or dalwdm drivers
(hardware drivers that Pro Tools needs in order to communicate with
your interface). There may also be a generic Windows error
message simply stating that the drivers may not have been installed
properly, and that Pro Tools may be slow to run.

Interface Installation Errors

If your interface is not recognized, be sure that you have correctly

connected the device prior to launching the installer application (see
Setting Up Your Interface). Also make sure that you have the proper
version of Pro Tools installed for your device (please refer to the
Digidesign website at http://www.digidesign.com/compatibility).

Page 12
Software, driver, and interface installation errors are commonly resolved by
removing Pro Tools, optimizing your system, and then reinstalling the
Pro Tools. Anti-virus software should be disabled or removed before
installing Pro Tools to ensure the best chances of success. In rare cases it
may require that the operating system also be reinitialized. If you are using
an unsupported system or configuration, these errors may indicate an
incompatibility with your current setup. If necessary, please contact
Digidesign Technical Support for troubleshooting if these errors persist.

Launching Pro Tools

Authorizing Plug-Ins and Software Options

A common error can result from installing the extra plug-ins and options
either contained on the Pro Tools installation disk or downloaded from the
Digidesign website.

Several ”for-purchase-only” plug-ins and options are included on all

Pro Tools installer disks. Each of these has its own individual installer and
requires an iLok USB Smart Key authorization in order to run. You can
purchase these additional plug-ins and options separately.

Note: All plug-ins that are bundled free with Pro Tools are automatically
installed by the Pro Tools installer application.

Obtaining iLok Authorization

If you do not have an iLok with the proper authorization for these additional
plug-ins and options, you will not be able to use them. You can purchase
the proper authorizations or request time-limited demo authorizations. To
avoid the authorization prompt the next time you launch Pro Tools, you
should remove the plug-in from your plug-ins folder

If your iLok has the proper authorizations installed but is not authorizing
the plug-ins, download the latest PACE drivers at http://www.paceap.com.
PACE is a separate company from Digidesign that develops anti-piracy
software and hardware (iLok) for Digidesign and other companies.

If your iLok is not lighting up or is physically damaged, contact PACE to set

up a repair (RMA) through http://www.ilok.com.

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Removing Unauthorized Plug-ins

Write down the name of each plug-in asking for authorization and follow
the steps below.

Note: You can quickly and easily complete these steps with the Tech
Support Utility. See Tech Support Utility for more information.

On Mac OS X:
1. Open Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Digidesign/Plug-ins.
2. Find and delete each plug-in that is prompting you for authorization.
DO NOT remove the entire folder, as all of your authorized and free
plug-ins are located here as well.

On Windows XP:
• Remove each plug-in from the Add / Remove Programs Control
Panel. DO NOT remove the Digidesign Shared Plug-Ins listing, as
that will remove all plug-ins included with Pro Tools.

—OR—

1. Open My Computer\System Drive (C:)\Program Files\Common

Files\Digidesign\DAE\Plug-ins.
2. Find and delete each plug-in (both .dpm or .rsr) that is prompting you
for authorization. DO NOT remove the entire folder, as all of your
authorized and free plug-ins are located here as well.

On Windows Vista:
• Remove each plug-in from the Programs and Features Control
Panel. DO NOT remove the Digidesign Shared Plug-Ins listing, as
that will remove all plug-ins included with Pro Tools.

—OR—

3. Open Computer\System Drive (C:)\Program Files\Common

Files\Digidesign\DAE\Plug-ins.
4. Find and delete each plug-in (both .dpm or .rsr) that is prompting you
for authorization. DO NOT remove the entire folder, as all of your
authorized and free plug-ins are located here as well.

Page 14
Removing Other Paid Software Options

If you installed any unauthorized Pro Tools options (such as Complete

Production Toolkit, Music Production Toolkit 2, DV Toolkit 2™, or
DigiTranslator™ 2.0), they too will prompt you for an authorization when
you launch Pro Tools. To remove any unauthorized options, follow the
steps below.

Note: You can quickly and easily complete these steps with the Tech
Support Utility. See Tech Support Utility for more information.

On Mac OS X:
1. Open Macintosh HD/Applications/Digidesign/Pro Tools.
2. Delete the bundle for the option that is prompting you for an
authorization: CompleteProductionToolkit bundle,
MusicProductionToolkit.bundle, DVToolkit2.bundle,
Timecode.bundle, or OMF.bundle.

On Windows XP:
1. Open My Computer\System Drive (C:)\Program
Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools.
2. Delete the dll for the option that is prompting you for an
authorization: CompleteProductionToolkit.dll,
MusicProductionToolkit.dll, DVToolkit2.dll, Timecode.dll, or OMF.dll.
Do not delete OMFToolkit.dll, which is an essential element of
Pro Tools and should not be confused with OMF.dll.

On Windows Vista:
1. Open Computer\System Drive (C:)\Program
Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools.
2. Delete the dll for the option that is prompting you for an
authorization: CompleteProductionToolkit.dll,
MusicProductionToolkit.dll, DVToolkit2.dll, Timecode.dll, or OMF.dll.
Do not delete OMFToolkit.dll, which is an essential element of
Pro Tools and should not be confused with OMF.dll.

Page 15
Authorizing Pro Tools LE

Pro Tools will begin to load as soon as you launch the application. It may
take a few seconds for the Pro Tools logo screen to appear on the first
launch while the application builds its database and preference files.

Also on the first launch, you will be asked for your Authorization Code. The
location of your Authorization Code depends on how you purchased your
system or software upgrade, as follows:
• On the front inside cover of the Setup Guide if your version of
Pro Tools came with your Pro Tools LE interface (or on the back of
the Pro Tools DVD sleeve for some Mbox 2 Mini purchases).
• In the Upgrading To Pro Tools Guide if you purchased a Pro Tools
LE version update at a retailer.
• On your receipt in your DigiStore account if you purchased Pro Tools
on the DigiStore.
• In the amnesty update e-mail if you received a Pro Tools update via
e-mail following registration.

For systems that shipped with more than one version, be sure that you are
entering the correct Authorization Code. The sticker indicates which
version its code is for, and the first eight numbers and letters should be
similar to the version you're installing (for example, for Pro Tools 8, the
code begins with DIGI0800).

Please note: your Authorization Code should be typed exactly as it

appears on the sticker—it is both cAsE and s p a c e sensitive, and the
letter o is not used, only the number 0.

Page 16
Chapter 5
Operational Errors
This chapter covers operational errors. For example, errors during launch,
unexpected quits, and session corruption will all be discussed.

Pro Tools Fails To Launch

Assertion and Neo Access Errors

If you encounter an Assertion Error—an error with a long file path after it,
and ending in a “Line” with a numerical value, you will need to delete your
databases, preferences, and volumes. This error is likely related to
improper maintenance and unmounting of external hard drives.

If you have external hard drives connected to your system, you must
always properly unmount them before turning them off or removing them
from the system, and before shutting your system down. By not properly
doing so, Pro Tools database and preference files can become corrupted,
resulting in these (and other) errors. You also run the risk of corrupting the
Root Directory of these drives, which can result in drive failure and data
loss.

Deleting databases, preferences, and volumes can resolve other issues as

well, such as I/O Setup issues, graphic or display problems, and other
intermittent errors that are not specifically hardware or compatibility
related.

Deleting Digidesign Databases (Mac and Windows)

These folders are found on the root (first) level of all installed hard drives.
You should delete all of these folders.

Note: Pro Tools sessions and audio files should NEVER be stored in these
folders. Be sure to quit Pro Tools prior to deleting these folders.

Note: You can quickly and easily complete these steps with the Tech
Support Utility. See Tech Support Utility for more information.

Page 17
Once you have deleted the Digidesign Databases, empty the Recycle Bin
or Trash Can and restart your computer. These files will be recreated the
next time you launch Pro Tools. Pro Tools may appear slow to launch
immediately after these files are deleted, because it has to write new
Digidesign Database files.

Note: You can quickly and easily complete the steps listed below (both
Mac and Windows) with the Tech Support Utility. See Tech Support Utility
for more information.

Deleting Preferences and Volumes on Mac

Volumes:
1. Open Macintosh HD/Library/Application
Support/Digidesign/Databases.
2. Open the Volumes folder and delete all of its contents.

Pro Tools Preferences:

1. Open Macintosh/Users/Username*/Library/Preferences.
2. Delete the following items:
• com.digidesign.protools.plist
• DAE Prefs folder
• DigiSetup.OSX
• Pro Tools Preferences

* This is the Mac user account with which you log in when using Pro Tools.

Once you have deleted the preferences and volumes files, empty the
Trash and restart your computer. These files are recreated the next time
you launch Pro Tools. Pro Tools may appear slow to launch immediately
after these files are deleted, as the application has to write them again.

Note: You may have to reconfigure your Preferences, I/O Setup, and MIDI
Setup in Pro Tools after these files have been deleted.

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Deleting Preferences and Volumes on Windows XP

DAE Preferences:
1. Open My Computer\System Drive (C:)\Program Files\Common
Files\Digidesign\DAE\DAE Prefs.
2. Open the DAE Prefs folder and delete all of its contents.

Pro Tools Preferences:

1. Open My Computer\System Drive (C:)\Documents and
Settings\User*\Application Data**\Digidesign.
2. Open the Digidesign folder and delete all of its contents.

* This is the Windows user account with which you log in when using
Pro Tools.
** This folder is hidden by default. To view hidden files and folders,
open the Tools menu in the folder view window and choose Folder
Options. In the View tab, click the option to “Show hidden files and
folders.”

Volumes:
1. Open My Computer\System Drive (C:)\Program
Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools\Databases.
2. Inside the Databases folder, delete the Volumes folder.

Once you have deleted the Pro Tools preferences and volumes, empty the
Recycle Bin and restart your computer. These files will be recreated the
next time you launch Pro Tools. Pro Tools may appear slow to launch
immediately after these files are deleted, as the application has to write
them again.

Note: You may have to reconfigure your Preferences, I/O Setup, and MIDI
Setup in Pro Tools after these files have been deleted.

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Deleting Preferences and Volumes on Windows Vista

DAE Preferences:
1. Open Computer\System Drive (C:)\Program Files\Common
Files\Digidesign\DAE\DAE Prefs.
2. Open the DAE Prefs folder and delete all of its contents.

Pro Tools Preferences:

1. Open Computer\System Drive (C:)\User*\Your User
Name\AppData**\Roaming\Digidesign.
2. Right-click on the Digidesign folder and delete it.

* This is the Windows user account with which you log in when using
Pro Tools.
** This folder is hidden by default. If the Appdata is not showing, click
on Organize and choose 'Folder and Search Options'. Click on the View
tab. Select 'Show Hidden Files and Folders'. Click Apply and OK.
AppData should now be viewable.

Volumes:
1. Open Computer\System Drive (C:)\Digidesign Databases.
2. Inside the Databases folder, delete the Volumes folder.

Once you have deleted the Pro Tools preferences and volumes, empty the
Recycle Bin and restart your computer. These files will be recreated the
next time you launch Pro Tools. Pro Tools may appear slow to launch
immediately after these files are deleted, as the application has to write
them again.

Note: You may have to reconfigure your Preferences, I/O Setup, and MIDI
Setup in Pro Tools after these files have been deleted.

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Pro Tools Quits Unexpectedly
If the Pro Tools application fails to launch or quits unexpectedly (Mac), or
presents a Fatal Exception Error or “blue-screen” (Windows), or simply
quits without reporting an error, you may need to uninstall and re-install
Pro Tools (be sure to properly remove all previous versions as well). These
errors can also be related to improper interface connections (see Setting
Up Your Interface), or a possible system incompatibility.

Make sure you have correctly installed Pro Tools on a supported system.
Windows users should check their chipset for compatibility. Mac users
should check their version of Mac OS X for compatibility with the installed
Pro Tools system. Current compatibility information can be found on the
Digidesign website at http://www.digidesign.com/compatibility.

Pro Tools Session Fails to Open

If Pro Tools launches successfully, but you are unable to create or open a
session due to the following error, “X: (your hard drive) could not be
designated as an Audio Record Volume,” and if you cannot change the
drive in the Workspace browser, you may need to delete your databases
and preferences.

Sometimes a session or affiliated file can become corrupt. If deleting the

databases and preferences does not solve an issue when opening a
session, then try to create a copy of the session instead.

To do this, simply use the File > Save Copy In (or “Save Session Copy In”
in older versions of Pro Tools) to save a copy of the session and all audio
files (be sure to check the All Audio Files box in the dialog box). Copying
all fade files is unnecessary, and this option should be left unchecked if
possible. Pro Tools maintains an index of each fade in the session file
itself, and rebuilding these fades may help resolve any session corruption.

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Incompatible plug-ins can also have an adverse effect on your sessions.
Be sure to check the compatibility of all third-party plug-ins installed on
your system through the individual plug-in manufacturer. Check for
operating system, platform, and Pro Tools compatibility and update
accordingly. You can also try moving all third-party plug-ins from the Plug-
ins folder in order to determine whether or not the problem is due to an
incompatible plug-in.

On Mac:
1. Open the Mac HD/Library/Application Support/Plug-ins folder.
2. Move all third-party plug-ins to the Mac HD/Library/Application
Support/Plug-ins (Unused) folder

On Windows XP:
1. Open the My Computer\C:\Program Files\Common
Files\Digidesign\DAE\Plug-Ins folder.
2. Move all third-party plug-ins to the My Computer\C:\Program
Files\Common Files\Digidesign\DAE\Plug-Ins (Unused) folder.

On Windows Vista:
1. Open the Computer\C:\Program Files\Common
Files\Digidesign\DAE\Plug-Ins folder.
2. Move all third-party plug-ins to the Computer\C:\Program
Files\Common Files\Digidesign\DAE\Plug-Ins (Unused) folder.

If the problem persists, you can move your plug-ins back to the original
Plug-ins folder. If the problem goes away, you can determine the
problematic plug-ins by moving back half of the plug-ins and launching
Pro Tools again. Repeat this process until you can no longer successfully
open a session.

Note: If your version of Pro Tools is incompatible with your computer’s

operating system, you may experience a variety of errors, including the
computer rebooting unexpectedly, the audio interface not being
recognized, or the inability to designate a drive as an Audio Record
Volume. For information on what version of Pro Tools is required for your
computer’s operating system, please see the compatibility pages on the
Digidesign website at http://www.digidesign.com/compatibility.

Page 22
The Tech Support Folder
Pro Tools 8 installs a Tech Support folder that contains useful applications
that can greatly speed up the preceding processes.

Tech Support Utility

Inside the Tech Support folder is a Tech Support Utility that allows you to
quickly delete databases and preferences, move plug-ins to and from the
Plug-ins (Unused) folder, and verify Plug-in compatibility.

This Tech Support folder is installed onto your hard drive after you install
Pro Tools or can be downloaded from the Digidesign website at
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?navid=54&itemid=25974.

To locate the Tech Support folder on your hard drive:

Mac OS X:
Mac HD/Applications/Digidesign/Pro Tools/Pro Tools Utilities/Tech Support
(folder)

Windows XP:
My Computer\C:\Program Files\Common Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools\Pro
Tools Utilities\Tech Support

Windows Vista:
Computer\C:\Program Files\Common Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools\Pro Tools
Utilities\Tech Support

For more information, see the Tech Support Utility Read Me.

Troubleshooting Sessions

Also included in the Tech Support folder is the Troubleshooting Sessions

folder. This folder contains diagnostic test sessions for analog, MIDI, and
digital I/O. If you believe you are having an I/O-related issue, these
sessions are a great way to test your hardware. Before running any of the
tests, be sure to read the included Troubleshooting Sessions PDF.

Page 23
Appendix A
About the Digidesign Audio Engine (DAE)
H/W Buffer

DAE acts like a translator and manager for Pro Tools tasks, which include
reading and writing automation, RTAS® processing, voice allocation, and
graphic redraws. In general, the H/W Buffer is like a “traffic cop” for these
tasks, and controls the buffer time, in samples, allocated for their
processing. For instance, if the H/W Buffer Size is set to 512 samples (in
the Playback Engine dialog) at a sample rate of 44.1 kHz, then the buffer
is effectively 12 milliseconds (see the formula below).

1 Second
----------------- X H/W Buffer Size (samples) = H/W Buffer Size (milliseconds)
Sample Rate

In this example, every 12 milliseconds the buffer is being filled (like filling a
bucket with water) with various information; such as audio for RTAS plug-
in processing, graphics redraws, and automation handling. RTAS
processing takes priority of these tasks, and both the data to be sent to the
plug-in, as well as the returned and affected audio, are stored in the buffer
for that 12 milliseconds. At the end of the buffer period, the result of all the
information that was sent out is read by DAE.

Pro Tools|HD® systems process I/O, the software mixer, and other
Pro Tools operation processing on dedicated DSP chips on Pro Tools|HD
cards. For Pro Tools LE systems, these processes are using the same
buffer period as RTAS processing, and the host CPU is running more
calculations to complete these tasks in the given buffer period: this is why
the H/W Buffer Size setting directly affects latency in LE systems. A
general rule of thumb for best performance with Pro Tools LE, deactivate
any unnecessary plug-ins when recording and set the H/W Buffer Size in
the Playback Engine dialog as low as possible (until you run into DAE
errors). When monitoring a live input is not required, the H/W Buffer Size
setting can be increased in the Playback Engine dialog and any
deactivated plug-ins can be reactivated.

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DAE Errors

So what happens if the buffer time allotted is not enough to complete the
processing? That is when DAE will start to report buffer errors. Since there
is not enough time to complete the needed processing, DAE has two
options: it either ignores the error or it stops the transport and reports the
error. Under normal operation, there is no margin of tolerance, and buffer
errors appear even if there is a single dropped sample (more on this later).
If the RTAS Error Suppression option is enabled in the Pro Tools Playback
Engine dialog, then this margin is widened (but at the risk of compromising
audio quality!).

CPU Usage

The CPU Usage Limit setting (set in the Playback Engine dialog)
determines the percent of overall buffer time (per processor) that can be
used for RTAS processing. So, if you set the CPU usage limit to 85%, then
10.2 milliseconds (85% of 12 ms) is the total allowable time for processing
to take place and the remaining 1.8 ms is dedicated to other processing
tasks. Once the 12 ms buffer period has ended, if the time allotted was not
enough for the all the processing tasks, the results are sent to DAE, which
stops playback and reports a buffer error (–9128) prompting you to
increase the Buffer Size or the CPU Usage Limit. If all RTAS processing
took less than 10.2 ms, then the audio is passed to DAE for playback and
the buffer is cleared and refilled for another round.

RTAS Processing

For some single-processor systems with FireWire interfaces, there is an

option to increase the CPU usage limit to 99%. While this may help RTAS
processing, it may result in another error. If the RTAS processing is using
almost all the available buffer (11.88 ms, in this case), then that leaves
less than a millisecond for all other tasks to complete their processing. For
FireWire drivers, this can result in constant –6097 errors and loss of
communication with the interface. For single-processor computers, it is
best to alleviate some of the RTAS processing (by deactivating some
RTAS plug-ins or using non-real-time AudioSuite™ plug-ins where
appropriate) and set the CPU usage limit to something more manageable.
For multi-processor computers, you may achieve better performance by
setting the number of processors to 1 instead of 2 (or 3 instead of 4). This
dedicates the number of selected processors entirely to RTAS processing
while freeing the other available processors to run other tasks, such as
system operation.

Page 25
If you are noticing issues related to timing when recording or playing back
MIDI, late mute and plug-in automation, slow graphic redraws, or
monitoring latency, setting the H/W Buffer Size to a lower sample size can
help alleviate those timing issues at the cost of RTAS plug-in count. If you
are noticing these errors in addition to –9128 errors, changing the CPU
Usage limit should decrease the DAE errors, but not affect session
performance and latency. As always, it is all about balance—you may
need to experiment to find the happy medium where all your current
session needs are met.

Page 26
Appendix B
Common DAE Errors and What They Mean
This section of the guide is a compilation of the most common DAE errors,
by related category and error number. We have provided some Quick Tips
to help you troubleshoot these errors, but this is assuming you've already
completed the related optimizations for your computer from the Getting
Started Guide.

Automation

• –9155 ("Automation is too dense. Try thinning automation data.")

Quick Tips:
• If you have a computer with multiple processors, set the RTAS
Processors option in the Playback Engine dialog to fewer than the
total number of available processors (this may decrease RTAS
performance).
• Try Thinning Automation data, especially if automation was written
using a control surface (fader movements create many more break-
points than mouse-drawn automation).
• If you have all Plug-in automation enabled by default, try turning this
option off and only enable those parameters you need to automate.

Bounce To Disk

• –9131 ("Bounce Handler can't keep up with audio from disk" when
selecting Convert After Bounce)\
• –9132 ("Bounce Handler can't keep up with audio from disk" when
selecting Convert After Bounce)
• –9133 ("Bounce Handler can't keep up with audio from disk" when
selecting Convert During Bounce)
• –9139 ("Bounce Handler can't keep up with audio from disk" when
selecting Convert During Bounce)

Quick Tips:
• Try Bouncing to a different hard drive, select Convert After Bounce,
Consolidate Regions with multiple edits, and record disk-based
effects and instruments to their own audio track instead of streaming
from the disk.

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 • Consider allocating audio source files to separate hard drives (if
available) in large track-count sessions (see Hard Drive Recording
Information).
• Thinning automation on automation-heavy sessions may also help
avoid these errors.
• Try closing any open windows (including open windows in other
applications) before bouncing to save a little extra processing
required by the graphics card, especially for laptops.

Disk Related

• –9019 ("DAE is having trouble keeping up, disk may be too slow or
fragmented.")
• –9073 ("DAE can't get audio from the disk fast enough. Your disk
may be too slow or fragmented. A FireWire disk could be having
trouble due to the extra FireWire bandwidth or CPU load.")
• –9093 ("DAE is unable to complete this operation. The disk may
either be too slow or too fragmented.")

Quick Tips:
• If you are recording to your internal drive, try moving your session
and all audio files to a dedicated audio drive. USB drives are not
supported at the time of this writing.
• If you are using an external drive, make sure that it meets the
required drive specifications (see
• Hard Drive Considerations).
• If your hard drive is full or has not been defragmented recently,
defragment it. You may also want to back it up onto a fresh drive or
partition to secure your data (this will also defragment the data).
• Drives that exceed 200 GB should be partitioned into multiple
volumes. If your session is streaming audio from multiple partitions
of a single physical drive, the source files should be consolidated
onto a single partition or across multiple physical drives.
• If you are chaining your interface to your drive or vice versa, move
one or the other to its own dedicated FireWire bus. If an additional
FireWire bus is not available, consider adding more using a PCI
FireWire card (for an current list of supported PCI FireWire cards,
please visit our website at http://www.digidesign.com/compatibility).

Page 28
FireWire Interface / Driver Specific

• –6006 ("DAE error 6006 was encountered.")

• –6085 ("Audio device buffer underflowed. If this occurs frequently
please try increasing the H/W Buffer Size in the Playback Engine
Panel or remove other devices from audio FireWire bus.")
• –6093 ("The operating system held off interrupts for too long. If this
occurs frequently, try increasing the "H/W Buffer Size" in the
Playback Engine panel.")

Quick Tips:
• FireWire communication requires an uninterrupted connection using
the FireWire driver. Sometimes using unsupported FireWire PCI
cards or chaining the interface to another FireWire device can cause
a halt in communication. Ensure that your interface is connected
directly to a built-in port on the motherboard of your computer or a
supported PCI card, and disconnect all other FireWire peripherals.
• If you have a FireWire hard drive with a supported Oxford 911, 912,
or 924 chipset, then you can successfully chain your interface to the
secondary FireWire port of the drive (if available). Please note that it
is recommended to connect both devices to their own FireWire bus
on the motherboard of the computer, if possible.
• Disabling devices like Airport and Bluetooth, as well as all Network
Adapters, can free up processing needed for FireWire
communication.
• Under no circumstances should you use a FireWire hub or
secondary connection (such as the Apple Cinema Display) to
connect your FireWire interface.
• In addition, disabling background services and applications can help.
• If you have a dual-processor computer, then free up one (or more) of
the processors for FireWire processing in the Playback Engine (this
may limit your RTAS performance).
• If you are using Pro Tools M-Powered, be sure that you have the
latest drivers for your FireWire device (visit http://www.m-audio.com
and go to the Support > Drivers and Updates section for downloads).
You can run most M-Audio interfaces from the power supplied via
the FireWire bus. Try removing the supplied power adapter from
your interface, if connected (unless using a laptop).

Page 29
USB Interface/Driver Specific:

• –9136 ("CPU usage is holding off USB audio. Remove some plug-
ins, delete some tracks, or increase the "H/W Buffer Size" in the
Playback Engine dialog.")

Quick Tips:
• A must for any Windows PC is to check your chipset. You can do
this by running the Digidesign Pro Tools System Analyzer. This utility
will scan your Windows PC and report if your system has any known
incompatibilities with specific Pro Tools systems and then suggest
what should be in your system instead. The Digidesign Pro Tools
System Analyzer is available on our website at
http://www.digidesign.com.

The Digidesign Pro Tools System Analyzer will check for all known
system incompatibilities including chipset. The chipset of a computer
handles information from the USB bus to the processor (as well as
other tasks) and can potentially cause major errors if incompatible.
Compare your chipset against those we list specifically as tested on
our website at http://www.digidesign.com/compatibility. If your
chipset is not listed, then USB performance cannot be guaranteed.
• In addition, make sure you are not chaining your interface to a hub
or other USB peripheral, as all devices need to be connected directly
to the computer's built-in USB port.
• On certain laptops (both Mac and PC), only one USB port is qualified
for use with USB interfaces—make sure you check our website for
specific information on a supported system.
• Configure the power settings on your computer. On Mac, set your
Energy Saver options for Computer and Display Sleep to “Never”
and uncheck “Put the Hard Disk(s) to sleep when possible.” On
Windows XP computers, be sure your Power Management scheme
is set to “Always On.” On Windows Vista computers, Power Plans
must be set to “High Performance”.
• On Windows XP and Windows Vista, try disabling Power
Management of the USB Root Hub. To do this, open the Device
Manager and expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers list. Right-
click on the first USB Root Hub and select Properties. Under the
Power Management tab, uncheck the box for “Allow the computer to
turn off this device to save power.” Repeat this step for all listed USB
Root Hubs.

Page 30
 • Sometimes other USB peripherals can cause interrupts in USB
traffic to and from the interface. Remove all such devices except the
mouse and keyboard. This includes wireless devices, USB modems,
and hubs. If performance does not improve, make sure that devices
like Airport and Bluetooth and any Network Adapter have been
disabled.
• Under no circumstances should you use a USB hub or secondary
connection (such as the Apple Cinema Display) to connect your USB
interface.

RAM Related

• –9006 ("The plug-in could not be made active because a DAE error
was encountered")

Quick Tips:
• Install more RAM into your system.
• Try "printing" (bus recording) any instrument plug-in to an audio
track, then disable the plug-in.
• Deactivate RTAS plug-ins. If you wish to keep the RTAS effect on an
audio track without sacrificing CPU usage, you can use AudioSuite
plug-ins with duplicate Playlists. To do this, copy the parameters of
your RTAS plug-in and duplicate the current Playlist. Deactivate the
plug-in (Command-Control-click for Mac or Control-Start-click for
Windows on the plug-in name in the insert). Paste the settings to the
AudioSuite version of that plug-in (when available) to process the
effect down to the duplicate Playlist. If you need to edit the effect
later, you can simply switch back to the original Playlist and
reactivate the RTAS plug-in.

RTAS Processing

• –6031 ("You are running out of CPU power. Remove some RTAS
Plug-ins or decrease the CPU Usage Limit in the Playback Engine
Dialog.")
• –9128 ("You are running out of CPU power. Remove some RTAS
Plug-ins or increase the CPU Usage Limit in the Playback Engine
Dialog.")

Page 31
Quick Tips:
• Try increasing the H/W Buffer Size in the Playback Engine dialog to
allow more time for RTAS processing.
• Make sure no other applications or background services are using
valuable CPU cycles.
• Consolidate multiple effects, such as reverbs, to a dedicated bus
and Auxiliary Input track, and bypass plug-in settings that are not
being used (such as EQ bands).
• If you wish to keep the effect on an audio track without sacrificing
CPU usage, follow the steps below:
• Deactivate RTAS plug-ins. You use the method described above to
process the effect to an audio track without sacrificing CPU usage.

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