Getting Started with Mbox

Version 6.7 for LE Systems on Windows or Macintosh

Digidesign
2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard
Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA
tel: 650·731·6300
fax: 650·731·6399

Technical Support (USA)

tel: 650·731·6100
fax: 650·731·6384

Product Information (USA)

tel: 650·731·6102
tel: 800·333·2137

International Offices
Visit the Digidesign Web site
for contact information

Web Site
www.digidesign.com
Copyright If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the
This guide is copyrighted ©2004 by Digidesign, a division of equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try and correct
Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights the interference by one or more of the following measures:
reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be • Reorient or locate the receiving antenna.
duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of • Increase the separation between the equipment and
Digidesign. receiver.
DIGIDESIGN, AVID and PRO TOOLS are trademarks or • Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different
registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology, from that to which the receiver is connected.
Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective • Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician
owners. for help.
Product features, specifications, system requirements, and Any modifications to the unit, unless expressly approved by
availability are subject to change without notice. Digidesign, could void the user's authority to operate the
PN 932014039-00 REV A 09/04 equipment.

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
Canadian Compliance Statement:
We Digidesign,
2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard, Suite 200 This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-
003.
Daly City, CA 94014 USA
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme
tel: 650-731-6300 NMB-003 du Canada.
declare under our sole responsibility that the product
Mbox
Australian Compliance
complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules.
Current Consumption 500mA
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this
device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device
must accept any interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply

with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 European Compliance
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation.
contents

Chapter 1. Welcome to Mbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Mbox Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Mbox Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Pro Tools LE Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Digidesign Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
About the Pro Tools Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
About www.digidesign.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 2. Windows Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Windows System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Installing Pro Tools LE and Mbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Optional Software on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Launching Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Configuring Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Removing Pro Tools on Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Chapter 3. Macintosh Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Apple System Settings for Mac OS X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Installing Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Optional Software on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Connecting Mbox to the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Launching Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Configuring Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Removing Pro Tools on Mac OS X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Contents iii
 Chapter 4. Mbox Hardware and Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Mbox Front Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Mbox Back Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Making Signal Connections to Mbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Connecting a Recorder for Mixdowns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
MIDI Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Chapter 5. Working with Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Session Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Transport Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Regions Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Navigating in a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Importing Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Basic Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Editing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Mix Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Final Mixdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Appendix A. Windows System Optimizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Advanced Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Appendix B. Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Compatible Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Installing the ASIO Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Removing the ASIO Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Configuring ASIO Driver Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

iv Getting Started with Mbox

Appendix C. Digidesign WaveDriver (Windows Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Installing the WaveDriver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Removing the WaveDriver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Configuring WaveDriver for QuickTime Player (Required for Using iTunes). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Configuring WaveDriver for Windows Media Player and Other Third-Party WaveDriver Programs 69
Adding Third Party Applications to the WaveDriver Opt-In List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Appendix D. Digidesign CoreAudio Driver (Macintosh Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
What are the Limitations of the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Installing the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Removing the CoreAudio Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Configuring the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Appendix E. Configuring Midi Studio Setup (Windows Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

MIDI Studio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Patch Name Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Appendix F. Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Audio MIDI Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Patch Name Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Contents v
vi Getting Started with Mbox
chapter 1

Welcome to Mbox

Welcome to Mbox, Digidesign’s portable

Pro Tools micro-studio, designed in collabora- Mbox Features
tion with Focusrite.
The Mbox desktop audio interface provides the
Mbox provides your USB-equipped computer following:
with two channels of analog and digital audio • Two analog audio inputs with Focusrite mi-
input and output, employing professional-qual- crophone preamps and switchable 48V phan-
ity mic preamps and 24-bit analog-to-digital tom power
and digital-to-analog converters.
• Analog input jacks that accept both XLR and
1/4-inch (TRS) connectors, and are switchable
between Mic, Line, and Instrument levels
Mbox Package • Two channels of S/PDIF digital input and out-
The Mbox package includes the following: put

• Mbox desktop audio interface • Two analog monitor outputs

• Installer CD-ROMs containing Pro Tools LE • 24-bit A/D and D/A converters, supporting
software, DigiRack RTAS (Real-Time Audio- sample rates of 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz
Suite) and AudioSuite plug-ins, optional soft- • Zero-latency analog record monitoring with
ware, and electronic PDF guides adjustable balance between input and play-
• This Getting Started with Mbox Guide, which in- back
cludes instructions for installing and config- • Mono switch for summing the input signal
uring Mbox, and an introduction to with the monitor mix
Pro Tools LE software • Analog 1/4-inch TRS insert on each input
• The Mbox Basics Guide, designed to give new • 1/4-inch (TRS) or 1/8-inch stereo headphone
users specific methods for accomplishing output with adjustable level control
common tasks (such as getting sound in and
out of your Mbox, connecting a mic or instru- • USB-powered operation
ment, and recording a session)
Mbox will not function properly if connected
• USB connector cable to a USB hub. If you need to use a hub for
• Digidesign registration card other USB peripherals, use a separate dedi-
cated USB port for Mbox to function properly.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox 1

 Pro Tools LE Capabilities System Requirements
Pro Tools LE software provides the following ca- Mbox can be used with a Digidesign-qualified
pabilities with Mbox: Windows or Macintosh computer running
• Playback up to 32 mono digital audio Pro Tools LE software.
tracks, and playback up to 30 tracks while
For complete system requirements, visit the
recording up to 2 tracks, depending on
compatibility page of the Digidesign Web site
your computer’s capabilities.
(www.Digidesign.com/compato).
• Sessions can include up to 128 audio tracks
(with 32 voiceable tracks maximum), 256 Compatibility Information
MIDI tracks, 128 Auxiliary Input tracks,
and 64 Master Fader tracks. Digidesign can only assure compatibility and
• 16-bit or 24-bit audio resolution, at sample provide support for hardware and software it
rates up to 48 kHz. has tested and approved.

• Nonlinear, random-access editing and mix For a list of Digidesign-qualified computers, op-
automation. erating systems, hard drives, and third-party de-
• Audio processing with up to 5 RTAS plug- vices, refer to the latest compatibility informa-
ins per track, depending on your com- tion on the Digidesign Web site
puter’s capabilities. (www.digidesign.com/compato) .
• Up to 5 inserts and 5 sends per track
• Up to 16 internal mix busses. MIDI Requirements
Pro Tools LE uses your computer’s CPU to USB MIDI interfaces work effectively with
mix and process audio tracks (host process- Pro Tools systems on Windows or Macintosh.
ing). Computers with faster clock speeds Serial MIDI interfaces are supported on Win-
yield higher track counts and more plug-in dows systems only.
processing.
Only USB MIDI interfaces are compatible
with Pro Tools systems for Mac OS X. Mo-
dem-to-serial port adapters and serial MIDI
devices are not supported.

For a list of supported adapters, refer to the Digi-

design Web site (www.digidesign.com).

2 Getting Started with Mbox

Hard Drive Considerations Avoid Recording to System Drives
Although Pro Tools LE will let you record to
Hard Drive Configuration and
your system drive, this is generally not recom-
Maintenance
mended. Recording and playback on system
It is recommended that you start with a newly drives results in lower track counts and fewer
initialized audio drive. You should also periodi- plug-ins.
cally defragment your audio drive to ensure
continued system performance. Hard Disk Storage Space
For a list of qualified hard drives, see our Mono audio tracks recorded with 16-bit resolu-
Web site (www.digidesign.com/compato). tion at 44.1 kHz (CD quality) require approxi-
mately 5 MB of hard disk space per minute.
If you are using an ATA/IDE or FireWire hard
drive, initialize your drive with Windows Disk The same tracks recorded with 24-bit resolution
Management (Windows) or the Disk Utility ap- require about 7.5 MB per minute. Table 2 lists
plication included with Apple System software the required disk space for certain track num-
(Macintosh). bers and track lengths, to help you estimate
your hard disk usage.

Table 2 lists the required disk space for certain

track numbers and track lengths, to help you es-
timate your hard disk usage.

Table 2. Required hard drive space for audio tracks

Number of tracks and length 16-bit at 16-bit at 24-bit at 24-bit at

44.1 kHz 48 kHz 44.1 kHz 48 kHz

1 mono track, 1 minute 5 MB 5.5 MB 7.5 MB 8.2 MB

1 stereo track (or two mono 50 MB 55 MB 75 MB 83 MB

tracks), 5 minutes

1 stereo track (or two mono 600 MB 662 MB 900 MB 991 MB

tracks), 60 minutes

24 mono tracks, 5 minutes 600 MB 662 MB 900 MB 991 MB

24 mono tracks, 60 minutes 7 GB 7.8 GB 10.5 GB 11.6 GB

32 mono tracks, 5 minutes 800 MB 883 MB 1.2 GB 1.3 GB

32 mono tracks, 60 minutes 9.4 GB 10.4 GB 14 GB 15.4 GB

Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox 3

 For additional information, see the following
Digidesign Registration online guides:

Complete and return the registration card in- • Pro Tools Reference Guide explains Pro Tools LE
cluded with your Pro Tools Mbox system. Regis- software in detail.
tered users will receive periodic software update • Pro Tools Menus Guide covers all the Pro Tools
and upgrade notices. Refer to the registration on-screen menus.
card for information on technical support.
• DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide explains how to use
the RTAS and AudioSuite plug-ins included
with Pro Tools LE.
About the Pro Tools Guides • Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide explains how to use
The Getting Started with Mbox Guide explains optional Digidesign plug-ins.
how to install and use Mbox to record, edit, and • DigiBase Guide provides details on using
mix audio and MIDI tracks in Pro Tools LE. Pro Tools DigiBase databasing and browsers
for data and media management.
If you are new to working with digital worksta-
tions, it is recommended that you read the fol- • Pro Tools Keyboard Shortcuts lists keyboard
lowing: shortcuts for Pro Tools LE.

• Mbox Basics Guide provides simple steps for PDF versions of the Pro Tools guides are in-
how to get sound in and out of your Mbox, stalled automatically with Pro Tools LE, and are
connect a microphone or instrument, record accessible from the Pro Tools Help menu (Win-
to a Pro Tools session, import audio from a dows), or the Pro Tools menu (Macintosh). To
CD, create an audio CD from a Pro Tools ses- view or print the PDF guides, you can install Ac-
sion, and other topics. robat Reader (included on the Pro Tools LE In-
staller CD-ROM).

Printed copies of the Pro Tools LE Guide set

(including the Pro Tools Reference Guide)
can be purchased separately from the
DigiStore (www.digidesign.com).

4 Getting Started with Mbox

Conventions Used in This Guide
About www.digidesign.com
Digidesign guides use the following conven-
tions to indicate menu choices and key com- The Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com)
mands: is your best source for information to help you
: get the most out of your Pro Tools system. The
Convention Action following are just a few of the services and fea-
tures available.
File > Save Session Choose Save Session from
the File menu Support Contact Digidesign Technical Support
or Customer Service; download software up-
Control+N Hold down the Control key
and press the N key dates and the latest online manuals; browse the
Compatibility documents for system require-
Control-click Hold down the Control key ments; search the online Answerbase; join the
and click the mouse button
worldwide Pro Tools community on the Digi-
Right-click (Windows) Click with the right mouse design User Conference.
button
Training and Education Become a certified
The following symbols are used to highlight im- Pro Tools Operator or Expert; study on your
portant information: own using courses available online, or find out
how you can learn in a classroom setting at a
User Tips are helpful hints for getting the certified Pro Tools Training Center.
most from your Pro Tools system.
Products and Developers Learn about Digidesign
products; download demo software; learn about
Important Notices include information that
our Development Partners and their plug-ins,
could affect your data or the performance of
applications, and hardware.
your system.
News and Events Get the latest news from Digi-
design; sign up for a Pro Tools demo.
Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or
mouse shortcuts. To learn more about these and other resources
available from Digidesign, visit the Digidesign
Cross References point to related sections in Web site (www.digidesign.com).
other Digidesign guides.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox 5

6 Getting Started with Mbox
chapter 2

Windows Configuration

This chapter contains information for Windows

systems only. If you are installing Pro Tools on a Windows System Settings
Macintosh computer, see Chapter 3, “Macin-
Configure your Window system settings, as fol-
tosh Configuration.”
lows:
Before installing this version of Pro Tools, Required Settings These instructions must be
please refer to the Read Me information in- followed before installing Pro Tools.
cluded on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM.
Recommended Configuration These instructions
should be followed to optimize your system’s
Installation Overview capabilities, or to let older computers run
Pro Tools.
Installing the Mbox on a Windows computer in-
cludes the following steps: If problems occur after configuring all re-
quired and recommended settings, see
1 Configuring “Windows System Settings” on
Appendix A, “Windows System Optimiza-
page 7.
tions” for information on troubleshooting
2 “Installing Pro Tools LE and Mbox” on page 9. and configuring advanced settings.

3 Restarting your computer.

Required Settings
4 “Configuring Pro Tools LE” on page 12.
To ensure optimum performance with
5 Making audio connections to the Mbox. (See Pro Tools LE, configure the following Control
Chapter 4, “Mbox Hardware and Connections” Panel settings for your version of Windows XP.
for details.)
Disable Hyper-Threading
For Pentium IV computers with Hyper-Thread-
ing, disable Hyper-Threading in the BIOS.

Refer to your computer’s documentation for

steps on how to enter your computer’s BIOS and
disable Hyper-Threading.

Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 7

 Enable DMA for any IDE hard drives: This sets System Standby, System Hibernate,
and “Turn off hard disks” to Never.
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

2 Launch System. Disable ClearType Font Smoothing

3 Click the Hardware tab.
When using Pro Tools, the Effects “Clear Type”
4 Under Device Manager, choose Device Man- setting must be disabled.
ager.
To disable ClearType font smoothing:
5 In the Device Manager window, double-click
IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, then double-click 1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
the Primary IDE Channel for your IDE hard 2 Launch Display.
drive.
3 Click the Appearance tab.
6 Click the Advanced Settings tab.
4 Click Effects.
7 For each device, set the Transfer Mode to
“DMA if available,” and click OK. 5 Deselect “Use the following methods to
smooth edges of screen fonts.”
In most cases, this will already be set correctly as
6 Click OK to save your settings and close the
Windows XP will detect and activate DMA
Effects dialog.
mode by default.
7 Click OK.
8 Repeat steps 5–7 for any additional IDE Chan-
nels.
Completing Required Windows System
9 Close the Computer Management window. Settings

Disable System Standby and Power When finished updating required Windows sys-
Management tem settings, restart your computer.

When using Pro Tools, the Windows System

Standby power scheme must be set to Always
On. This helps prevent long record or playback
passes from stopping due to system resources
powering down.

To configure Windows Power Management:

1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

2 Launch Power Options.

3 Click the Power Schemes tab.

4 From the Power Schemes pop-up menu, select

Always On.

5 Click OK.

8 Getting Started with Mbox

Recommended Configuration 4 Connect the other end of the USB cable to any
available USB port on your computer. Wait for
Pro Tools LE can also be affected by other soft- the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog to ap-
ware and hardware drivers installed on your pear and leave it open: Do not click Next.
computer. For best possible performance, it is
recommended (but not required) that you: Mbox may not function properly if con-
• Avoid running other Windows programs at nected to a USB hub. If you need to use a
the same time as Pro Tools. hub for other USB peripherals, connect the
• Turn off any software utilities that run in hub to a separate USB port; Mbox must
the background, such as Windows Messen- have a dedicated port in order to function
ger, calendars, and disk maintenance pro- properly.
grams.
5 Insert the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM for
• Turn off any non-essential USB devices Windows in your CD-ROM drive. Locate and
while using Pro Tools. open the Pro Tools Installer folder, and double-
• If your video display card supports it, en- click the Setup icon.
able Bus Mastering in the manufacturer’s
6 Click Next to begin installation.
Control Panel.
• Disable any networking cards (other than 7 Select the components you want to install and
any 1394 “FireWire” card that you might click Next.
use to connect an external drive to your
system). If you get a warning dialog about the driver
not passing Windows Logo testing, click
For information on disabling networking Continue Anyway.
cards, see “Disabling Network Cards” on
8 Wait for the installer to finish installing all
page 61.
software components, drivers, and PACE System
files before proceeding to the next step.

Installing Pro Tools LE and 9 Click Quit when prompted to install Quick-
Mbox Time. If required, you can install QuickTime
later (see “Installing QuickTime” on page 10).
To install Pro Tools LE on Windows: 10 Restart your computer.
1 Make sure you have configured all the re-
quired Windows system settings, and restarted If the USB LED on the front panel of the
your computer. See“Windows System Settings” Mbox does not illuminate after installation,
on page 7 for more information. try unplugging the USB cable from the
Mbox USB port, and plugging it back in. If
2 Start up Windows, logging in with Adminis- the USB LED still does not illuminate, shut
trator privileges. If you do not have Administra- down the computer, disconnect Mbox and
tor privileges or do not know how to set them start the computer. Once the computer has
up, see your Windows User’s Guide. fully restarted, reconnect Mbox.
3 Connect the small end of the included USB ca-
ble to the USB port on Mbox.

Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 9

 MIDI Studio Setup 5 Follow the on-screen instructions:

(Optional) • Disconnect Mbox from the USB port of the

computer.
If you plan to use any MIDI devices with • Reconnect Mbox to the USB port of the
Pro Tools, configure your MIDI setup with MIDI computer. The new firmware will be up-
Studio Setup. See Appendix E, “Configuring loaded to the Mbox.
Midi Studio Setup (Windows Only)” for details.
• Disconnect and reconnect Mbox.

Installing QuickTime 6 Click OK.

(Optional) If all the lights stay on after you update the

firmware, run the firmware update again. If
QuickTime 6.5 or later is required for Pro Tools
the lights will not go out, contact Digi-
if you plan to include movie files in your ses-
design Technical Support. (Refer to the reg-
sions. QuickTime is available as a free download
istration card for information on technical
from the Apple Web site (www.apple.com).
support.)

Updating Mbox Firmware

Firmware version 2.0 or later is required to use Optional Software on the
Mbox on Windows XP. Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM
Before Mbox firmware can be updated, Your Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM includes sev-
Pro Tools LE software must be installed eral software options.
and Mbox must be connected to your com-
puter. Digidesign ASIO Driver
To check and update the firmware on Mbox: The Digidesign ASIO (Audio Sound Input Out-
put) Driver is a single-client multichannel
1 Make sure Pro Tools is installed and the Mbox
sound driver that allows third-party audio pro-
is connected to the computer.
grams that support the ASIO standard to record
2 Double-click on MboxFirmwareUpdater.exe. and play back through Digidesign hardware.
In Local Disk (C:\Program Files\Digidesign\
Pro Tools\Pro Tools Utilities.)

3 To check the firmware version currently on

Mbox, click the Start button in the Mbox Firm-
ware Update window. The window displays the
version number of the firmware that the Mbox
is currently using.

4 Click Start to begin the firmware upgrade pro-

cess.

10 Getting Started with Mbox

Digidesign ASIO Driver is automatically in- Pro Tools Demo Session
stalled when you install Pro Tools.
The Pro Tools LE Installer CD includes a demo
For detailed information on configuring the session that you can use to verify that your sys-
Digidesign ASIO Driver, see Appendix B, tem is working.
“Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only).”
Before installing the demo session to your
audio drive, make sure the drive is config-
To use Digidesign ASIO Driver without ured as described in “Formatting an Audio
Pro Tools, use the stand-alone version of Drive” on page 16.
the Digidesign ASIO Driver. The stand-
alone version of Digidesign ASIO Driver is To install the demo session:
available on the Digidesign Web site
1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer CD in your
(www.digidesign.com)
CD-ROM drive. Locate and double-click
Setup.exe, in D (CD-ROM drive):\Additional
Digidesign WaveDriver Files\Pro Tools LE Demo Session Installer.
The Digidesign WaveDriver is a single-client, 2 Set the install location to your audio drive and
multichannel sound driver that allows third- click Install.
party audio programs that support the
3 When installation is complete, click OK.
WaveDriver MME (Multimedia Extensions)
standard to play back through Digidesign hard-
ware. MacOpener
Digidesign WaveDriver is automatically in- MacOpener 6.0.5 and higher lets you mount
stalled when you install Pro Tools. HFS/HFS+ drives on a Windows-based Pro Tools
system, as a Transfer drive.
For detailed information on configuring the
Digidesign WaveDriver, see Appendix C, Transfer drives can be used for storage, but
“Digidesign WaveDriver (Windows not for playback or recording.
Only).”

The MacDrive utility can be used instead of

To use Digidesign WaveDriver without MacOpener. For more information about
Pro Tools, use the stand-alone version of MacDrive, visit the Mediafour Web site
the Digidesign WaveDriver. The stand- (www.mediafour.com).
alone version of Digidesign WaveDriver is
available on the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com)

Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 11

 To share Pro Tools sessions between Macintosh 7 Choose Start > Programs > MacOpener >
and Windows systems, select the “Enforce Mac Lic.exe. When installation is complete,
Mac/PC Compatibility” option when creating close the installer.
the session, or when saving a session copy to a
Windows audio drive formatted using NTFS or All formatting and maintenance of
FAT32. HFS/HFS+ drives should be carried out
when the drive is connected to a Macintosh.
Avoid using MacOpener on HFS-formatted
drives. It is recommended that you use Mac-
For more information about MacOpener
Opener on NTFS or FAT32 drives instead.
and its performance limitations, see the
To move material from HFS-formatted
Pro Tools Reference Guide.
drives to NTFS or FAT32 drives, use the
Save Session Copy In command in
Pro Tools.
Launching Pro Tools LE
While SDII files can be exported or con- When launching Pro Tools LE the first time, you
verted on import, they cannot be used are prompted to enter an authorization code to
within Pro Tools sessions on Windows. validate your software.

To install and configure the MacOpener demo To validate Pro Tools LE software:
included with Pro Tools:
1 Double-click the Pro Tools LE shortcut on
1 Insert the Pro Tools Installer CD into your CD- your desktop (or the application in the Pro Tools
ROM drive. folder inside the Digidesign folder).
2 Locate and double-click the MacOpener in- 2 Enter the authorization code in the dialog
staller file in the MacOpener Demo folder lo- (making sure to type it exactly as printed, and
cated at D (CD-ROM drive):\Additional observing any spaces and capitalization), then
Files\MacOpener Demo Installer. Follow the on- click Validate.
screen instructions to install the MacOpener. Af-
ter installation is complete, restart your com- Your authorization code is located on the inside
puter. cover of this guide.

3 Choose Start > Programs > MacOpener >

MacOpener Driver Preferences.
Configuring Pro Tools LE
4 Verify that the MacOpener Driver is enabled.
Under Driver Settings, select “Enable Mac-
Opener Driver.” Pro Tools System Settings
5 Under Extension Mapping, select “Do not add Pro Tools LE lets you adjust the performance of
the PC extension to the Mac file name.” your system by changing system settings that af-
fect its capacity for processing, playback, and re-
6 Click OK to quit the MacOpener Driver Pref-
cording
erences.

12 Getting Started with Mbox

In most cases, the default settings for your sys- CPU Usage Limit
tem provide optimum performance, but you
may want to adjust them to accommodate large The CPU Usage Limit controls the percentage of
or processing-intensive Pro Tools sessions. CPU resources allocated to Pro Tools host pro-
cessing tasks such as Real-Time AudioSuite
(RTAS) plug-ins, as follows:
Hardware Buffer Size
◆ Lower CPU usage settings reduce how much
The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) con- Pro Tools processing affects other CPU-intensive
trols the size of the hardware cache used to han- tasks (such as screen redraws), and limit the
dle host processing tasks such as Real-Time Au- amount of processor resources available for
dioSuite (RTAS) plug-ins. Pro Tools tasks. They are useful when you are ex-
◆ Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings reduce periencing slow system response, or when run-
monitoring latency, and are useful when you are ning other applications at the same time as
recording live input. Pro Tools.

◆ Higher Hardware Buffer Size settings allow for ◆ Higher CPU Usage Limit settings allocate

more audio processing and effects, and are use- more processing power to Pro Tools, and are
ful when you are mixing and using more RTAS useful for playing back large sessions or using
plug-ins. more real-time plug-ins.

In addition to causing slower screen re- Increasing the CPU Usage Limit may slow
sponse and monitoring latency, higher down screen response on slower computers.
Hardware Buffer Size settings can affect the
The maximum CPU Usage Limit is 85 percent
accuracy of plug-in automation, mute data,
for single-processor computers, and 99 percent
and timing for MIDI tracks.
for multi-processor computers. (The 99 percent
To change the Hardware Buffer Size: setting dedicates one entire processor to
Pro Tools.)
1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.

To change the CPU Usage Limit:

1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.

2 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up menu, se-

lect the percentage of CPU processing you want
to allocate to Pro Tools.

3 Click OK.

Playback Engine dialog for Mbox

2 From the H/W Buffer Size pop-up menu, select

the audio buffer size, in samples.

3 Click OK.

Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 13

 DAE Playback Buffer Size Pro Tools Hardware Settings
The DAE Playback Buffer Size determines the Using the Hardware Setup dialog, you can select
amount of memory DAE uses to manage disk the default sample rate and clock source for your
buffers, which affects system performance, as system, and configure the clock source for your
follows: system.
◆ Lower DAE Playback Buffer Size settings can
improve playback and recording initiation Default Sample Rate
speed. However, a lower setting can make it dif-
The Sample Rate setting appears as the default
ficult for slower hard drives to play or record
sample rate when you create a new session.
tracks reliably.
(This setting is available in the Hardware Setup
◆ Higher DAE Playback Buffer Size settings can dialog only when no session is open.)
allow for a higher density of edits in a session.
However, a higher setting can cause a time lag to You can change the sample rate when creat-
occur before playback or recording begins. It can ing a new Pro Tools session by selecting a
also cause a time lag to occur when you are ed- different sample rate in the New Session di-
iting during playback. alog. (Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide
for details.)
To change the DAE Playback Buffer Size:
To change the default Sample Rate:
1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.
1 Make sure that no Pro Tools session is open.
2 From the DAE Playback Buffer pop-up menu,
2 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup.
select a buffer size.

3 Click OK.

Hardware Setup dialog for Mbox

3 Select the sample rate from the Sample Rate

pop-up menu.

4 Click OK.

14 Getting Started with Mbox

Channel 1–2 Input Source 3 Click OK.

The Pro Tools Hardware Setup dialog allows you Your digital input device must be connected
to configure the two inputs on Mbox to receive and powered on for Pro Tools to synchro-
analog or digital signals. nize to it. If your input device is not powered
on, leave the Clock Source set to Internal.
To select the Channel 1–2 input format for Mbox:
1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup. Configuring I/O Setup
2 Choose the Channel 1–2 Input format by do- Using the I/O Setup dialog, you can label
ing one of the following: Pro Tools LE input, output, insert, and bus sig-
• Choose Analog if you are sending a micro- nal paths. The I/O Setup dialog provides a graph-
phone, line, or instrument signal through ical representation of the inputs, outputs, and
the 1/4-inch TRS or XLR connectors on signal routing of the Mbox.
Mbox.
Pro Tools LE has default I/O Setup settings that
– or – will get you started. Use the I/O Setup dialog
• Choose S/PDIF if you are sending signal only if you want to rename the default I/O
from a digital device to the S/PDIF input on paths.
Mbox.
To rename I/O paths in I/O Setup:
Clock Source 1 Choose Setups > I/O Setup.

Using the Hardware Setup dialog, you can select

the clock source for the system.

Internal If you are recording an analog signal di-

rectly into Mbox, you will usually use the
Pro Tools Internal clock source. The clock
source automatically changes to Internal when
you change the Ch. 1–2 Input to Analog.

SPDIF If you are transferring material into

Pro Tools from an external digital device, you
will usually synchronize Pro Tools to that digital
device. The clock source automatically changes
to SPDIF when you change the Ch. 1–2 Input to
SPDIF.

I/O Setup dialog for Mbox, Input page

To select the clock source:
2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus tab to
1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup.
display the corresponding connections.
2 Choose the clock source from the Clock
Source pop-up menu.

Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 15

 3 To change the name of a path or subpath, 4 For optimal disk performance, select 32K from
double-click directly on the Path Name, type a the Allocation unit size pull-down. This in-
new name for the path, and press Return. creases how efficiently audio data is written to
and read from the drive.
4 Click OK.
5 Make sure the Quick Format option is dese-
T

Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide (or lected, then click Start, and follow the on-screen
choose Help > Pro Tools Reference Guide) instructions.
for more information on renaming I/O
paths. Pro Tools only supports Basic drive Types.

6 When formatting is complete, close the For-

After configuring Pro Tools LE and your mat window.
system, you should save an image of your
system using Norton Ghost. Norton Ghost Audio Drives and Disk Cleanup
lets you save and recall known good config-
urations of your system and settings, which The process of recording, editing, and deleting
can help you recover if you encounter any tracks and sessions can quickly decrease overall
problems in the future. drive performance. It is suggested that you regu-
larly use Disk Cleanup (or an equivalent utility)
For more information on Ghost, visit the Sy- to asses the condition of drives and, if necessary,
mantec Web site (www.symantec.com) delete temporary files and other unused data.

To use Disk Cleanup:

Hard Drive Configuration and 1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
Maintenance
2 In Classic View, launch Administrative Tools.

Formatting an Audio Drive 3 Double-click Computer Management.

On Windows, it is recommended that you start 4 Double-click Storage.

with newly formatted drives dedicated for au-
5 Double-click Disk Management.
dio, such as a secondary hard drive purchased
just for audio. For optimum performance, audio 6 Select the desired volume in the list, then
drives should be formatted with the FAT32 or choose File > Options.
NTFS file system.
Disk Cleanup determines how performance is
To format and configure an audio drive: being affected by drive condition, and lets you
review and delete temporary and other unneces-
1 Right-click My Computer and choose Man-
sary files from the selected volume. For more in-
age.
formation on using Disk Cleanup, see your Win-
2 Under Storage, choose Disk Management. dows XP documentation.

3 In the Disk Management window, right-click

the hard drive you will use for audio and choose
Format.

16 Getting Started with Mbox

Defragmenting an Audio Drive
Removing Pro Tools on
Periodically defragment audio drives to maintain
Windows XP
system performance.
If you need to remove Pro Tools LE from your
To defragment an audio drive: computer use the Add or Remove Programs
command.
1 Right-click My Computer and choose Man-
age.
To remove Pro Tools from your computer:
2 Under Storage, choose Disk Defragmenter.
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
3 In the Disk Defragmenter window, choose the
2 Launch Add or Remove Programs.
drive you want to defragment
3 From the Currently installed programs list, se-
4 Click the Defragment button and follow the
lect Digidesign Pro Tools LE.
on-screen instructions.
4 Click the Change/Remove button.
5 When defragmenting is complete, close the
Computer Management Window. 5 Follow the onscreen instructions to remove
Pro Tools.
Avoid Recording to System Drives
Although Pro Tools will let you record to your
system drive, this is generally not recom-
mended. Recording and playback on system
hard drives results in lower track counts and
fewer plug-ins. You should record to system
drives only when necessary (for example, if your
computer has just one hard drive).

Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 17

18 Getting Started with Mbox
chapter 3

Macintosh Configuration

This chapter contains information for Macin-

tosh systems only. If you are installing Pro Tools Apple System Settings for
on a Windows computer, see Chapter 2, “Win- Mac OS X
dows Configuration.”
To ensure optimum performance with
Before installing this version of Pro Tools, Pro Tools LE, configure the following settings
please refer to the Read Me information in- before you install Pro Tools software.
cluded on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM.
Do not use the Mac OS X automatic Soft-
ware Update feature, as it may install com-
ponents that have not yet been qualified for
Installation Overview Pro Tools. For details on qualified versions
Installation of the Mbox on a Macintosh in- of Mac OS, refer to the latest compatibility
cludes the following steps: information on the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com).
1 Configuring “Apple System Settings for
Mac OS X” on page 19. To configure Mac OS X for Pro Tools LE:

2 “Installing Pro Tools LE” on page 20 1 Make sure you are logged into an administra-
tor account where you want to install
3 Restarting your computer. Pro Tools LE. For details on Administrator privi-
4 “Connecting Mbox to the Computer” on leges in Mac OS X, refer to your Mac OS X doc-
page 21. umentation.

5 “Configuring Pro Tools LE” on page 22. 2 Choose System Preferences from the Apple
Menu and click Energy Saver.
6 Making audio connections to the Mbox. (See
Chapter 4, “Mbox Hardware and Connections” 3 Click the Sleep tab and turn off the Energy
for details.) Saver feature by setting the sleep feature to
Never.

4 Return to the System Preferences and click

Software Update.

5 Deselect “Automatically check for updates

when you have a network connection.”

Chapter 3: Macintosh Configuration 19

 6 Close the Software Update dialog box. Audio MIDI Setup (AMS)
7 Proceed to “Installing Pro Tools LE” on (Optional)
page 20.
If you plan to use any MIDI devices with
Pro Tools, configure your MIDI setup with the
Apple Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) utility. See
Installing Pro Tools LE Appendix F, “Configuring AMS (Mac OS X
Only)” for details.
After the Apple System software settings are con-
figured, you’re ready to install Pro Tools LE. If you plan to use any MIDI devices with
Pro Tools, configure your MIDI setup with
To install Pro Tools LE on Mac OS X: the Apple Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) utility.
1 Make sure you are logged in as an Administra- See Appendix F, “Configuring AMS
tor for the account where you want to install (Mac OS X Only)” for details.
Pro Tools. For details on Administrator privi-
leges in Mac OS X, refer to your Apple Mac OS X
documentation. Optional Software on the
2 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer CD-ROM in Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM
your CD-ROM drive. Double-click “Install Your Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM includes sev-
Pro Tools LE.” eral software options.
3 Enter your Administrator password and click
OK to authenticate the installation. Digidesign CoreAudio Driver
4 Follow the on-screen instructions to continue
The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver is a multi-cli-
and accept installation. ent, multichannel sound driver that allows
5 In the Installer window, make sure the Install CoreAudio compatible applications to record
Location is on your Start-up hard drive. and play back through Digidesign hardware.

6 In the Installer window, choose Custom In- The Core Auto Driver is installed by default
stall from the pop-up menu, and click Install. when you install Pro Tools.

7 Follow the remaining on-screen instructions For information on configuring the Digi-
to install Pro Tools. design CoreAudio Driver, see Appendix D,
8 When installation is complete, click Restart. “Digidesign CoreAudio Driver
(Macintosh Only).”

20 Getting Started with Mbox

Stand-Alone CoreAudio Driver Installer 2 With your computer on, connect the other
end of the USB cable to any available USB port
This version of Digidesign CoreAudio Driver can on your computer.
be installed on Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools
systems running on Macintosh (for example, if Mbox may not function properly if con-
the CoreAudio Driver was uninstalled), or it can nected to a USB hub. If you need to use a
be installed as a stand-alone driver on Macin- hub for other USB peripherals, connect the
tosh systems that do not have Pro Tools in- hub to a separate USB port; Mbox must be
stalled. connected to a dedicated port on the com-
puter in order to function properly.
For detailed information on installing and
configuring CoreAudio Driver on systems
with or without Pro Tools, see the electronic
pdf of the CoreAudio Usage Guide.
Launching Pro Tools LE
When launching Pro Tools LE the first time, you
Pro Tools Demo Session are prompted to enter an authorization code to
validate your software.
The Pro Tools LE Installer CD-ROM includes a
demo session that you can use to verify that With new Mbox systems, the authorization
your system is working. code is located on the inside cover of the Getting
Started with Mbox Guide. With software up-
To install the demo session: grades, the authorization code is located on the
inside cover of the Upgrading Guide.
1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer CD in your
CD-ROM drive. Locate and double-click the
demo session installer icon. To authorize Pro Tools LE software:
1 Double-click the Pro Tools LE application (lo-
2 Select your audio drive as the install location
cated in the Pro Tools folder, inside the Digi-
and click Install.
design folder).
3 When installation is complete, click Quit.
2 Enter the authorization code in the dialog
when prompted (making sure to type it exactly
as printed, and observing any spaces and capi-
Connecting Mbox to the talization) then click Validate.
Computer If the USB LED on the front panel of Mbox does
Before launching Pro Tools LE software, connect not illuminate after you connect it and launch
Mbox to your computer. Pro Tools, try unplugging the USB cable from
the Mbox USB port, then plugging it back in.
To connect Mbox to your computer:
If the USB LED still does not illuminate, shut
1 Connect the small end of the included USB ca- down the computer, disconnect Mbox and start
ble to the USB port on Mbox. the computer. Once the computer has fully re-
started, re-connect Mbox, then launch
Pro Tools.

Chapter 3: Macintosh Configuration 21

 3 Click OK.
Configuring Pro Tools LE

Pro Tools System Settings

Pro Tools LE allows you to adjust the perfor-
mance of your system by changing system set-
tings that affect its capacity for processing, play-
back, and recording.

In most cases, the default settings for your sys-

tem provide optimum performance, but you Playback Engine dialog for Mbox (Pro Tools 6.x)
may want to adjust them to accommodate large
or processing-intensive Pro Tools sessions.
CPU Usage Limit
The CPU Usage Limit controls the percentage of
Hardware Buffer Size CPU resources allocated to Pro Tools host pro-
cessing tasks.
The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) con-
trols the size of the hardware cache used to han- ◆ Lower CPU Usage Limit settings limit the ef-

dle host processing tasks such as Real-Time Au- fect of Pro Tools processing on other CPU-inten-
dioSuite (RTAS) plug-ins. sive tasks, such as screen redraws, and are useful
when you are experiencing slow system re-
◆ Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings improve
sponse, or when running other applications at
MIDI timing and automation accuracy, but limit
the same time as Pro Tools.
the number of RTAS plug-ins and mixer config-
urations you can run on your system ◆ Higher CPU Usage Limit settings allocate
more processing power to Pro Tools, and are
◆ Higher Hardware Buffer Size settings allow for
useful for playing back large sessions or using
more audio processing and effects, and are use-
more real-time plug-ins.
ful when you are using larger mixer configura-
tions or more RTAS plug-ins on your system. Increasing the CPU Usage Limit may slow
down screen response on slower computers.
In addition to causing slower screen re-
sponse and monitoring latency, higher ◆ The maximum CPU Usage Limit is 85 percent
Hardware Buffer Size settings can affect the for single-processor computers, and 99 percent
accuracy of plug-in automation, mute data, for multi-processor computers. (The 99 percent
and timing for MIDI tracks. setting dedicates one entire processor to
Pro Tools.)
To change the Hardware Buffer Size:
1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine. To change the CPU Usage Limit:

2 From the H/W Buffer Size pop-up menu, select 1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.
the audio buffer size, in samples.
2 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up menu, se-
lect the percentage of CPU processing you want
to allocate to Pro Tools.

22 Getting Started with Mbox

3 Click OK. To change the default Sample Rate:
1 Make sure that no Pro Tools session is open.
DAE Playback Buffer Size
2 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup.
The DAE Playback Buffer Size determines the
3 Select the sample rate from the Sample Rate
amount of memory DAE uses to manage disk
popup menu.
buffers, which affects system performance.
◆ Lower DAE Playback Buffer Size settings can 4 Click OK.
improve playback and recording initiation
speed. However, a lower setting can make it dif-
ficult for slower hard drives to play or record
tracks reliably.
◆ Higher DAE Playback Buffer Size settings can
allow for a higher density of edits in a session.
However, a higher setting can cause a time lag to
occur before playback or recording begins. It can
also cause a time lag to occur when you are ed- Hardware Setup dialog for Mbox
iting during playback.
Channel 1–2 Input Format
To change the DAE Playback Buffer Size:
The Pro Tools Hardware Setup dialog allows you
1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine. to configure the two inputs on Mbox to receive
either analog or digital signals.
2 From the DAE Playback Buffer pop-up menu,
select a buffer size.
To select the Channel 1–2 input format for Mbox:
3 Click OK.
1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup.

2 Choose the Channel 1–2 Input format by do-

Pro Tools Hardware Settings ing one of the following:
Using the Hardware Setup dialog, you can select • Choose Analog if you are sending a micro-
the default sample rate, input format, and clock phone, line, or instrument signal through
source for your system. the 1/4-inch TRS or XLR connectors on
Mbox.
Default Sample Rate • Choose S/PDIF (RCA) if you are sending
signal from a digital device to the S/PDIF
The Sample Rate setting appears as the default
input on Mbox.
sample rate when you create a new session.
(This setting is available in the Hardware Setup
dialog only when no session is open.)

You can change the sample rate when creat-

ing a new Pro Tools session by selecting a
different sample rate in the New Session di-
alog. (See “Starting a Session” on page 37.)

Chapter 3: Macintosh Configuration 23

 Clock Source To rename I/O paths in I/O Setup:

Using the Hardware Setup dialog, you can select 1 Choose Setups > I/O Setups.

the clock source for the system.

Internal If you are recording an analog signal di-

rectly into Mbox, you will usually use the
Pro Tools Internal clock source. The Clock
Source automatically changes to Internal when
you change the Ch. 1–2 Input to Analog.

S/PDIF If you are recording a digital signal into

Pro Tools from an external digital device, you
will usually synchronize Pro Tools to that digital
device. The Clock Source automatically changes
to S/PDIF when you change the Ch. 1–2 Input to
S/PDIF.
I/O Setup dialog for Mbox, Input page
To select the Clock Source:
2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus tab to
1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup.
display the corresponding connections.
2 Select a clock source.
3 To change the name of a path or subpath,
3 Click OK. double-click directly on the Path Name, type a
new name for the path, and press Return.
Your digital input device must be connected
4 Click OK.
and turned on. If your input device is not
turned on, leave the Clock Source set to In- Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide (or
ternal. choose Help > Pro Tools Reference Guide)
for more information on renaming I/O
Configuring I/O Setup
paths.
Using the I/O Setup dialog, you can label
Pro Tools LE input, output, insert, and bus sig-
nal paths. The I/O Setup dialog provides a graph-
ical representation of the inputs, outputs, and
signal routing of the Mbox.

Pro Tools LE has default I/O Setup settings that

will get you started. Use the I/O Setup dialog
only if you want to rename the default I/O
paths.

24 Getting Started with Mbox

Hard Drive Configuration and Removing Pro Tools on
Maintenance Mac OS X
It is recommended that you start with a newly If you need to remove Pro Tools from your com-
initialized audio drive. You should also periodi- puter, you can use the Installer CD-ROM or the
cally defragment your audio drive to ensure downloaded Installer file.
continued system performance.
To remove Pro Tools from your computer:
If you are using an ATA/IDE or FireWire hard
drive, initialize your drive with the utility 1 Make sure you are logged in as an Administra-
named Disk Utility included with your Apple tor for the account where Pro Tools is installed.
System software. For details on Administrator privileges in
Mac OS X, refer to your Apple OS X documenta-
tion.
Avoid Recording to System Drives
2 Insert the Pro Tools 6.7 Installer CD-ROM in
Although Pro Tools will let you record to your
your CD-ROM drive. Double-click “Install
system drive, this is generally not recom-
Pro Tools LE” or “Install Pro Tools TDM,” as ap-
mended. Recording and playback on system
propriate.
drives results in lower track counts and fewer
plug-ins. You should record to system drives 3 Enter your Administrator password and click
only when necessary—for example, if your com- OK to authenticate the installation.
puter system has just one hard drive.
4 In the Installer window, choose Uninstall
from the pop-up menu, and click Uninstall.

5 Follow the on-screen instructions to remove

Pro Tools.

6 When finished, click Quit to close the Installer

window.

Chapter 3: Macintosh Configuration 25

26 Getting Started with Mbox
chapter 4

Mbox Hardware and Connections

This chapter explains how to connect your Mbox for monitoring, playback and recording. If you are
new to working with digital audio workstations, first read through the Mbox Basics Guide for basic
setup information (such as connecting audio inputs, headphones, mics and instruments).

The following illustrations show two possible setups depending on the equipment in your studio.

monitor
outputs
mixer

S/PDIF DAT or powered speakers

digital I/O CD recorder

microphone
USB
cable
Mbox

FireWire instrument
drive

headphones
computer

display

Figure 1. Mbox micro studio configuration running Pro Tools LE on a desktop computer

Chapter 4: Mbox Hardware and Connections 27

 USB
cable

Mbox

instrument

FireWire
drive

p
to
Laptop
lap headphones

Figure 2. Mbox micro studio configuration running Pro Tools LE on a laptop computer

28 Getting Started with Mbox

 About Phantom Power
Mbox Front Panel Features
Dynamic microphones (such as a Shure SM57)
do not require phantom power to operate, but
are not harmed by it. Most condenser micro-
48V LED phones (like an AKG C3000) do require phan-
Source tom power to operate.
Selector
CH 1
Peak Although phantom power can be used
LED
Gain safely with most microphones, it is possible
to damage some ribbon microphones with
Source
Selector it. Always turn off phantom power and
CH 2 wait at least ten seconds before connecting
Peak
LED or disconnecting a ribbon microphone.
Gain
If you are not sure about the phantom power re-
S/PDIF USB
LED LED
quirements for your microphone, consult your
microphone’s documentation or contact the
Mix (Ratio)
manufacturer.

Mono
Source Selector
Headphone
Gain
These switches select among three types of in-
Headphone puts:
Output
• Mic (microphone) for XLR inputs
• Line for line level signals on TRS or TS in-
puts
Figure 3. Mbox front panel
• Inst (instrument) for other 1/4-inch TRS or
The Mbox front panel has the following fea- TS connections
tures:
For more information, see “Analog Audio” on
page 34.
48V LED
This LED, when lit, indicates that 48V phantom
Gain Controls
power is active on the Mic/Line inputs. These
inputs provide phantom power for micro- These knobs adjust the input gain levels of the
phones that require it to operate. Phantom Mic/Line inputs.
power is activated by the switch labeled 48V on
the top of the back panel of Mbox.

Chapter 4: Mbox Hardware and Connections 29

 Peak LEDs To listen to just the Source input signal, turn the
Mix knob fully left to Input. To listen to
These LEDs are triggered just below analog clip- Pro Tools output only, turn the knob fully right
ping levels. In other words, if the Peak LEDs to Playback.
flicker occasionally, the signal is approaching
clipping levels, but they do not necessarily indi- The output from the Mix control is routed di-
cate distortion or clipping. rectly to the TRS line outputs, and is mirrored in
the Headphone ports and S/PDIF output ports.

USB LED This ability to blend and control the relative lev-
els of Pro Tools playback and latency-free live
The USB LED indicates that the Mbox has re-
analog inputs can be particularly effective when
ceived power from its USB connection. Once the
overdubbing.
USB light is on, audio can pass in or out of the
system.
Mono Switch
S/PDIF LED The Mono switch sums the stereo signal to a
mono signal (delivering that identical signal to
This LED indicates that channels 1 and 2 are set
both speakers). This has no effect on Pro Tools
to receive digital input rather than analog input.
playback monitoring or on the main outputs.
See “S/PDIF Digital I/O” on page 32.
Switching your stereo signal to mono is useful
when you are recording a mono input while lis-
Mix (Ratio) Control tening to stereo playback, or for checking the
phase relationship of stereo inputs.
Mbox gives you the ability to monitor your an-
alog input signals while recording, without the
Monitoring while Overdubbing
delay incurred by A/D/A converters and host-
based processing. By panning signals to the center, or using the
Mono switch, as opposed to panning them hard
This zero-latency analog monitoring is con-
left and right in the Headphone outputs, you
trolled with the Mix knob, which you can use to
can create a more focused monitor mix to help
blend and adjust the monitor ratio between
minimize distractions while overdubbing.
Mbox analog inputs and Pro Tools playback.
The Mix knob has no effect when you are using In situations where you are monitoring stereo
S/PDIF digital inputs, since it controls the signal microphones, stereo synthesizers, or any source
before it reaches the A/D converters. pairs with a comfortable balance, you will prob-
ably not want to use the Mono switch.

30 Getting Started with Mbox

Checking Phase Relationships
Mbox Back Panel Features
The Mono switch can also be used for a quick
check of the phase relationship between
Channel 1 and Channel 2 inputs.
back panel 48V
When the two input signals are out of phase, Headphones
output
pressing the Mono switch will result in a sudden USB port

“hollow” sound that is the result of phase can-

cellation. This quick test with the Mono switch
S/PDIF
can help to avoid phase problems later when digital I/O
mixing these tracks. Frequent checking of phase
relationships with the Mono switch can also as- Line
sist you in finding the optimal microphone outputs

placement.

Inserts
Headphone Gain
The headphone gain control adjusts the output
level of the front and back Headphone ports,
Source 2
which output the signal that is routed to Out- (analog
input 2)
puts 1–2 in Pro Tools LE, and mirrors the Line
Outputs.

Source 1
(analog
Front Panel Headphone Output input 1)

Use the front panel Headphone port to connect

Figure 4. Mbox back panel
stereo headphones with a 1/8-inch stereo mini
connector. The Mbox back panel has the following features:

The front panel 1/8-inch Headphone port is dis-

abled when a 1/4-inch stereo connector is in- Back Panel Headphone Output
serted into the back panel Headphone port. Use this Headphone Output to connect stereo
headphones with a 1/4-inch stereo connector.

When a 1/4-inch stereo connector is inserted

into the back panel Headphone port, the front
panel 1/8-inch Headphone port is disabled.

Chapter 4: Mbox Hardware and Connections 31

 48V Switch Line Outputs
This button activates phantom power on the These outputs support balanced TRS, or unbal-
Mic inputs for microphones that require it to anced TS, 1/4-inch connections. To monitor
operate. your mix, these outputs can be connected to a
mixing board, directly to a monitoring system
Be sure to check the 48V LED on the front such as a stereo power amp, or another stereo
panel of Mbox before plugging in any mi- destination.
crophones. The 48V switch on the back is
located directly above the USB connector The Line Outputs 1 and 2 play the audio that is
and may be inadvertently activated when routed to analog outputs 1 and 2 from within
connecting the USB Cable. Pro Tools, respectively. These analog outputs
feature 24-bit digital-to-analog converters.
USB Port
This standard USB v1.1 connector is used to Source 1 and 2
connect your computer to the Mbox. One stan- These balanced/unbalanced analog audio in-
dard USB cable is included with your system. puts support a broad range of input levels, in-
cluding microphone, instrument, or line-level
The Mbox is compatible with USB 2.0 ports.
inputs. The ports accept XLR, TRS, or TS audio
However, the USB 2.0 bus will switch to the
input connectors. The input signal is adjusted
slower USB v.1.1 speed to accommodate Mbox.
by the Gain control for each channel, in con-
junction with the Source switch.
S/PDIF Digital I/O
The XLR connectors only support micro-
The S/PDIF in and out ports are unbalanced two- phone level inputs. If Line or Inst are cho-
conductor phono (RCA) connectors that utilize sen, the XLR portion of the port is ignored.
a full 24-bit, two-channel digital data stream. Likewise, if you choose Mic, the 1/4-inch
part of the connector is ignored.
The Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format
(S/PDIF) is used in many professional and con-
sumer CD recorders and DAT recorders. To Inserts 1 and 2
avoid RF interference, use 75-ohm coaxial cable Mbox provides an insert point on each input
for S/PDIF transfers and keep the cable length to channel. These TRS ports send and return the
a maximum of 10 meters. input channel’s signal directly after the pream-
plifier, and before the A/D converter. This al-
lows the insertion of analog processors such as

32 Getting Started with Mbox

compressors or equalizers, which are typically Mbox Line Outputs feature 24-bit digital-to-an-
used as inserts on traditional analog recording alog converters capable of maximum output of
consoles. See “Using the Analog Inserts” on +4 dBu/+2 dBV (balanced/unbalanced signal).
page 34. The connectors are TRS ports; unbalanced TS
connectors are also supported.
Do not plug instruments, speakers, or head-
phones into the 1/4-inch jacks labelled “In- You cannot monitor Pro Tools audio
serts.” These are not inputs. They are spe- through speakers connected to your com-
cial connectors for using an external effects puter. To monitor audio, connect head-
processor such as a compressor or EQ. phones, powered speakers, or an external
amplifier to your Mbox.

To connect headphones:
Making Signal Connections to
• Connect headphones with an 1/8-inch stereo
Mbox
mini connector (or an adapter) to the front
Mbox can be used in a variety of audio setups. Headphone jack.
This section describes how to make basic con- – or –
nections for:
• Connect headphones with a 1/4-inch stereo
• Monitoring
connector (or adapter) to the back Head-
• Analog and digital input for recording phone jack.
• Hardware Inserts
• Mixdown The front panel Headphone control adjusts
the volume level of both the front and back
Headphone jacks.
Monitoring Audio
There are two Headphone ports, giving you a The Mbox Headphone output can produce
choice between the back panel 1/4-inch TRS very loud output levels. Prolonged exposure
port or the 1/8-inch mini port on the front can cause hearing damage. Adjust head-
panel. phone volume carefully.

Mbox Line Outputs play the audio that is routed

in Pro Tools to Analog Outputs 1–2, and can Only one Headphone output can be used at
provide left and right outputs to a two-track a time. When headphones are connected to
deck for mixdown, or to another stereo destina- both Headphone outputs, the front panel
tion. Headphone output is muted.

Chapter 4: Mbox Hardware and Connections 33

 To connect to a home stereo: To connect an analog audio source:
■ Using 1/4-inch cables, connect the Line Out- 1 Plug an XLR or TRS cable directly into
puts on the back panel of Mbox to the appropri- Mic/Line Input 1 or 2 on Mbox. These inputs ac-
ate inputs on your stereo. cept XLR connectors or TRS connectors.

Home stereo systems often use RCA connec- 2 Step through choices by repeatedly pressing

tors. You can use an adaptor or a special ca- each channel’s Source button until the LED cor-
ble to convert from the TRS or TS connectors responding to your choice lights.
used by Mbox to the RCA connectors on
your home stereo. To activate phantom power:
■ If your microphone requires phantom power,
To connect monitor speakers with a power amp or
first make sure the microphone is connected,
self-powered monitor speakers:
then press the Phantom Power switch (labeled
■ Using 1/4-inch cables, connect the Line Out- 48V).
puts on the back of Mbox to the appropriate in-
puts on your mixer, power amp, or powered Enabling phantom power enables 48V
speakers. through both mic inputs.

Using the Analog Inserts

Connecting Audio Sources to
Mbox for Recording The analog input channels on Mbox each fea-
ture a dedicated Tip Ring Sleeve (TRS) insert
Digital and analog audio sources can be con- point. These hardware inserts break the analog
nected directly to Mbox. input path before it is converted to a digital sig-
nal and sent to Pro Tools. This is where you can
Analog Audio insert a compressor, equalizer, or other serial ef-
fect into the analog signal path.
Analog audio signals are output by micro-
phones, synthesizers, mixers, and instruments Because the inserts on Mbox are hardware
with magnetic pickups. inserts that divert the signal path before it
reaches Pro Tools, they are not available as
Of these sources, microphones and magnetic
hardware inserts within Pro Tools. For more
pickup instruments output the quietest signals,
information, see the Pro Tools Reference
and generally require the most amplification.
Guide.
Keyboards, preamps, and mixers output “line-
level” audio, which varies with each device be- To insert a device you will need a TRS Insert ca-
tween the –10 dBV and +4 dBu standards. ble that has a TRS connector on one end, break-
To accommodate these varying sources, Mbox ing out to two unbalanced (T/S) Y-connectors.
provides switchable line input types (and associ- The connector attached to the tip is the send,
ated impedances) with adjustable gain for each and the connector attached to the ring is the re-
input channel. turn.

34 Getting Started with Mbox

To insert a device in the signal path:
To configure Mbox to record from a digital
1 You will need a cable that breaks a TRS con-
source, choose Setups > Hardware Setup in
nector on one end out to two unbalanced con-
Pro Tools, then select S/PDIF in the Clock
nectors. The type of unbalanced connector is
Source and Ch 1–2 Input pop-up menus.
determined by the inputs of the device.

2 Locate the unbalanced connectors and deter-

S/PDIF Mirroring
mine which corresponds to tip, and which to Pro Tools LE uses S/PDIF mirroring to automati-
ring. cally “mirror” the audio that is sent to Line Out-
3 Connect the unbalanced connector that cor-
puts 1 and 2 on the S/PDIF RCA outputs. This is
responds to tip to the input port of the device. useful, for example, if you are monitoring a mix
using your Line Outputs, and also recording the
4 Connect the unbalanced connector that cor- same source to an external S/PDIF device.
responds to ring to the output port of the de-
vice.

5 Insert the TRS connector into an insert port Connecting a Recorder for
on Mbox.
Mixdowns
After you record and mix your sessions in
Digital Audio Pro Tools, you may want to mix them down to a
Mbox provides digital inputs and outputs for DAT, CD recorder, Mini-Disc, or other stereo 2-
S/PDIF format digital audio. track recording device.

About S/PDIF Connecting an Analog Deck

S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interchange For- Connect the Line Outputs on the back of the
mat) I/O is available on many DAT decks, com- Mbox to your recorder’s analog inputs. Line
pact disc players, and other digital devices. Each Outputs 1 and 2 should be routed to the left and
S/PDIF connection provides two channels of right inputs, respectively, on your recorder.
digital audio with 24-bit capability. These outputs are TRS ports. You may need
adapter cables if your mixdown deck has RCA
To connect a S/PDIF device to Mbox: inputs.

1 Use two 75-ohm coaxial cables with male RCA

connectors on both ends (purchased sepa- Connecting a Digital Deck
rately). If you have a CD recorder, DAT deck or other de-
2 Connect the device’s S/PDIF output to Mbox’s vice that accepts S/PDIF connections, connect it
S/PDIF input port, and the device’s S/PDIF input to the S/PDIF In and S/PDIF Out RCA ports on
to Mbox’s S/PDIF output port. the back of Mbox.

When recording from Pro Tools to a digital

device, make sure Pro Tools is in Internal
clock mode.

Chapter 4: Mbox Hardware and Connections 35

 4 Connect the MIDI IN of your MIDI device or
MIDI Connections controller to the MIDI OUT of your MIDI inter-
face.
By adding a compatible MIDI interface to your
system, you can take advantage of all the MIDI MIDI is not audio. To hear the output of
features of Pro Tools LE, including recording your MIDI devices within Pro Tools, you
and editing MIDI tracks. must route the audio output of your MIDI
device into your Mbox inputs, and monitor
See the Mbox Basics Guide for information
or record the audio into your session. See
on basic MIDI concepts.
“Making Signal Connections to Mbox” on
USB MIDI interfaces work effectively with page 33.
Pro Tools systems on Windows or Macintosh.
Serial MIDI interfaces are supported on Win-
dows systems only.

Only USB MIDI interfaces are compatible

with Pro Tools systems for Mac OS X. Mo-
dem-to-serial port adapters and serial MIDI
devices are not supported.

See Appendix E, “Configuring Midi Studio

Setup (Windows Only)” or Appendix F,
“Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only)” for
detailed information on how to identify ex-
ternal MIDI devices connected to your MIDI
interface and configure your MIDI studio
for use with Pro Tools.

To connect MIDI devices to your system:

1 Connect the MIDI interface to your computer
according to the MIDI interface’s documenta-
tion.

2 Install any MIDI driver software required by

the MIDI interface. (Once you have installed
your MIDI interface hardware and software,
confirm that it is working properly using the
procedure given in the interface’s documenta-
tion.)

3 Connect the MIDI OUT of your MIDI device

or controller to the MIDI IN of your MIDI inter-
face.

36 Getting Started with Mbox

chapter 5

Working with Pro Tools LE

This tutorial of Pro Tools LE software introduces Starting a Session

its main windows and features, and also in-
cludes a step-by-step overview of audio record- To create a new session:
ing (see “Basic Recording” on page 49).
1 Launch Pro Tools LE.
All features described in this chapter are ex- 2 Choose File > New Session.
plained fully in the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
3 In the New Session dialog, set the sample rate,
You can view an electronic PDF version of the bit depth, and other options for the new session.
Reference Guide by choosing it from the
Pro Tools menu.

Session Basics
Pro Tools LE projects are created and saved as
sessions. Sessions store all tracks, audio, MIDI,
and other session information. Audio and fade
files are stored in folders within the session
folder.

New Session dialog

4 Select where you want to save your session. If

you are using external hard drives with your
Pro Tools system, make sure you select the ap-
propriate drive in the New Session dialog.

5 Type a name for your session.

Session file, Audio Files and Fade Files folders
6 Click Save. The new session opens its Mix,
Edit, and Transport windows (see Figure 5 on
page 38).

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 37

 Main Windows Workspace The Workspace browser is a Digi-
Base feature available in Pro Tools 6 and higher.
The Mix, Edit, and Transport windows are the For more information see the DigiBase Guide.
main Pro Tools work areas. You can show any of
these windows by choosing them from the Win-
Rulers
dows menu.
Pro Tools LE provides several different rulers to
Press Control+Equals (=) in Windows or select as the timebase for your session.
Command+Equals (=) on Macintosh to
switch between the Edit and Mix windows. Timebase Rulers, displayed along the top of the
Edit window, include Bars:Beats, Minutes:Sec-
Mix Window Displays the Pro Tools mixer, with onds, and Samples. The current timebase deter-
its familiar fader strip controls for volume, pan, mines the format of the Main counter, and pro-
solo, mute, and signal routing. vides the basis for the Edit window Grid.

Edit Window Displays tracks in the session along

To select a Timebase Ruler:
the Timeline, for editing of audio, MIDI, and au-
tomation data. ■ Click the name of the ruler at the top left side

of the Edit window (Bars:Beats, Minutes:Sec-

Transport Provides standard transport controls onds, or Samples).
for Play, Stop, Rewind, Fast-Forward, Pause, and
Record. The Transport window can also show
Counter and MIDI Control displays.

Edit window Mix window

Main Counter

Rulers

Tracks

Tracks
Main Counter
Transport window

Figure 5. Main session windows

38 Getting Started with Mbox

Setting a Tempo Using the Click Plug-In
You can set the tempo for your session by using The Click plug-in creates an audio click during
the Song Start Marker, located in the Tempo session playback. This works like a metronome
Ruler. that you can use as a tempo reference when per-
forming and recording.
To set the session tempo with the Song Start
Marker: The Click plug-in is synchronized to the tempo
and meter of the Pro Tools session, and follows
1 In the Tempo Ruler, double-click the Song
any changes in tempo and meter.
Start Marker.
The Click plug-in is one of many plug-ins
that can be inserted on a Pro Tools track.
See “Plug-Ins” on page 57.

Song Start
marker

Song Start marker

2 In the Tempo Change dialog, enter the BPM

(beats per minute) value you will use for the ses-
sion (so the inserted tempo event replaces the
default tempo).
Click plug-in

Click Parameters
MIDI In LED Illuminates each time the Click
plug-in receives a click message from the
Pro Tools application, indicating the tempo.

Accented Controls the output level of the ac-

cent beat (beat 1 of each bar) of the audio click.

Change Tempo dialog Unaccented Controls the output level of the un-
accented beats of the audio click.
3 To base the BPM value on a different note
value (such as an eighth-note rather than the
default quarter-note), select a note value in the
Resolution section.

4 Click OK.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 39

 To use the Click plug-in: Using an External MIDI Click
1 Choose MIDI > Click to enable the Click op-
Pro Tools also provides a MIDI Click option that
tion. lets you use an external MIDI device to play a
– or – click. This feature can be turned on and off in
the Transport window, and is configured from
Select the Click button in the Transport win- the MIDI Click Options dialog.
dow.
To configure and enable an external MIDI click:
Click button
1 Choose MIDI > Click Options.

Click and Tempo Controls in the Transport window

2 Create a mono Auxiliary Input (Aux Input)

track.

3 Insert a Click plug-in on the Auxiliary Input

track.

4 In the Click plug-in window, choose a click

sound from the Librarian pop-up menu (this
menu displays “factory default” when you first
insert the plug-in). Click/Countoff Options dialog
5 Choose MIDI > Click Options and set the 2 Configure the click parameters as needed for
Click and Countoff options as desired. (Click your MIDI sound source.
OK to apply these options.)
See Appendix E, “Configuring Midi Studio
The Note, Velocity, Duration, and Output Setup (Windows Only)” or Appendix F,
options in this dialog are for use with MIDI “Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only).” for
instrument-based clicks and do not affect detailed information on how to identify ex-
the Click plug-in. ternal MIDI devices connected to your MIDI
interface and configure your MIDI studio
Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide for for use with Pro Tools.
more information on configuring Click op-
3 Select the desired MIDI sound source from the
tions.
Output pop-up menu and click OK.
6 Begin playback. A click is generated according
to the tempo and meter of the current session
and the settings in the Click Options dialog.

40 Getting Started with Mbox

4 During recording or playback, you can turn System Resources and Settings
the Click on or off with the Click button in the
MIDI Controls display of the Transport window. You can change specific Pro Tools system set-
tings to optimize system performance.
Click button
Playback Engine Dialog
The Playback Engine dialog lets you adjust sys-
tem buffer sizes and allocate CPU processing
Tempo Controls power to Pro Tools.

Click and Tempo Controls in the Transport window To configure system resources:
■ Choose Setups > Playback Engine.
Saving Sessions
For Windows systems, see Chapter 2,
As you build a session by adding tracks and
“Windows Configuration.” For Macintosh
changing session controls, you will want to save
systems, see Chapter 3, “Macintosh Con-
your work. Pro Tools provides three ways to save
figuration.”
sessions.

System Usage Window

To save a session:
The System Usage window displays approxi-
■ Choose File > Save Session, Save Session As, or
mate information on CPU load, DSP usage, and
Save a Session Copy In.
(on Macintosh systems only) overall disk perfor-
Save Session Saves the currently open session mance, so you can gauge your system’s process-
file, leaving it open for you to continue work- ing capacity.
ing.

Save Session As Creates a duplicate session file

with the name you choose, and leaves the dupli-
cate open for you to continue working. It does
not create a new Audio Files or Fade Files folder. Meters in the System Usage window
This can be useful if you want to experiment
To view system resources and usage:
with different arrangements in the session with-
out affecting the original session. ■ Choose Windows > Show System Usage.

Save Session Copy In Saves copies of the session

file and the files that you are using in the cur-
rent session. This can be useful for creating a fi-
nal copy of the session that does not include au-
dio files or fades you are no longer using.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 41

 The Transport window can also display a Master
Transport Controls Counter, as well as the following MIDI controls:
Wait for Note, Click, Countoff, MIDI Merge,
The Transport window provides access to all
Conductor, Meter, and Tempo.
Pro Tools LE transport commands. Different
transport controls can be displayed or hidden in Click
this window.
Wait for Note Countoff

To show the Transport window:

MIDI Merge
■ Choose Window > Show Transport Window.

Return To Zero Fast Forward Tempo Controls

Rewind Play Go to End

Online Stop Record Meters

Conductor

Transport window (MIDI Controls)

To start and stop playback:

1 Click Play in the Transport window to begin
playback.

2 Click Stop in the Transport window to stop

Transport window (Expanded view shown) playback.
To configure the Transport window:
Press the Spacebar on your computer key-
■ Choose Display > Transport Window Shows board to start and stop playback.
and select view options.

The Transport window provides Play, Stop, and Pro Tools LE starts playing from the loca-
other standard transport controls. tion of the cursor, or from the beginning of
the current selection. The current setting of
The Expanded view of the Transport window the Link Edit and Timeline Selection com-
provides pre- and post-roll, start, end, and mand in the Operations menu also affects
length indicators for Timeline selection, as well playback. See the Pro Tools Reference Guide
as the Transport Master selector. for more information.

42 Getting Started with Mbox

 Track type is indicated by the Track Type icons
Tracks just below the faders.

Pro Tools LE lets you create audio and MIDI

tracks for audio and MIDI recording, submixing,
routing, automating, and editing.

Pro Tools provides four types of tracks: audio

tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, Master Faders, and
MIDI tracks. Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, and
Master Faders can be mono or stereo.

Audio Tracks Record and play back audio to and

from hard disk, monitor audio input when
record-enabled, and edit audio regions

Auxiliary Inputs Audio mixer channels, used for

input, routing, and submixing

Master Faders Provide master channel controls

and options for any output or bus path

MIDI Tracks Record, play back, and edit MIDI

Audio Aux MIDI Master
data track Input track Fader

Tracks in the Mix window

To create a new track:
In the Edit window, tracks are displayed hori-
1 Choose File > New Track.
zontally along the Timeline. The area in which
audio appears for each track is the Playlist.

Timeline

Rulers View
New Track dialog

2 Specify the number of tracks, track type, and

mono or stereo (for all types except MIDI). Audio Track

3 Click Create. Timeline Rulers and a stereo audio track in the Edit
window
In the Mix window, audio tracks, Auxiliary In-
puts, Master Faders, and MIDI tracks appear as
vertical channel strips.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 43

 Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, Master Faders, Inserts Inserts on Master Faders are post-fader
and MIDI tracks can be automated. only. (Audio track and Aux input track inserts
are all pre-fader.)

Sends Master Faders do not provide sends. To

Inserts send an output to another destination, use an
Auxiliary Input.

MIDI Tracks
Sends
MIDI tracks provide volume, solo, and mute, in
addition to MIDI input, output, channel, and
Input
program (patch) controls. MIDI volume, mute,
Output
Automation mode and pan can also be automated using Pro Tools
Pan sliders
automation features (see “Mix Automation” on
page 58 for more information).
Record
Enable
Solo Mute
Regions Lists
Open Output window
Volume Clipping indicator A region is a piece of audio or MIDI data that can
fader (lights red) also have associated automation data. For exam-
ple, a region could be a loop, a guitar riff, a verse
Level meter
of a song, a sound effect, a piece of dialog, or an
entire sound file. In Pro Tools, regions are cre-
ated from audio or MIDI files, and can be ar-
Voice Selector Group enable
ranged in audio and MIDI track playlists.
Track Type icon
Volume
Track name All regions that are recorded, imported, or cre-
Color Bar ated by editing appear in the Audio and MIDI
Track comment area Regions Lists. Regions can be dragged from ei-
ther list to tracks and arranged in any order. Au-
dio regions can also be auditioned from the Re-
Figure 6. Stereo audio track in the Mix window gions Lists by Option-clicking the audio region
name. The Regions List pop-up menus provide
Audio Tracks features for managing regions and files (such as
Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, and Master Fad- sorting, selecting, importing, or exporting files).
ers share many identical controls. Master Faders
provide all the same features as audio tracks and
Auxiliary Inputs, with the following exceptions:

Input Selector A Master Fader’s output assign-

ment determines its input, or source (always
outputs 1–2).

44 Getting Started with Mbox

 3 Click in a track or Timebase Ruler. The cursor
Drag border to resize Click Audio Regions appears at the selected location and the
width of Regions Lists for pop-up menus counters display the current time location.

Click in a track or on a Timebase Ruler

Drag border to
resize height of
Regions Lists

Click MIDI Regions

Clicking with the Selector in the Edit window
for pop-up menus

Click to hide Regions Lists To navigate using the counters:

Audio and MIDI Regions Lists 1 Click in the Main counter and enter a location
using your computer keyboard.
For more information on Regions Lists, refer
2 Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh).
to the Pro Tools Reference Guide or the
DigiBase Guide.

Navigating in a Session Navigating with the Counter

Pro Tools LE provides many ways to navigate in

Press the * (asterisk) key on the numeric
a session, including using the mouse or entering
keypad as an alternative to clicking in the
a memory location into one of the counters.
counter. (The cursor will always appear in
the Transport window’s Main Counter if it
To navigate to a location in the Edit window:
is displayed.)
1 In the Operations menu, make sure Link Edit
and Timeline Selection option is enabled.

2 Enable the Selector tool at the top of the Edit

window by clicking it.

Selector tool

Edit tools in Edit window

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 45

 Memory Locations To go to a stored memory location:
1 Choose Windows > Show Memory Locations.
Memory Locations provide another way to nav-
igate within sessions. Memory Locations appear 2 In the Memory Locations window, click the
as markers under the Timebase Rulers. name of the memory location.

To define a memory location:

Viewing and Zooming
1 Navigate to the location at which you want to
store a marker or memory location. When viewing tracks in the Edit window, you
can adjust the height of tracks as well as zoom in
– or –
vertically and horizontally using the Track
Begin playback. Height selector and Zoom tools.

2 Press Enter on the numeric keypad while

stopped or during playback (or click the Markers Zoom buttons
icon).
Zoom presets Zoomer
In the New Memory Location window, you can
define a marker, store a selection, or store any
combination of the other available settings.
These settings include track height, group en-
ables, pre- and post-roll values, and track
Show/Hide status.

3 Choose settings for the memory location and

click OK.

Track Height Selector

Zoom and Track Height tools in the Edit window

New Memory Location window

46 Getting Started with Mbox

To change track height: To store a new Zoom preset definition:
■ Click the Track Height Selector, and select a ■ Command-click a Zoom preset number to

track height from the pop-up menu. store the current horizontal and vertical Zoom
to that preset.
You can apply many commands, including
track height selection, to more than just a Using Memory Locations for Zoom Control
single track. Hold down the Alt key (Win-
dows) or Option key (Macintosh) while per- Pro Tools Memory Locations let you store many
forming an operation to apply it to all attributes with each marker or memory loca-
tracks. Hold down both the Shift and Alt tion, including Track Height and Zoom Settings.
keys (Windows) or Shift and Option keys By creating Memory Locations that are neither
(Macintosh) while performing an operation Markers nor Selections, but have Track Height,
to apply it to all selected tracks. Zoom Settings, or other options enabled, you
can use Memory Locations to zoom in and out
To zoom in or out on any area of a track in the Edit using just the numeric keypad.
window:
For more information on creating memory
1 Click to select the Zoomer.
locations, see “Memory Locations” on
2 Click or drag with the Zoomer to zoom in hor- page 46.
izontally for a track or Ruler.
– or –
Importing Audio
Press Option and click or drag with the Zoomer
to zoom out horizontally for a track or Ruler. Pro Tools LE lets you import existing audio files
from disk. This is very useful if you have audio
To zoom in or out incrementally: files already recorded to disk or if you are work-
ing with CD-based sample libraries that you
■ In Pro Tools, click the appropriate Zoom but-
want to use in a new session.
ton:
• Left Arrow (Horizontal Zoom Out) To import audio files or regions from disk:
• Right Arrow (Horizontal Zoom In)
■ Choose File > Import Audio to Track to import
• Waveform and MIDI buttons, to increase or files and regions to new audio tracks (they will
decrease vertical zoom of the appropriate also appear as regions in the Audio Regions List).
track type (audio or MIDI)
– or –
Pro Tools also provides five Zoom preset but-
■ Choose Import Audio from the Audio Regions
tons. You can use these to immediately return to
List pop-up menu to import files and regions to
established zoom levels; you can define the
the Audio Regions List only.
magnification level for each preset, on a session-
by-session basis. For more information on importing audio
into sessions, refer to the Pro Tools Refer-
To use a stored Zoom preset: ence Guide.
■ Click the appropriate Zoom preset 1–5.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 47

 To import a CD audio track: 7 You can audition the audio file by clicking on
the speaker icon in the waveform window.
1 Put the source CD into your computer’s CD
drive.

2 Use a third party software program of your

choice to extract audio from the CD.

3 In the session, create a new track by choosing

File > New Track.

Auditioning an audio file in the Workspace Browser

Creating a new stereo audio track 8 Drag the audio file from the Workspace

4 In the New Track dialog, specify 1 Stereo Au- Browser to the audio track you created in your
dio Track, and click Create. session.

5 Open the Workspace Browser by choosing

Windows > Show Workspace. The Workspace
Browser is a window where you can find, audi-
tion, and manage your audio files.

Dragging the audio file from the Workspace Browser to

an audio track
Opening the Workspace Browser
If you are running Pro Tools on Mac OS X,
6 In the Workspace Browser, navigate to the lo-
you can import audio using the Movie > Im-
cation where you saved the audio you extracted
port Audio From Other Movie command.
from your CD in step 2.
For more information, see the Pro Tools Ref-
erence Guide.

DigiBase provides additional options for

importing audio. See the DigiBase Guide for
more information.

Browsing in the Workspace Browser

48 Getting Started with Mbox

 5 Use the Gain controls on Mbox to maximize
Basic Recording the signal going into Pro Tools while avoiding
clipping.
This section describes how to record audio and
MIDI into Pro Tools LE. Clipping occurs when you feed a signal to
an audio device that is louder than the cir-
Preparing for Recording cuitry can accept. To avoid clipping, adjust
the Gain control to a level where the Peak
To prepare an audio track for recording: LEDs on the front of the Mbox flicker occa-
sionally.
1 Verify the connections to your instruments.

6 On the front of the Mbox, turn the Mix knob

For more information about connecting in-
fully left to Input. To hear an equal mix of play-
struments to Mbox, refer to Chapter 4,
back and input signals, turn the Mix knob to the
“Mbox Hardware and Connections” as well
center. See Mbox Basics Guide for more informa-
as the Mbox Basics Guide.
tion on using the Mix knob during recording.
2 Create a new track to record on by choosing
File > New Track. Specify 1 Mono Audio Track Recording an Audio Track
and click Create.

3 In the Mix window, click the Input Selector on To record an audio track:
the new track. 1 Assign the input for a track and set its input
levels appropriately.

2 Click the Record Enable button for a track.

Input selector (See Figure 6 on page 44).

3 Choose Windows > Show Transport to display

the Transport window.

Choosing an input in the Mix window Return To Zero Fast Forward

4 From the pop-up menu, select the interface in- Rewind Play Go to End
put you want to record. For example, select Online Stop Record
Mic/Line 1 if your audio source is plugged into
the Source 1 jack on the back of the Mbox.

Transport window (Expanded view shown)

Routing an input to a mono track

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 49

 4 Click Return To Zero to start recording from 2 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 MIDI
the beginning of the session. You can also record Track, then click Create.
according to a selection or from the cursor loca-
3 In the Mix window, click the track’s MIDI Out-
tion in the Edit window.
put Selector and choose the destination (assign-
5 Click Record in the Transport window to en- ment) for that MIDI track by choosing a MIDI
able recording. interface port, a channel, or a device from the
pop-up menu. Choices vary depending on the
6 Click Play or press the Spacebar to record on
operating system, Pro Tools version, and the
all record-enabled tracks.
hardware and instruments you have connected.
7 Record your performance.

8 Click Stop in the Transport window or press

the Spacebar when you are finished recording.

To play back a recorded track:

1 Click the track’s Record Enable button a sec-
ond time to take it out of Record mode.

2 Click Play in the Transport window or press

the Spacebar to start playback.

3 Click Stop in the Transport window or press

the Spacebar to stop playback. MIDI Output Selector

4 You can assign a default program change to

Recording MIDI the track by clicking on the Program button in
the Mix window and making the necessary se-
To configure a MIDI track for recording: lections for program and bank select, and then
clicking Done. Default program changes are
1 For Macintosh systems, choose MIDI > Input
sent when playing a track.
Devices and make sure your input device is se-
lected in the MIDI Input Enable window. Click 5 In the Mix Window, record-enable the MIDI
OK to apply your changes. track.

6 Make sure MIDI > MIDI Thru is selected, then

play some notes on your MIDI controller. The
MIDI instrument assigned to the track should
sound, and the track’s meters should register
MIDI activity.

50 Getting Started with Mbox

To record onto a MIDI track: Monitoring MIDI Instruments Without a Mixer
1 Verify that the MIDI track you want to record To monitor your MIDI instrument’s analog out-
to is record-enabled and receiving MIDI. put, you can use an Auxiliary Input. Auxiliary
2 In the Transport window, click Return To Zero Inputs function as inputs for both internally
to start recording from the beginning of the ses- bussed signals and external audio sources.
sion. You can also record according to a selec-
tion or from the cursor location in the Edit To configure an Auxiliary Input for MIDI
monitoring:
window.
1 Connect the MIDI instrument’s audio output
3 Click Record in the Transport window.
to the appropriate inputs on your Mbox.
4 Click Play in the Transport window or press
2 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 mono
the Spacebar to begin recording.
or stereo Auxiliary Input, then click Create.
– or –
3 Click the Input selector of the Auxiliary Input
If using Wait for Note, the Play, Record, and channel and choose the input to which your
Wait for Note buttons flash. Recording begins MIDI instrument is connected.
when the first MIDI event is received.
4 Adjust the level of the Auxiliary Input with its
– or – volume fader.

If using Countoff, click Play. The Record and

Play buttons flash during the Countoff, then re-
cording begins. Editing
5 Play your MIDI instrument. Pro Tools LE provides several tools for editing
audio and MIDI. In the Edit window, audio and
6 When you have finished recording, click Stop
MIDI tracks can be edited into regions or re-
in the Transport window, or press the Spacebar.
peated in different locations, to create loops, re-
The newly recorded MIDI data appears as a MIDI
arrange sections or entire songs, or to assemble
region on the track in the Edit window, as well
tracks using material from multiple takes.
as in the MIDI Regions List.

Edit Modes Edit Tools

To play back a recorded MIDI track:
1 Click the Record Enable button to take the
MIDI track out of Record mode.
Edit modes and tools (Slip mode, Smart Tool enabled)
2 In the Transport window, click Return To Zero
to play back from the beginning of the track.
You can also play back according to a selection
or from the cursor location in the Edit window.

3 Click Play in the Transport window to begin

playback. The recorded MIDI data plays back
through the track’s assigned instrument and
channel.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 51

 Audio and MIDI editing are typically used to: Edit Tools
• Fix or replace mistakes
Pro Tools LE has seven Edit tools: Zoomer, Trim-
• Re-arrange songs and projects mer, Selector, Grabber, Scrubber, Pencil, and
• Clean up track timing and rhythm by Smart Tool. Select an Edit tool by clicking it in
aligning hits to Grid values like bars and the Edit window. The Zoomer, Trimmer, Grab-
beats ber, and Pencil tools have multiple modes,
• Create final tracks using selections from which you can select from a pop-up menu when
multiple takes (also known as comp tracks). you click the tool.

Trimmer Grabber
Edit Modes
Selector Scrubber
Pro Tools LE has four Edit modes: Shuffle, Spot,
Slip, and Grid. The Edit mode is selected by
clicking the corresponding button in the upper
left of the Edit window.

Zoomer Smart Tool Pencil

Edit tools in Edit window

Edit mode buttons Press the Escape key to toggle through the
Edit tools.
Press F1 (Shuffle), F2 (Slip), F3 (Spot), and
F4 (Grid) to set the Edit mode. For detailed descriptions of the Edit Tools,
refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
The Edit mode affects the movement and place-
ment of audio and MIDI regions (and individual Editing Regions
MIDI notes), how commands like Copy and
Paste function, and also how the various edit The Edit tools in Pro Tools LE are used to edit re-
tools (Trimmer, Selector, Grabber, and Pencil) gions in the Edit window.
work.

For detailed descriptions of Edit modes, re-

fer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Audio region

52 Getting Started with Mbox

Trimming Regions 6 Click at the end of the region and drag left to
shorten the region.
After recording an audio track, you will have an
audio region on that track. If there is some si-
lence at the beginning of the region, or there is
some extra audio at the end of the region, you
can use the Trimmer tool in Slip mode to
shorten the beginning or end of the region. The trimmed region

You can also extend a region using the Trimmer

tool if there is audio data beyond the current
boundaries of the region. If extending the re-
gion’s beginning, drag to the left; if extending
Audio region on a track the region’s end, drag to the right.

To trim an audio region: Arranging Regions

1 Select Slip mode.
There are many ways to edit and arrange re-
2 Select the Trimmer tool. gions; the following example demonstrates how
you might create and arrange a drum loop to
3 Move the cursor near the beginning of the au-
compose a rhythm track.
dio region (notice the cursor displays as a “[”).

To create and arrange a rhythm sequence:

1 Open or create a session in Pro Tools LE.

2 Specify the session meter (MIDI > Change

Trimming the beginning of a region Meter) and tempo (MIDI > Change Tempo).

4 Click at the beginning of the region and drag 3 Select Grid mode.
right to shorten the region. 4 Prepare to record using a MIDI click (see “Us-
5 Move the cursor near the end of the audio re- ing the Click Plug-In” on page 39 or “Using an
gion (notice the cursor displays as a “]”). External MIDI Click” on page 40).

5 Record a drum track (see “Recording an Audio

Track” on page 49) keeping in mind that you
want to use only the best bar (measure). Your re-
cording should fit the grid at the specified
tempo and meter.
Trimming the end of a region
– or –

Import an existing audio file, such as a drum

loop from a sample library, and place it on an
audio track (see “Importing Audio” on page 47).

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 53

 6 Click the Selector tool, and drag on the wave- could separate beats or “hits” into individual re-
form with the Selector to make a one-bar selec- gions and rearrange them in Grid or Shuffle
tion. Note that the selection snaps to the mode as a way of coming up with new and in-
specified grid. teresting rhythms.

Playlists and Nondestructive Editing

Playlists let you create and retrieve multiple ver-
sions of track edits. A playlist can be a complete
Making a selection in Grid mode take, an overdub, or an arrangement of selec-
tions from multiple takes. You can duplicate
7 Create a new audio track (File > New Track).
playlists to save edits in their current state, then
8 From the Grabber pop-up menu, select the continue making additional edits to the new
Separation Grabber tool. playlist knowing you can always go back to the
previous version.
9 With the Separation Grabber tool, drag the se-
lection to the beginning of the new audio track.
A new region is created and appears at the be- To create multiple playlists for editing:
ginning of the new track. 1 Start with a track on which you want to try
different edits.

2 From the Playlist Selector pop-up menu,

choose Duplicate.

Dragging a selection with the Separation Grabber tool

Playlist Selector
10 With the new region still selected, choose pop-up menu
Edit > Repeat.

Playlist Selector pop-up menu

3 Name the duplicated playlist and click OK.

4 Make your first series of edits.

5 Return to the original playlist by selecting it

Repeat dialog
from the Playlist Selector pop-up menu.
11 In the Repeat dialog, enter a number of re-
6 Repeat steps 2–5 for any further edits.
peats, and click OK.
In this way, you can try out different edits of a
You now have a new rhythm track with a
track, and switch back and forth between playl-
“looped” (repeated) phrase. You can use these
ists for comparison.
editing tools to do much more advanced and in-
volved editing of regions. For example, you

54 Getting Started with Mbox

 Send and Return Submixing for Effects
Mixing Processing
The Pro Tools mix environment provides many When you are submixing for reverb, delay, and
familiar channel strip controls for setting vol- similar effects processing, you can use sends and
ume, pan, solo, and mute. Mixer and I/O con- Auxiliary Inputs to achieve traditional send/re-
trols can be shown in both the Mix and Edit turn bussing. You can use a real-time plug-in
windows. (see “Plug-Ins” on page 57) as a shared resource
for all tracks included in a submix. The wet/dry
To view the Mix window: balance in the mix can be controlled using the
■ Select Windows > Show Mix. track faders (dry level) and Auxiliary Input fader
(wet, or effect return level).
Press Control+Equals (=) in Windows or
Command+Equals (=) on Macintosh to Creating a Send
switch between the Edit and Mix windows.
Pro Tools LE provides up to five sends per audio
Using Channel Strip Controls track. A send can be mono or stereo, routing to
an output or one of 16 internal bus paths.
Volume Increase or decrease the track level by
dragging its Volume fader up or down. To assign a send on a track:
Pan Pan a track left or right in the mix by drag- 1 Make sure Sends View is enabled in the Mix
ging its Pan slider left or right. window (Display > Mix Window Shows > Sends
View).
Solo Solo a track (muting all other tracks) by
clicking its Solo button. 2 Click the Sends button on an audio track and
choose a path from the pop-up menu.
Mute Mute a track by clicking its Mute button.

Basic Signal Routing

Signal routing is accomplished by assigning
track inputs and outputs. Audio track inputs can
be from any hardware input or bus path. Once
recorded, an audio track’s input is its audio file
on disk. Auxiliary Inputs can be any hardware
input or internal bus path. For all types of audio
tracks, outputs can be routed to any hardware Assigning a send to a stereo bus path
output or internal bus path.

Together, these signal routing features let you

set up virtually any mixer architecture for your
projects, including sends and returns for effects
processing and submixing.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 55

 3 Set the output level of the send. You can set 2 Click the Input Selector of the Auxiliary Input
the send level to zero by Option-clicking the and set it to the bus path you assigned to the
send fader. sends on the source tracks.

You can configure the default level for new 3 Click the Output Selector of the Auxiliary In-

sends to be –∞ or at unity gain (0 dB) by put and choose an output path.

enabling or disabling the Sends Default To
“–INF” option under the Operation Master Faders
Preferences.
Master Faders are used as output and bus mas-
Creating a Return ters, and can control any mono or stereo output
or bus path in a session. You can then use the
Auxiliary Inputs can be created to act as return
controls on the Master Fader to control the vol-
channels for busses, as well as for inputs from
ume, solo and mute, or apply inserts to those
hardware sources.
paths.
Send
Send window to bus 5–6 Real-time plug-in When you are mastering your final mix, it is rec-
ommended that you use a dither plug-in on the
Master Fader controlling your main outputs (for
more information on dither, see the Pro Tools
Reference Guide).

Dither plug-in applied to final mix

main mix
Output assigned to control

Aux Input
input from bus 5–6

Audio and Auxiliary Input tracks configured for a send

and return

To create a return:
Master Fader controlling main outputs
1 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 mono
or stereo Auxiliary Input, then click Create.

56 Getting Started with Mbox

To create a Master Fader: Real-time plug-ins are assigned to tracks from
the Inserts view in the Mix or Edit windows.
1 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 mono
Once assigned to a track, plug-ins appear in the
or stereo Master Fader track, then click Create.
track’s Inserts view, and can be opened by click-
2 In the Mix window, click the Master Fader’s ing the Insert button.
Output Selector and choose the output path
that you want to control. You can choose either Insert button Plug-In window

outputs or internal busses.

To use a Master Fader as a master stereo volume

control for all tracks in a session:
1 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 stereo
Master Fader track, then click Create.

2 Set the outputs of all audio tracks in the ses-

sion to outputs 1–2 and set the panning of each
track.

3 Set the output of the Master Fader to your

main output path (outputs 1–2).

Compressor plug-in

Plug-Ins To insert a real-time plug-in on a track:

Plug-ins provide EQ, dynamics, delay, and 1 Make sure the Inserts View is shown in the
many other types of effects processing, and Mix or Edit window.
function either in real time or in non-real time. 2 Click the Insert Selector on the track and se-
lect the plug-in that you want to use.
RTAS plug-ins are nondestructive effects, which
are inserted on tracks to process audio in real Pro Tools comes with a complete set of DigiRack
time—just like an external hardware processor plug-ins, and many more are available from
(during playback). Digidesign and our Development Partners.
AudioSuite plug-ins are used to process and
For more information about plug-ins, see
modify audio files on disk, rather than non-
the DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide, the Digide-
destructively in real time. Depending on how
sign Plug-Ins Guide, and the Plug-Ins chap-
you configure a non-real-time AudioSuite plug-
ter of the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
in, it will either create an entirely new audio file,
or alter the original source audio file.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 57

 Once written, automation can be re-written or
Mix Automation displayed and edited graphically in the Edit win-
dow.
Mix automation lets you record, or automate,
changes to track and send levels, mutes, pan,
and plug-in parameters. MIDI tracks provide
volume, pan, and mute automation only.

To write automation:
Track view set to Volume
1 In the Automation Enable window
Volume breakpoint automation
(Windows > Show Automation Enable), enable
an automation type (volume, pan, mute, send Volume automation in a track in the Edit window
level, send pan, send mute, or any plug-in auto-
mation). For more information on using automation,
see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
2 Select an automation mode for the tracks to be
automated (Write, Touch, or Latch mode).

3 Start playback and begin writing automation Final Mixdown

by adjusting faders and other controls during
playback. Pro Tools LE remembers all moves The Bounce to Disk command lets you write a fi-
performed on enabled parameters. nal mix to disk, create a new loop, print effects,
or bounce any submix. Once you have bounced
your final mix to disk, you can use another pro-
gram to burn the resulting file to compact disc.

When you bounce a track to disk, the bounced

mix includes the following:

Audible Tracks All audible tracks are included in

Enabling automation (left) and choosing a track
the bounce. Any muted tracks do not appear in
Automation mode (right)
the bounce. If you solo a track or region, only
the soloed elements appear in the bounced mix.

Automation All read-enabled automation is

played back and incorporated in the bounced
mix.

Inserts and Sends All active inserts, including

real-time plug-ins and hardware inserts, are ap-
plied to the bounced mix.

58 Getting Started with Mbox

Selection or Track Length If you make a selec-
tion in a track, the bounced mix will be the
length of the selection. If there is no selection in
any track, the bounce will continue until it
reaches the end of the session.

To Bounce to Disk:
1 Choose File > Bounce to Disk.

2 Select any mono or stereo output or bus path

as the source for the bounce.

3 Select the File Type (such as WAV), Format

(such as mono or stereo), Resolution (such as 16-
bit), and Sample Rate (such as 44.1 kHz).

To create a mixdown that can be written to

an audio CD, be sure to select WAV, stereo
interleaved, 16-bit, 44.1 kHz.

4 Click Bounce.

Using Dither on Mixdown

You should use a dither plug-in when using the
Bounce To Disk command, or when mastering
to an external device. Bounce to Disk does not
automatically apply dither. To dither a bounce
file, insert an included Digidesign Dither plug-
in, or another dither plug-in, on a Master Fader
assigned to the bounce source path. Master Fad-
ers are often preferable to Auxiliary Inputs be-
cause Master Fader inserts are post-fader (which
is better for dither applications).

For more information on using dither, refer

to the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 59

60 Getting Started with Mbox
appendix a

Windows System Optimizations

When installing Pro Tools on Windows XP,

there are many system variables that affect per- Advanced Settings
formance. If you have followed all the Windows
The following system optimizations may help
configuration instructions in Chapter 2, “Win-
Pro Tools perform better on some systems. It is
dows Configuration” and are still experiencing
recommended that you only try these optimiza-
problems, try the following troubleshooting
tions if necessary, as they may disable or ad-
suggestions.
versely affect the functionality of other pro-
Norton Ghost is highly recommended, as it grams on your system.
lets you save your system in a working state
Disabling Network Cards
and easily revert to that state should you ac-
cidentally disable anything that your com- If applicable, disable any networking cards
puter needs. (other than a 1394 “FireWire” card that you
might use to connect an external drive to your
For more information on Ghost, visit the Sy-
system).
mantec Web site (www.symantec.com)

To disable a network card:

Troubleshooting 1 Right-click My Computer and choose Man-

age.
Blue Screen at Startup 2 Under System Tools, select Device Manager.

If, after installing Pro Tools and QuickTime, 3 In the Device Manager window, double-click
your computer crashes with a blue screen, do Network adapters, then double-click the Net-
the following: work Adapter card you want to disable.
• Use Add/Remove Programs to uninstall
4 Under the General tab, choose “Do not use
Pro Tools.
this device (disable)” from the Device Usage
• Use Add/Remove Programs to uninstall pop-up menu, and click OK.
QuickTime.
5 Close the Computer Management window.
• Repeat the installation instructions in “In-
stalling Pro Tools LE and Mbox” on page 9.

Appendix A: Windows System Optimizations 61

 Processor Scheduling If you disable any of the following startup items,
do so carefully:
To Adjust Processor Scheduling Performance: • Portable media serial number (required for
1 Choose Start > Control Panel. applications that utilize a copy protection
key)
2 In Classic View, launch System.
• Plug and play
3 Click the Advanced tab. • Event log
4 Under the Performance section, click the Set- • Cryptographic services
tings button. • DHCP Client, TCP/IP Net BIOS, and other
networking-related items (unless the com-
5 Click the Advanced tab.
puter has no network or internet connec-
6 Under the Processor scheduling section, select tion, in which case these items can be
the Background Services option. disabled)

7 Under the Memory Usage section, select the Norton Ghost is highly recommended, as it
System cache option. lets you save your system in a working state
8 Click OK twice. You will need to restart your and easily revert to that state should you ac-
computer for the changes to take effect. cidentally disable anything that your com-
puter needs.
Startup Items
For more information on Ghost, visit the Sy-
The fewer items in use by your computer, the mantec Web site (www.symantec.com)
more resources are available for Pro Tools LE.
Some startup applications may be consuming To Disable System Startup Items:
unnecessary CPU resources, and should be 1 From the Start menu, choose Run.
turned off.
2 Type “msconfig” and click OK. The System
Configuration Utility opens.

3 Under the General tab, choose Selective

Startup.

4 Deselect Load Startup Items and click OK.

5 Click Restart to restart the computer.

6 After restarting your computer, a System Con-

figuration message dialog is displayed. Try
Pro Tools to see if performance has increased be-
fore you uncheck the don't show this message
again box. If performance has not changed, run
“msconfig” and return your computer Selective
Startup back to Normal Startup. Alternatively,
try disabling start up items and non-essential
processes individually.

62 Getting Started with Mbox

appendix b

Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only)

Introduction The ASIO Driver is not multi-client. Only

one application at a time can use the ASIO
The Digidesign ASIO Driver is a single-client Driver. Be sure to disable the Windows sys-
multichannel sound driver that allows third- tem sounds. It is also recommended that
party audio programs that support the ASIO you use a separate sound card for games or
standard to record and play back through the other general work.
following Digidesign audio interfaces:
• Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces
Check the Digidesign Web site
• Digi 002
(www.digidesign.com) for the latest third-
• Digi 002 Rack party drivers for Pro Tools hardware, as
• Mbox well as current known issues.

Full-duplex playback of 24- and 16-bit audio are

supported at sample rates up to 96 kHz, depend-
ing on your Digidesign hardware and ASIO pro- Compatible Software
gram used. This version of Digidesign ASIO Driver can be
used on Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools systems
The Digidesign ASIO Driver will provide up to
running on Windows XP.
18 channels of input and output, depending on
your Pro Tools hardware:
To use Digidesign ASIO Driver without
• Up to 8 channels of input and output with Pro Tools, use the stand-alone version of
Pro Tools|HD systems the Digidesign ASIO Driver. The stand-
• Up to 18 channels of input and output alone version of Digidesign ASIO Driver is
with Digi 002 and Digi 002 Rack available on the Digidesign Web site
• Up to 2 channels of input and output with (www.digidesign.com)
Mbox
For a list of ASIO Driver-compatible software,
see the compatibility page of the Digidesign
Web site (www.digidesign.com/compato).

Digidesign can only assure compatibility and

provide support for hardware and software it
has tested and approved.

Appendix B: Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only) 63

 For a list of Digidesign hardware systems, Digi-
design-qualified computers, operating systems, Configuring ASIO Driver
and devices, and Digidesign-qualified third- Settings
party ASIO-compatible programs, refer to the
Configuring ASIO Driver settings is done in your
compatibility page of the Digidesign Web site
third party ASIO program. See your program’s
(www.digidesign.com/compato).
documentation. For example, with Propeller-
head Reason, click on the ASIO Control Panel.

Installing the ASIO Driver

Digidesign ASIO Driver is automatically in-
stalled when you install Pro Tools.

To use Digidesign ASIO Driver without

Pro Tools, use the stand-alone version of
the Digidesign ASIO Driver. The stand-
alone version of Digidesign ASIO Driver is
ASIO Control Panel
available on the Digidesign Web site button
(www.digidesign.com)

Setup Example, using Propellerhead Reason

Removing the ASIO Driver
If you need to remove the ASIO Driver from ASIO Driver Control Panel
your computer, complete the following steps.
From the ASIO Driver Control Panel, you can
configure the ASIO Driver for your Pro Tools
To remove the ASIO Driver:
system.
1 Click Start.

2 Click Control Panel.

3 Double-click Add or Remove Programs.

4 From the Currently installed programs list, se-

lect Digidesign Pro Tools.

5 Click the Change/Remove button.

Digidesign ASIO Control Panel
6 Choose the Modify button.

7 Click Next.

8 Uncheck the ASIO Driver box.

9 Click Next.

10 When removal is complete, close the Add or

Remove Programs window.

64 Getting Started with Mbox

The Digidesign ASIO Driver Control Panel can- In some ASIO-compatible audio programs, per-
not be accessed under the following circum- forming various tasks will interrupt the ASIO
stances: Driver and may result in clicks and pops in au-
• When Pro Tools is running. dio playback or recording. Choosing medium or
• When playing or recording in an audio large buffers (such as 256, 512, or 1024) can help
program that does not support the ASIO alleviate this problem.
Driver. Changing the Buffer Size for the ASIO Driver
• When using a third-party audio program does not affect the H/W Buffer Size settings in
that has an option to keep the ASIO Driver the Pro Tools Playback Engine dialog.
“open” even when you are not playing or
recording. (You must close the audio pro- Device
gram before you can open the ASIO Driver
Control Panel.) The Device Type will always be set to your in-
stalled Pro Tools hardware.
Buffer Size Control
Advanced Button
When you play a file from a client audio pro-
gram, the client program divides the file into lit- The Advanced button opens the Hardware Setup
tle chunks (buffers) and sends each of these to dialog for the Digidesign hardware that you are
the ASIO Driver. The ASIO Driver copies the cli- using.
ent program’s buffers to your Digidesign hard-
ware’s own buffers in a double-buffering
scheme. The Buffer Size control in this dialog
lets you to set the size of each of the two buffers
the ASIO Driver uses on Digidesign hardware.
You may select from the following buffer sizes
(depending on your Digidesign hardware):
• 128 samples
• 256 samples
• 512 samples
• 1024 samples
• 2048 samples

Small buffers have the advantage of low latency

in the record monitor path. (Latency is the time
delay between a signal entering the audio inputs
and leaving the outputs during recording.)

Larger buffers have the advantage of making the

Digidesign ASIO Driver more immune to audio
dropouts during playback and recording.

Appendix B: Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only) 65

66 Getting Started with Mbox
appendix c

Digidesign WaveDriver (Windows Only)

Introduction Check the Digidesign Web site

(www.digidesign.com) for the latest third-
The Digidesign WaveDriver is a single-client, party drivers for Pro Tools hardware, as
multichannel sound driver that allows third- well as current known issues.
party audio programs that support the
WaveDriver MME (Multimedia Extensions)
standard to play back through the following
Digidesign audio interfaces:
Compatibility
• Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces This version of Digidesign WaveDriver can be
• Digi 002 used on Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools systems
running on Windows XP.
• Digi 002 Rack
• Mbox To use Digidesign WaveDriver without
Pro Tools, use the stand-alone version of
Playback of 24- and 16-bit audio are supported
the Digidesign WaveDriver. The stand-
at sample rates of up to 48 kHz, as supported by
alone version of Digidesign WaveDriver is
the hardware and WaveDriver program used.
available on the Digidesign Web site
The Digidesign WaveDriver will provide 2 chan- (www.digidesign.com)
nels of output.
Compatible Software
The WaveDriver is not multi-client. Only
one application at a time can use the For a list of WaveDriver-compatible software,
WaveDriver. Be sure to disable the Win- see the compatibility page of the Digidesign
dows system sounds. It is also recom- Web site (www.digidesign.com/compato).
mended that you use a separate sound card
Digidesign can only assure compatibility and
for games or other general work. For third-
provide support for hardware and software it
party soft-synthesizer and samplers, use the
has tested and approved.
Digidesign ASIO Driver (refer to the ASIO
Driver Usage Guide).

Appendix C: Digidesign WaveDriver (Windows Only) 67

 For a list of Digidesign hardware systems, Digi-
design-qualified computers, operating systems, Configuring WaveDriver for
and devices, and Digidesign-qualified third- QuickTime Player (Required
party WaveDriver-compatible programs, see the for Using iTunes)
compatibility page of the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com/compato). In order to let Digidesign hardware play back
through iTunes for Windows, you must config-
ure WaveDriver in the waveOut option of the
QuickTime Player SoundOut settings to wave-
Installing the WaveDriver Out.
Digidesign WaveDriver is automatically in-
stalled when you install Pro Tools. To configure WaveDriver as the iTunes default
device:
To use Digidesign WaveDriver without 1 Close all WaveDriver third-party applications
Pro Tools, use the stand-alone version of (including iTunes).
the Digidesign WaveDriver. The stand-
alone version of Digidesign WaveDriver is 2 Choose Start > Programs > QuickTime >

available on the Digidesign Web site QuickTime Player.

(www.digidesign.com) 3 In QuickTime Player, choose Edit > Prefer-
ences > QuickTime Preferences.

4 From the pop-up menu, choose Sound Out.

Removing the WaveDriver
5 From the Choose a device for playback pop-up
If you need to remove the WaveDriver from
menu, select the waveOut option (and the name
your computer, complete the following steps.
of your Digidesign device, if any).
1 Click Start.
6 Close QuickTime Player.
2 Click Control Panel.
7 Re-launch iTunes.
3 Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
You may also need to add iTunes to the
4 From the Currently installed programs list, se- WaveDriver Opt-In list. See “Adding Third
lect Digidesign Pro Tools. Party Applications to the WaveDriver Opt-
5 Click the Change/Remove button.
In List” on page 69.

6 Choose the Modify button.

7 Click Next.

8 Uncheck the WaveDriver box.

9 Click Next.

10 When removal is complete, close the Add or

Remove Programs window.

68 Getting Started with Mbox

 To configure WaveDriver for a third party
Configuring WaveDriver for WaveDriver application:
Windows Media Player and ■ In the third-party program, select the Digi-

Other Third-Party WaveDriver design audio interface as the preference for your
Programs playback hardware. Refer to your program’s doc-
umentation.
WaveDriver is configured in the Sounds and Au-
dio Devices Control Panel (for programs that You may also need to add your third party
use the Windows Sound Playback Default De- WaveDriver program to the WaveDriver
vice, such as Windows Media Player), or as a Opt-In list. See “Adding Third Party Appli-
preference for third-party WaveDriver pro- cations to the WaveDriver Opt-In List” on
grams. page 69.

To configure WaveDriver as the Windows Sound

Playback Default Device (for example, for
Windows Media Player):
Adding Third Party
Applications to the
1 Open the Sounds and Audio Devices Control
Panel.
WaveDriver Opt-In List
The Digidesign WaveDriver uses an Opt-In list
2 Click the Audio tab.
to control third party application access to the
3 Select the Digidesign audio interface in the Digidesign hardware. Some third party audio
Sound Playback default device lists. applications may not work with the WaveDriver
unless they are included in this Opt-In list.
4 Close the Control Panel. When you run Win-
dows Media Player, it automatically output to For the latest instructions for adding and remov-
your Digidesign hardware. ing applications to the WaveDriver Opt-In list,
refer to the Digidesign Web site (http://answer-
You may also need to add your third party
base.digidesign.com/detail.cfm?DID=27424).
WaveDriver program to the WaveDriver
Opt-In list. See “Adding Third Party Appli- Modifying the Digidesign WaveDriver Opt-
cations to the WaveDriver Opt-In List” on In list requires editing the Windows System
page 69. Registry. Because editing the Windows Reg-
istry is dangerous, and can result in prob-
lems if not done correctly, make sure to
carefully follow the instructions for adding
and removing applications.

Appendix C: Digidesign WaveDriver (Windows Only) 69

70 Getting Started with Mbox
appendix d

Digidesign CoreAudio Driver

(Macintosh Only)

The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver will provide

Introduction up to 18 channels of input and output, depend-
ing on your Pro Tools hardware:
The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver is a multi-cli-
ent, multichannel sound driver that allows • Up to 8 channels of input and output with
CoreAudio compatible applications to record Pro Tools|HD systems
and play back through the following Digidesign • Up to 18 channels of input and output
audio interfaces. with Digi 002 and Digi 002 Rack
• Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces • Up to 2 channels of input and output with
• Digi 002 Mbox

• Digi 002 Rack For Pro Tools TDM systems with more than
• Mbox one card and multiple I/Os, only the pri-
mary I/O connected to the first (core) card
Full-duplex recording and playback of 24-bit au-
can be used with CoreAudio.
dio is supported at sample rates up to 96 kHz,
depending on your Digidesign hardware and
CoreAudio client application. Check the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com) for the latest third-
party drivers for Pro Tools hardware, as
well as current known issues.

Appendix D: Digidesign CoreAudio Driver (Macintosh Only) 71

 Compatible Software
What are the Limitations of
the Digidesign CoreAudio For a list of CoreAudio Driver-compatible soft-
ware, refer to the Digidesign Web site
Driver? (www.digidesign.com/compato).
The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver has the fol-
Digidesign can only assure compatibility and
lowing limitations:
provide support for hardware and software it
◆ Pro Tools is not a CoreAudio application and
has tested and approved.
therefore requires exclusive access to Digidesign
hardware. You cannot use CoreAudio applica- For a list of Digidesign hardware systems, Digi-
tions and Pro Tools at the same time. To use design-qualified computers, operating systems,
Pro Tools, make sure you quit any CoreAudio and devices, and Digidesign-qualified third-
applications before starting Pro Tools. To use a party CoreAudio-compatible applications, refer
CoreAudio application, make sure you quit to the compatibility page of the Digidesign Web
Pro Tools before starting any CoreAudio appli- site (www.digidesign.com/compato).
cation.
◆ The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver cannot be
used to preview sound files from the Finder. Installing the Digidesign
When a sound file is located in the Mac OS X CoreAudio Driver
navigation window, a QuickTime transport bar
is displayed next to it. The QuickTime transport The Core Auto Driver is installed by default
bar lets you audition the sound file. The sound when you install Pro Tools.
will always play back though the Macintosh’s
built-in audio controller (through the Macin- Stand-Alone CoreAudio Driver Installer
tosh’s speaker or headphone jack). However, if
This version of Digidesign CoreAudio Driver can
you double-click a sound file, the QuickTime ap-
be installed on Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools
plication will launch, and can use the Digi-
systems running on Macintosh (for example, if
design CoreAudio Driver for playback.
the CoreAudio Driver was uninstalled), or it can
◆ The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver cannot be
be installed as a stand-alone driver on Macin-
used for playback of System Sounds. tosh systems that do not have Pro Tools in-
stalled.

For detailed information on installing and

Compatibility configuring CoreAudio Driver on systems
This version of Digidesign CoreAudio Driver can with or without Pro Tools, see the electronic
be used on Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools sys- pdf of the CoreAudio Usage Guide.
tems running on Macintosh, or it can be used as
a stand-alone driver on Digidesign-qualified
Macintosh systems that do not have Pro Tools
installed.

72 Getting Started with Mbox

 Digidesign CoreAudio Manager
Removing the CoreAudio
Driver Use Digidesign CoreAudio Manager to change
the CoreAudio Buffer Size setting, access the
To uninstall the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver: Hardware Setup dialog for your Digidesign hard-
ware and control volume and mute for the Core-
1 Power on your system.
Audio driver. Digidesign CoreAudio Manager
2 Do one of the following: also identifies your Digidesign hardware, the
• On the Pro Tools Installer CD, locate and supported number of Input and Output Chan-
double-click the Install CoreAudio file. nels and the number of attached clients (appli-
cations).
– or –
• From the Digidesign Web site, download, Digidesign CoreAudio Manager cannot be ac-
locate, and double-click the Install Core- cessed under the following circumstances:
Audio file. • When Pro Tools is running

3 In the Install CoreAudio window, select Un- • When another application is using Direct
install from the Custom Install pop-up menu. IO (such as the Ableton Live Digi Edition)

4 When the uninstall is complete, quit the The Digidesign CoreAudio Manager application
CoreAudio Installer. launches automatically when the first client ap-
plication accesses the CoreAudio driver. You can
prevent an application from accessing the Core-
Audio driver by holding down the Shift key just
Configuring the Digidesign before the application would access the Core-
CoreAudio Driver Audio driver, typically during launch of the ap-
plication. Certain applications (such as Apple
You can configure the Digidesign CoreAudio
Mail and iChat), do not access the CoreAudio
Driver using Digidesign CoreAudio Manager, or
application until they first play a sound, so you
from within most third-party CoreAudio-com-
will need to hold down the Shift key just prior to
patible client applications (such as BIAS Peak or
sound playback in order to “opt-out” of using
Logic Audio). Consult the manufacturer’s docu-
Digidesign hardware for playback.
mentation for more information. v

Some applications (such as Apple’s iTunes or

QuickTime Player), also require that you config-
ure either the Apple Sound Preferences or Apple
Audio MIDI Setup to use the Digidesign Core-
Audio Driver.

Figure 7. Digidesign CoreAudio Setup

Appendix D: Digidesign CoreAudio Driver (Macintosh Only) 73

 Buffer Size 2 From the Buffer Size pop-up menu, select the
desired CoreAudio buffer size (in samples). Gen-
You may select from the following buffer sizes erally, smaller buffer sizes are preferable. How-
(depending on your Digidesign hardware): ever, if you experience any problems with
• 64 samples performance (such as clicks and pops during re-
• 128 samples cording or playback), try increasing the Core-
• 256 samples Audio Buffer Size setting. You can also change
• 512 samples the buffer size from within the client applica-
tion if it is the only client attached to the Core-
• 1024 samples
Audio driver. Once two or more clients are
• 2048 samples active, you will not be able to change the sample
Small buffers have the advantage of low latency rate or the buffer size.
in the record monitor path, but also are more
taxing on your computer’s CPU and could con- HW Setup Button
tribute to dropouts in your audio during record
The HW Setup button opens the Hardware
or playback. (Latency is the time delay between
Setup dialog for your Digidesign hardware. For
a signal entering the audio inputs and leaving
more information, refer to the Getting Started
the outputs during recording.)
Guide for your Pro Tools system or the Pro Tools
Larger buffers have the advantage of making the Reference Guide.
Digidesign CoreAudio Driver more immune to
audio dropouts during playback and recording, To configure Digidesign CoreAudio HW Setup:
but can cause a noticeable delay when monitor- 1 Launch Digidesign CoreAudio Manager (lo-
ing your inputs in the recording process. In cated in /Applications/Digidesign).
some CoreAudio-client applications, perform-
2 Click the HW Setup button to open the Hard-
ing various tasks will interrupt the CoreAudio
Driver and may result in clicks and pops in au- ware Setup dialog. The HW Setup button will
dio playback or recording. Choosing medium or only be available when no clients are using the
large buffers (such as 512 or 1024) can help alle- CoreAudio driver.
viate this problem.

Changing the Buffer Size for the Digidesign

CoreAudio Driver does not affect the H/W
Buffer Size settings in the Pro Tools Playback En-
gine dialog.

To configure Digidesign CoreAudio Hardware

Buffer Size:
1 Launch Digidesign CoreAudio Manager (lo- Figure 8. Hardware Setup dialog
cated in /Applications/Digidesign).

74 Getting Started with Mbox

3 Configure the Hardware Setup dialog for your Use D-Control Stereo Routing (L/R to 1/5) En-
Digidesign hardware. If you have more than one able this option to configure the CoreAudio
audio interface connected to your Pro Tools driver to output through the D-Controls stan-
TDM system, be sure to select and configure dard stereo routing outputs 1 and 5.
only the primary audio interface connected to
the core card. Mirror Analog Outs 1 & 2 to Digital Outs (002
Only) When using Digi 002 or Digi 002 Rack, en-
For more information on the Hardware able this option to mirror the main outputs
Setup dialog, refer to your Getting Started through the digital outputs that are selected in
Guide or the Pro Tools Reference Guide. the HW Setup panel.

4 When you are finished, click OK to close the Connect Button

Hardware Setup dialog.
The Connect button is available when the Digi-
Prefs Button design CoreAudio Manager is launched and can-
not connect with the Digidesign hardware (such
The Prefs button opens the Digidesign Core- as when Pro Tools is launched and the hardware
Audio Manager Preferences dialog for the Man- is disconnected or disabled). Before trying to
ager application. There are several options avail- connect, make sure to quit Pro Tools and make
able for control and configuration of the sure that your hardware is connected and
Manager application. When finished setting turned on. You can then click on the Connect
these options, click OK to close the Digidesign button to acquire the hardware.
CoreAudio Manager Preferences windows.
If any application is launched prior to press-
ing the Connect button and you want that
application to use the CoreAudio driver for
playback, you will need to quit and re-
launch the application for it to connect
properly to the Digidesign CoreAudio Man-
ager.

Quit Button
Figure 9. Digidesign CoreAudio Manager
Use the Quit button to quit the Digidesign Core-
Enable this option to hide the Manager panel af- Audio Manger. Be sure to quit any client appli-
ter the first client application accesses the Core- cations before using the Quit button in the
Audio driver. To open the Manager panel, click Manager. If any applications are currently at-
on the Digidesign CoreAudio Manager applica- tached to the Manager application when quit-
tion icon in the Dock. ting, you may get an error message indicating
that the Digidesign hardware is no longer avail-
Auto-Quit Manager when Last Client Quits En-
able. You may have to change the application’s
able this option to make the Manager applica-
preferences to use different hardware for play-
tion quit when there are no longer any clients
back or possibly quit and relaunch the applica-
using the CoreAudio driver.
tion for proper playback to be resumed.

Appendix D: Digidesign CoreAudio Driver (Macintosh Only) 75

 Configuring the Apple Sound 4 Click the Input tab and select Digidesign HW
Preferences or Apple Audio MIDI as the device for sound input.
Setup
To use your Digidesign hardware with common
CoreAudio-compatible playback applications
(such as Apple iTunes or QuickTime Player), you
will need to configure either Sound Preferences
or Audio MIDI Setup in addition to Digidesign
CoreAudio Setup. However, for most Core-
Audio-compatible client applications (such as
BIAS Peak or Cubase SX) this is unnecessary be-
cause you can configure the CoreAudio Buffer
Size setting, and input and output channels
from within the application.

Apple Sound Preferences

Sound Preferences, Input tab
To configure the Apple Sound Preferences: 5 Quit System Preferences.
1 Launch System Preferences (Apple menu >
System Preferences). Apple Audio MIDI Setup
2 Click Sound.
To configure the Apple Audio MIDI Setup:
3 Click the Output tab and select Digidesign
1 Launch Audio MIDI Setup (located in
HW as the device for sound output.
Home/Applications/Utilities).

2 Select the Audio Devices tab.

Sound Preferences, Output tab

Apple Audio MIDI Setup application, Audio tab

76 Getting Started with Mbox

3 From the System Settings Default Input pop-
up menu, select Digidesign HW.

4 From the System Settings Default Output pop-

up menu, select Digidesign HW.

Leave System Output and Selected Audio

Device set to Built-in audio controller. The
Digidesign CoreAudio Driver cannot be
used for system sounds.

Appendix D: Digidesign CoreAudio Driver (Macintosh Only) 77

78 Getting Started with Mbox
appendix e

Configuring Midi Studio Setup

(Windows Only)

MIDI Studio Setup Window

MIDI Studio Setup
The MIDI Studio Setup window is organized
MIDI Studio Setup (MSS) lets you configure the into three sections. Interface controls are at the
MIDI controllers and sound modules that are top of the window. All the currently defined in-
connected to your system, and control the rout- struments are displayed in the Instrument
ing of MIDI data between your MIDI equipment Name list on the left side of the window. A de-
and Pro Tools. tailed view of MIDI parameters is shown in the
Properties section on the right.
MSS automatically finds MIDI interfaces, and
lets you specify a custom name for each of the
MIDI ports within the MIDI Studio Setup docu-
ment.

MSS also supports XML-based patch file names

for storing and importing patch names for your
external MIDI devices.

Entire MIDI Studio Setup configurations created

within MSS can be imported and exported.
MIDI Studio Setup window

Interface Controls
Create This button adds a new instrument to
the Instrument Name list.

Delete This button deletes the instrument or in-

struments selected in the Instrument Name list.

Import This button lets you import an existing

MIDI Studio Setup file.

Export This button lets you export the current

MIDI Studio Setup file.

Appendix E: Configuring Midi Studio Setup (Windows Only) 79

 Show Duplicate Emulated Ports If you are using To define an instrument with MIDI Studio Setup:
a MIDI interface that supports timestamping
1 Choose Setups > MIDI Studio Setup.
(such as MIDI I/O), when the Show Duplicate
Emulated Outputs option is selected, the MIDI 2 Click Create.
Studio Setup window shows both the Direct-
3 In the Instrument Name field, type the name
Music time-stamped output ports, and non-
of your instrument, and press enter.
stamped duplicate emulated output ports.
If you do not enter an instrument name, the
Some MIDI Interfaces will not properly load
Instrument Name field will automatically
or unload their drivers unless you quit and
inherit information from the Manufacturer
re-launch Pro Tools. Check the documenta-
and Model pop-up menu.
tion that came with your MIDI interface for
more information. 4 Set a manufacturer and model for the new de-
vice from the corresponding pop-up menus. If
Instrument List the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus do
not provide a name for your particular device,
The Instrument list contains all the currently
choose None.
defined instruments. Selecting an instrument in
the list displays that instrument’s properties in 5 From the Input pop-up menu, choose the in-
the Properties section of the window. put port on your MIDI interface that is con-
nected to the MIDI Out of your instrument.
Properties Section
6 From the Output pop-up menu, choose the
The Properties section lets you edit information output port on your MIDI interface that is con-
for new instruments, or instrument currently se- nected to the MIDI In of your instrument.
lected in the Instrument list.
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-de-

finable instrument name for the currently se-
lected instrument.

MIDI Studio Setup Properties section Manufacturer

When a previously defined instrument is se- The Manufacturer pop-up menu provides a list
lected in the Instrument list, the Properties sec- of MIDI equipment manufacturers. This list is
tion changes to reflect the properties of the se- derived from the XML-based MIDI device files.
lected instrument.
For more information, see “Patch Name
Support” on page 81.

80 Getting Started with Mbox

Model
Patch Name Support
The Model pop-up menu provides a list of MIDI
devices, filtered by the manufacturer name. This Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup
list is derived from the XML-based MIDI device Language) for storing and importing patch
files provided with your Pro Tools installation. names for you external MIDI devices. Pro Tools
installs MIDI patch name files (.midnam) for the
For more information, see “Patch Name factory default patch names of many common
Support” on page 81. MIDI devices. These files reside in directories,
sorted by manufacturer, in Program Files\
Input Port Common Files\Digidesign\MIDI Patch Names\
The Input Port pop-up menu displays a list of Digidesign.
available MIDI interface input ports. The MIDI
interface port that is set and displayed here is To import MIDI patch names into Pro Tools:
the port through which MIDI data is sent from 1 Verify the MIDI Device name in the MIDI Stu-
the external MIDI device specified in the Instru- dio Setup window (see “MIDI Studio Setup” on
ment Name field into your MIDI interface. page 79).

If you set the input port to None, the defined 2 Verify the MIDI track’s output is correctly as-
instrument will not appear as a choice in a signed to the MIDI device.
MIDI Input Selector.
3 Click the MIDI track’s Program button.

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 Program button
the MIDI device specified in the Instrument
Name field.

If you set the output port to None, the de- Program button, Edit window
fined instrument will not appear as a choice
in a MIDI Output Selector.
Program button
Send Channels

The Send Channels grid sets the send channels

for the MIDI device specified in the Instrument
Name field.

Receive Channels
Program button, Mix window
The Receive Channels grid sets the receive chan-
nels for the MIDI device specified in the Instru-
ment Name field.

Appendix E: Configuring Midi Studio Setup (Windows Only) 81

 4 In the Patch Select dialog, click the Change To clear patch names:
button.
■ In the Patch Select dialog, click the Clear but-

ton, and click Done.

MIDI patch name files (.midnam) can be

edited in any text editor, or you can use
third party patch librarian and editor soft-
ware to create your own custom patch
names.

Change button

Patch Select dialog

5 In the Open dialog, navigate to Program

Files\Common Files\Digidesign\MIDI Patch
Names\Digidesign\<name of manufacturer>,
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 win-
dow.

Patch Select dialog with patch names

Once patch names have been imported into

Pro Tools, they are available for that MIDI de-
vice in all sessions.

82 Getting Started with Mbox

appendix f

Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only)

2 Click the MIDI Devices tab. AMS scans your

Audio MIDI Studio system for connected MIDI interfaces. If your
MIDI interface is properly connected, it appears
Pro Tools recognizes the ports on your MIDI in-
in the window with each of its ports numbered.
terface as generic ports. With Mac OS X, you use
Apple’s Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) utility to iden-
tify 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 Launch Audio MIDI Setup (located in Applica-
tions/Utilities).
– or –

In Pro Tools, choose Setups > Edit MIDI Studio

Setup.
Audio MIDI Setup (MIDI Devices tab)

3 For any MIDI devices connected to the MIDI

interface, click Add Device. A new external de-
vice icon with the default MIDI keyboard image
will appear.

4 Drag the new device icon to a convenient lo-

cation within the window.

Appendix F: Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) 83

 5 Connect the MIDI device to the MIDI inter- To configure an external MIDI device:
face by clicking the arrow for the appropriate
1 Select the external device icon and click Show
output port of the device and dragging a con-
Info (or double-click the new device icon).
nection or “cable” to the input arrow of the cor-
responding port of the MIDI interface.

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 de-
Making MIDI input and output connections vice, you can type a name.)
6 Click the arrow for the appropriate input port
of the device and drag a cable to the output ar-
row of the corresponding port of the MIDI inter-
face.

To remove a connection, select the cable and

press Delete. To delete all connections, click
Clear Cables. Naming a new MIDI device

7 Repeat steps 3–6 for each MIDI device in your

AMS refers to one or more files with the suf-
MIDI setup.
fix “.middev” in the directory Root/Li-
brary/Audio/MIDI Devices for Manufac-
turer and Model names. Pro Tools installs
two such files that contain information for
many commercially available MIDI devices,
“Legacy Devices.middev” and “Digidesign
Devices.middev.” If the Manufacturer or
Model names for any of your external MIDI
devices is not available in the AMS Manu-
facturer and Model pop-up menus, you can
add them by editing any of the current
.middev files in any text editor (such as
TextEdit).

84 Getting Started with Mbox

3 Click the More Properties arrow to expand the 4 Click the device image. The window expands
dialog, then enable the appropriate MIDI chan- to show images for various MIDI devices (such
nels (1–16) for the Transmits and Receives op- as keyboards, modules, interfaces, and mixers).
tions. (These determine which channels the Select an icon for your device.
device will use to send and receive MIDI.)

Selecting a device icon

Enabling MIDI channels
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 de-
vice window.

5 Click OK.

The device names you enter appear as MIDI in-

put and output choices in Pro Tools.

Appendix F: Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) 85

 4 In the Patch Select dialog, click the Change
Patch Name Support button.

Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup

Language) for storing and importing patch
names for you external MIDI devices. Pro Tools
installs MIDI patch name files (.midnam) for the
factory default patch names of many common
MIDI devices. These files reside in directories,
sorted by manufacturer, in /Library/Audio/MIDI
Patch Names/Digidesign.
Change button
To import MIDI patch names into Pro Tools: Patch Select dialog
1 Verify the MIDI Device name in the Audio
5 In the Open dialog, navigate to /Library/Au-
MIDI Setup window (see “Audio MIDI Studio” dio/MIDI Patch Names/Digidesign/<name of
on page 83). manufacturer>, and select the MIDI Patch Name
2 Verify the MIDI track’s output is correctly as- file (.midnam) for the MIDI device.
signed to the MIDI device. 6 Click Open.
3 Click the MIDI track’s Program button.
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 win-
dow.

Once patch names have been imported into

Program button Pro Tools, they are available for that MIDI de-
vice in all sessions.

Program button, Edit window To clear patch names:

■ In the Patch Select dialog, click the Clear but-

ton, and click Done.

Program button
MIDI patch name files (.midnam) can be
edited in any text editor, or you can use
third party patch librarian and editor soft-
ware to create your own custom patch
names.

Program button, Mix window

86 Getting Started with Mbox

index

Numerics C
32K clusters 16 channel strip controls
Mute 55
A Pan 55
Solo 55
AMS (Audio MIDI Setup) 83
Volume 55
configuring MIDI devices in 84
click 40
ASIO driver 10, 63
Click plug-in
audio
Accented parameter 39
analog 34
Unaccented parameter 39
editing 51
importing 47, 48 Clock Source 15, 24
monitoring 33 cluster size 16
preparing 49 CoreAudio driver 20, 71
routing 49, 55 CPU Usage Limit 22
audio connections
home stereo 34 D
self-powered monitors 34 DAE Playback Buffer Size 23
Audio Regions List 44 defragment
audio tracks 43, 44 Windows 17
authorization code Disk Cleanup 16
Windows 12
authorizing Pro Tools 21
automation 58
creating 58
Auxiliary Inputs 43, 44, 51, 55

B
Bounce to Disk command 58

Index 87
 E H
Edit mode buttons 52 hard drive
Edit modes 52 and Macintosh system drive 25
Grid 52 and Windows system drive 17
selecting 52 hard drives
Shuffle 52 cluster size 16
Slip 52 formatting 25
Spot 52 maintenance 17
Edit tools 52 space requirements 3
Grabber 52 Windows maintenance 16
Pencil 52 Hardware Buffer Size 22
Scrubber 52 hardware installation 7
Selector 52 USB 9
Smart Tool 52 headphones
Trimmer 52 gain control 31
Zoomer 52 output
Edit window 38 back panel 31
editing 51 front panel 31
editing regions 52 HFS 12
Hibernate 8
F
fade files 37 I
FAT32 16 I/O Setup
firmware 10 Macintosh configuration 15, 24
Windows configuration 15
G importing audio 47, 48
gain indicators
headphones 31 peak level 30
input 29 phantom power 29
S/PDIF input 30
Grabber tool 52
USB connection 30
Grid mode 52
Input Format 23
input gain 29
inputs
analog 32
digital 32
inserts 32
analog on Mbox 34
plug-ins 57

K
key commands 5

88 Getting Started with Mbox

L P
latency Pan slider 55
see monitoring peak indicators 30
Pencil tool 52
M phantom power 32, 34
MacOpener 11 indicator 29
Master Faders 43, 44, 56 when to use 29
creating 57 playback
Mbox starting and stopping 42
features 1 Playback Engine dialog 41
back panel 31 playlists 54
front panel 29 creating 54
memory locations 46, 47 plug-ins 57
defining 46 power
recalling 46 Windows System Standby 8
MIDI Pro Tools
connections 36 authorizing 21
editing 51 capabilities 2
monitoring 51 main windows 38
MIDI click 40 software configuration 22
MIDI controls 40, 42 validating 21
MIDI Regions List 44 Windows configuration 12
MIDI tracks 43, 44 Pro Tools LE
mix automation 58 installing, Windows 9
mix control 30 Program Change dialog 82, 86
Mix window 38, 55
mixing 55 Q
monitoring 33 QuickTime 10
audio 33
MIDI 51 R
when overdubbing 30 ratio control 30
zero latency 30 recording
mono switch 30 audio 49
multi-processor 22 MIDI 51
Mute button 55 regions 44
arranging 53
N creating 44
NTFS 16 editing 52
trimming 53
returns 56
O creating 56
outputs rulers 38
analog 32
digital 32

Index 89
 S T
S/PDIF I/O 32 tempo 39
S/PDIF input indicator 30 setting 39
S/PDIF mirroring 35 tempo events 39
Sample Rate 14, 23 track height
Scrubber tool 52 changing 47
Selector tool 52 tracks 43
sends 44, 55 audio 43, 44
assigning 55 Auxiliary Inputs 43, 44, 55
creating 43
sessions 37
Master Faders 43, 44, 56
creating 37
MIDI 43, 44
duplicating 41
playing back audio 50
navigating 45
playing back MIDI 51
saving 37, 41
recording audio 49
saving copies of 41
recording MIDI 51
Shuffle mode 52
types 43
Slip mode 52
Transport
Smart Tool 52 MIDI controls 42
Solo button 55 Transport window 38, 42
sources Trimmer tool 52
analog 32, 34
connecting 34, 35
instrument 29 U
line 29 USB 9
microphone 29 connection indicator 30
selecting 29 port 21
Spot mode 52
submixing 55 V
system requirements validating Pro Tools 21
MIDI 36 validating Pro Tools software
System settings Windows configuration 12
for Windows 7 Volume fader 55
system settings 41
Clock Source 15, 24 W
CPU Usage Limit 22
WaveDriver 11
DAE Playback Buffer Size 23
Windows
Hardware Buffer Size 22
required System settings 7
I/O Setup 15, 24
System Standby 8
Input Format 23
Sample Rate 14, 23 windows 38
Edit window 38
System Usage window 41
Mix window 38, 55
Transport window 38, 42
Windows System Standby 8
Windows XP
maintenance 16
Workspace 38

90 Getting Started with Mbox

Z
Zoom presets 47
recalling 47
storing 47
Zoomer tool 52
Zooming 46

Index 91