Avid Pro Tools Mbox 3 Pro Manual

®
Mbox Pro User Guide

Version 8.0.4
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(hereafter “Avid”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright
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Pro Tools, Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, QuickPunch, Recti-Fi,
Reel Tape, Reso, Reverb One, ReVibe, RTAS, Sibelius,
Smack!, SoundReplacer, Sound Designer II, Strike, Structure,
SYNC HD, SYNC I/O, Synchronic, TL Aggro, TL AutoPan,
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availability are subject to change without notice.
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contents
Chapter 1. Welcome to Mbox Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Mbox Pro Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Pro Tools LE Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
System Requirements and Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Conventions Used in This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
About www.avid.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chapter 2. Installing Pro Tools on Mac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Launching Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Uninstalling Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chapter 3. Installing Pro Tools on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Launching Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Uninstalling Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Chapter 4. Configuring Your Pro Tools System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Configuring Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Configuring the Pro Tools Hardware Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Optimizing a Mac System for Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Contents iii
Chapter 5. Mbox Pro Hardware Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Mbox Pro Front Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Mbox Pro Back Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Chapter 6. Making Studio Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Connecting Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Connecting Audio Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Connecting a Microphone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Connecting Instruments to the Mbox Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Connecting Keyboards and Mixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Digital Input and Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
MIDI Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Word Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Using a Footswitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Appendix A. Using the Driver Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Additional Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Stereo Mixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Using the Stereo Mix Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Appendix B. Using the Multi Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Using the Multi Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Press and Release Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Press and Hold Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Hold Duration Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Appendix C. Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Audio MIDI Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
MIDI Patch Name Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Appendix D. Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

MIDI Studio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
MIDI Patch Name Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
iv Mbox Pro User Guide

Appendix E. Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Avoid Recording to the System Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Supported Drive Formats and Drive Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Formatting an Audio Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Partitioning Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Defragmenting an Audio Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Using Mac Drives on Windows Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Hard Disk Storage Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Appendix F. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Backing Up Your Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Common Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Performance Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Before You Call Avid Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Appendix G. Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
About the Pro Tools Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Appendix H. Compliance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Environmental Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
EMC (Electromagnetic Compliance). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Safety Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Contents v
vi Mbox Pro User Guide
chapter 1
Welcome to Mbox Pro
Welcome to the Mbox® Pro desktop production • Two XLR/TRS (Mic/DI) combo connectors
system from Avid®. on the front panel, and two 1/4-inch TRS
Line connectors with switchable +4/-10 in-
Mbox Pro and Pro Tools LE® provide your put level on the rear panel.
FireWire-equipped computer with six channels
• Mic preamps feature a –20 dB pad and soft-
of analog audio input, six channels of analog au-
limit switch separately on each analog in-
dio output, two channels of S/PDIF digital audio
put channel.
input and output, MIDI and Word Clock I/O,
and two front panel headphone outputs with • Mic/DI signal is adjusted by the Gain knob
independent level controls. Mbox Pro provides for each channel.
professional-quality mic preamps and 24- • Two additional channels of analog audio in-
bit/192 kHz analog-to-digital and digital-to-ana- put with high quality microphone preamps.
log converters. Each input channel 3–4 provides:
• +48v Phantom Power and inserts.
• Analog input jacks include two XLR Mic
Mbox Pro Features connectors on the rear panel, and two 1/4-
inch TRS Line connectors with switchable
The Mbox Pro provides the following: +4/-10 input level also on the rear panel.
• Mic preamps feature a –20 dB pad and soft-
Audio Inputs and Outputs limit switch separately on each analog in-
Mbox Pro lets your Pro Tools LE sessions utilize put channel.
up to eight discrete channels of input and up to • Mic signal is adjusted by the Gain knob for
eight discrete channels of output, using the fol- each channel.
lowing analog and digital I/O: • Two channels of analog audio input via RCA
or 1/8-inch connectors (Aux 5/6). Each input
Analog Inputs
channel provides:
• Two channels of analog audio input with high
• Analog input jacks provide an unbalanced
quality microphone preamps (inputs 1–2).
line input on either RCA connectors or a
Each input channel 1–2 provides:
1/8-inch mini stereo connector (common
• +48v Phantom Power and inserts. for connecting most MP3 players).
Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox Pro 1

• Inputs are fully functioning inputs to • Multi-pin port (DB15 connection) that han-
Pro Tools as well as providing an alternate dles Word Clock, MIDI, and S/PDIF via break-
monitor source using the Speaker button. out Cable (included).
Analog Outputs
• Six balanced 1/4-inch TRS analog outputs,
supporting line level outputs, multiple stereo
Pro Tools LE Capabilities
monitors, or up to 5.1 surround monitoring. Pro Tools LE™ on Mac or Windows provides the
• Insert jacks (1–4) for inserting external pro- following capabilities with Mbox Pro:
cessing devices on input channels. • Playback of up to 48 mono or stereo digital
• 24-bit A/D and D/A converters, supporting audio tracks, or a combination of playing
sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, back and recording up to 48 mono or stereo
96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and 192 kHz. digital audio tracks, depending on your
computer’s capabilities.
Digital I/O • Up to 128 audio tracks (with up to 48 active
• Two channels of S/PDIF digital input and out- tracks), 128 Auxiliary Input tracks, 64 Mas-
put. S/PDIF inputs are available independent ter Fader tracks, 256 MIDI tracks, and 32 In-
of, and in addition to, analog inputs 1–6 strument tracks per session.
when clocking to S/PDIF. S/PDIF outputs are • 16-bit or 24-bit audio resolution, at sample
always available in Pro Tools. rates up to 96 kHz.
• Non-destructive, random-access editing
MIDI and mix automation.
• One MIDI In and one MIDI Out port, provid- • Audio processing with up to 10 inserts per
ing 16 MIDI input channels and 16 MIDI out- track (RTAS plug-ins or hardware inserts).
put channels. • Up to 10 sends per track.
• Up to 32 internal mix busses.
Other Capabilities and Specifications
Pro Tools LE uses your computer’s CPU to
• Front panel “Multi” button, assignable to a
mix and process audio tracks (host process-
variety of common Pro Tools functions.
ing). Computers with faster clock speeds
• Low latency direct record monitoring. yield higher track counts and more plug-in
• On-board tuner. processing.
• Two 1/4-inch (TRS) stereo headphone outputs

(A and B) with independently adjustable level
and routing controls.
• Control room functionality including front
panel Dim/Mute, Mono and Speaker/Source
switches.
• Footswitch jack for starting or stopping play-
back or punching in and out while recording.
2 Mbox Pro User Guide

Hard Drive Requirements
System Requirements and
Compatibility For optimal audio recording and playback, all
Pro Tools systems require one or more qualified
Mbox Pro can be used with a qualified Windows hard drives.
or Mac computer.
If you are using an ATA/IDE or FireWire hard
A DVD drive is required to use the Pro Tools In- drive, initialize your drive with the Disk Utility
staller disc. application included with Apple System soft-
ware (Mac) or Windows Disk Management
Avid can only assure compatibility and provide
(Windows).
support for hardware and software it has tested
and approved. For more information, see Appendix E,
“Hard Drive Configuration and Mainte-
For complete system requirements and a list of
nance.”
qualified computers, operating systems, hard
drives, and third-party devices, visit: Avoid Recording to the System Drive
www.avid.com/compatibility
Recording to your system drive is not recom-
mended. Recording and playback on a system
MIDI Requirements drive may result in lower track counts and fewer
plug-ins.
Mbox Pro includes one MIDI In port and one
MIDI Out port, providing 16 channels of MIDI
input and 16 channels of MIDI output.
If you require additional MIDI ports, add a MIDI

interface to your system. USB MIDI interfaces
work effectively with Pro Tools systems on Win-
dows or Mac. Serial MIDI interfaces are sup-
ported on Windows systems only.
Only USB MIDI interfaces are compatible

with Pro Tools systems for Mac OS X.
Modem-to-serial port adapters and serial
MIDI devices are not supported.
For a list of supported MIDI interfaces and

controllers, visit www.avid.com.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox Pro 3

Conventions Used in This About www.avid.com
Guide The Avid website (www.avid.com) is your best
All of our guides use the following conventions online source for information to help you get
to indicate menu choices and key commands: the most out of your Pro Tools system. The fol-
:
lowing are just a few of the services and features
Convention Action available.
File > Save Choose Save from the Product Registration Register your purchase
File menu online.
Control+N Hold down the Control key
Support and Downloads Contact Avid Customer
and press the N key
Success (technical support); download software
Control-click Hold down the Control key updates and the latest online manuals; browse
and click the mouse button the Compatibility documents for system re-
Right-click Click with the right quirements; search the online Knowledge Base
mouse button or join the worldwide Pro Tools community on
the User Conference.
The names of Commands, Options, and Settings
that appear on-screen are in a different font. Training and Education Study on your own using
courses available online or find out how you can
The following symbols are used to highlight learn in a classroom setting at a certified
important information: Pro Tools training center.
User Tips are helpful hints for getting the Products and Developers Learn about Avid
most from your system. products; download demo software or learn
about our Development Partners and their
plug-ins, applications, and hardware.
Important Notices include information that
could affect your data or the performance of News and Events Get the latest news from Avid
your system. or sign up for a Pro Tools demo.
Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or

mouse shortcuts.
Cross References point to related sections in

this guide and other Pro Tools guides.

chapter 2
Installing Pro Tools on Mac
This chapter contains information for Mac sys-

tems only. If you are installing Pro Tools on a Installing Pro Tools LE and
Windows computer, see Chapter 3, “Installing Connecting Your Interface
Pro Tools on Windows.”
Before connecting your Pro Tools LE interface to
Before installing this version of Pro Tools, the computer, you need to install Pro Tools LE
refer to the Read Me information included software.
on the Pro Tools Installer disc.
Do not start this procedure with your
Mbox Pro connected to your computer.
Installation Overview To install Pro Tools LE on Mac OS X:
Installation of the Mbox Pro on a Mac includes 1 Make sure you are logged in as an Administra-
the following steps: tor for the account where you want to install
Pro Tools.
1 “Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your
Interface” on page 5. When the installation is complete, you will
2 “Launching Pro Tools LE” on page 7.
need to restart your computer.
3 Configuring your system for improved perfor-

mance (see Chapter 4, “Configuring Your For details on Administrator privileges in
Pro Tools System”). Mac OS X, see your Apple OS X documen-
tation.
4 Making audio connections to the Mbox Pro
(see Chapter 6, “Making Studio Connections”). 2 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc in your
DVD drive.
The Pro Tools Installer disc includes addi-
tional software for your system. For more in-
formation, see “Additional Software on the
Pro Tools Installer Disc” on page 7.
Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 5

3 On the Installer disc, locate and double-click Installation Options
Install Pro Tools LE.mpkg.
Pro Tools LE Options
To install a subset of Pro Tools software and

plug-ins (and associated content), click the re-
veal triangle for the Pro Tools LE option in the
installer, and deselect any of the following op-
Install Pro Tools LE.mpkg icon
tions that you do not want installed. (If an item
4 Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed is checked, it will be installed.)
with installation.
Application Files (Required for Pro Tools) Installs
5 Click Continue each time you are prompted.
the Pro Tools application and supporting library
6 At the Installation Type page, do one of the files needed to run Pro Tools. This option must
following: be selected to install Pro Tools.
• To install all Pro Tools application files and DigiRack Plug-Ins Installs free plug-ins including
free plug-in suites (and associated content), DigiRack plug-ins, free Bomb Factory plug-ins,
leave the default Installation options se- Eleven Free, TL Utilities, and Digidesign D-Fi
lected and click Continue. and Maxim plug-ins. For more information, see
– or – the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
• Select (or deselect) a custom configuration
of Installation options (see “Installation Pro Tools Creative Collection Options
Options” on page 6) and click Continue. Select any of the Pro Tools Creative Collection
7 Click Install. options you want installed. For more informa-
tion, see the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
8 If prompted, enter your Administrator pass-
word and click OK to authenticate the installa- Effect Plug-Ins Installs 6 free virtual instrument
tion. plug-ins from Avid’s AIR group.
9 Follow the remaining on-screen instructions. Virtual Instruments Installs 20 free effects plug-
10 When installation is complete, click Restart.
ins from Avid’s AIR group.
11 After the computer has restarted, connect Virtual Instrument Content Installs sample con-
one end of the provided FireWire cable to the tent for AIR virtual instruments.
FireWire port on Mbox Pro. Connect the other
Virtual Instrument Content is very large
end of the cable to any available FireWire port
and may take up to 20 minutes to install.
on your computer. Connect the power cable and
During this time, the progress bar may not
turn on the Mbox Pro using the power switch
appear to move but your software is still in-
on the back. Then follow the remaining on-
stalling. Do not terminate your installation.
screen instructions to complete installation.

Additional Options 4 Use the Quick Start dialog to do one of
the following:
The Pro Tools installer provides the following
• Create a new session from template.
additional options to install along with
Pro Tools software and plug-ins: • Create a new blank session.
• Open any other session on your system.
Avid CoreAudio Drivers This option installs a
multichannel sound driver that allows CoreAu-
dio-compatible applications to record and play
back through Avid audio interfaces.
Avid Video Engine This option lets you integrate

Avid® video peripherals (such as the Avid Mojo®
with your Pro Tools system). Do not install un-
less you will be using one of these products.
MIDI I/O Driver The MIDI I/O™ Driver is re-

quired if you are using the Avid MIDI I/O inter-
Quick Start dialog
face. Do not install unless you will be using a
MIDI I/O.
For more information on the Quick
Start dialog and session templates, see the
Pro Tools Reference Guide (Help >
Launching Pro Tools LE Pro Tools Reference Guide).
When launching Pro Tools LE the first time, you

are prompted to enter an authorization code to
validate your software. (The code begins with
Additional Software on the
the letters DIGI.) Pro Tools Installer Disc
The Pro Tools LE Installer disc provides addi-
To authorize Pro Tools LE software: tional software for your system, including audio
1 Make sure Mbox Pro is connected to your drivers (for playing other audio applications
computer. through your Pro Tools hardware) and a
Pro Tools demo session.
2 Click the Pro Tools LE icon in the Dock (or
double-click the application icon in the Check your Pro Tools Installer disc for addi-
Pro Tools folder inside the Digidesign folder). tional software and installers.
3 Enter the authorization code in the dialog
(making sure to type it exactly as printed, and
observing any spaces and capitalization), then
click Validate. (Your authorization code is lo-
cated on the back of your Pro Tools DVD wallet.)

Third-Party Applications and Pro Tools Demo Session
Plug-Ins
The Pro Tools LE Installer disc includes a demo
Your Pro Tools package also includes free appli- session that you can use to verify that your sys-
cations and plug-ins from Avid and selected tem is working.
Avid Third Party developers (content subject to
The demo session for Pro Tool LE is named “Fil-
change). Once you've completed your Pro Tools
tered Dream.”
installation, you can install these separately.
Installers are located on your Pro Tools LE In- Before installing the demo session to your
staller disc in the Additional Files\3rd Party audio drive, make sure the drive is config-
Content folder. ured as described in “Formatting an Audio
Drive” on page 82.
Avid CoreAudio Driver To install the demo session:
The Avid CoreAudio Driver is a multi-client, 1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc into your
multichannel sound driver that lets Core Au- DVD drive.
dio–compatible applications record and play 2 On the Pro Tools LE Installer disc, locate and
back through Pro Tools hardware. open the Additional Files/Pro Tools Demo Ses-
sions Installer folder.
The Avid CoreAudio Driver is installed by de-
fault when you install Pro Tools. 3 Double-click Install demo session.pkg.
For information on configuring the 4 Follow the on-screen instructions.

Avid CoreAudio Driver, see the CoreAudio
5 When prompted, select your audio drive as
Drivers Guide.
the install location and click Next to begin the
installation. When installation is complete,
Standalone CoreAudio Driver
click Close.
The Avid CoreAudio Driver can be installed as a
standalone driver on Mac systems that do not The demo session can be opened by double-
have Pro Tools software installed. clicking the Filtered Dream.ptf file (located
in the Filtered Dream Demo Session folder).
For information on installing and configuring
the standalone version of the Avid CoreAudio
Driver, see the CoreAudio Drivers Guide.
If you uninstall Pro Tools, the CoreAudio

Driver is automatically uninstalled at that
time.

Uninstalling Pro Tools
If you need to uninstall Pro Tools software from
your computer, use the Uninstaller application.
To remove Pro Tools from your computer:

1 Make sure you are logged in as an Administra-
tor for the account where Pro Tools is installed.
For details on Administrator privileges in

Mac OS X, see your Apple OS X documen-
tation.
2 Go to Applications/Digidesign/Pro Tools/
Pro Tools Utilities and double-click
Uninstall Pro Tools.
3 Click Continue to proceed with the uninstall.
4 Choose the type of uninstall you want to per-

form:
Safe Uninstall Leaves certain plug-ins and sys-

tem files needed for compatibility with some
Avid products. Use Safe Uninstall if you are us-
ing an Avid application or preparing to update
to a CS (customer support) release.
Clean Uninstall Removes all Pro Tools files, in-

cluding system files, Avid plug-ins, and MIDI
patch names. Use Clean Uninstall whenever you
are preparing to upgrade, or to troubleshoot
from a clean system.
5 Click Uninstall.
6 Enter your Administrator password and click

OK.
7 Click Finish to close the Installer window.

chapter 3
Installing Pro Tools on Windows
This chapter contains information for Windows

systems only. If you are installing Pro Tools on a Installing Pro Tools LE and
Mac computer, see Chapter 2, “Installing Connecting Your Interface
Pro Tools on Mac”.
Before connecting your Pro Tools LE interface to
Before installing this version of Pro Tools, the computer, you need to install Pro Tools LE
refer to the Read Me information included software.
on the Pro Tools LE Installer disc.
Do not start this procedure with your
Mbox Pro connected to your computer.
Installation Overview To install Pro Tools LE:
Installing the Mbox Pro on a Windows com- 1 Start Windows, logging in with Administrator
puter includes the following steps: privileges. For details on Administrator privi-
leges, refer to your Windows documentation.
1 “Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your
Interface” on page 11. When the installation is complete, you will
2 “Launching Pro Tools LE” on page 14
need to restart your computer.
3 Configuring your system for improved perfor- 2 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc in your
mance (see Chapter 4, “Configuring Your DVD drive and do on of the following:
Pro Tools System”). • If Windows AutoRun is enabled, a
mini-browser appears. Select Install
4 Making audio and MIDI connections to the
Pro Tools LE to begin your installation.
Mbox Pro (see Chapter 6, “Making Studio Con-
nections” for details). – or –
• If Windows AutoRun is disabled, locate and
The Pro Tools Installer disc includes addi- double-click Setup.exe. on the Installer
tional software for your system. For more in- disc.
formation, see “Additional Software on the
Pro Tools Installer Disc” on page 14.
Setup.exe icon
Chapter 3: Installing Pro Tools on Windows 11

In Windows 7 and Windows Vista, if the In Windows XP, a series of Software Instal-
User Account Control dialog appears, click lation dialogs about the driver not passing
Allow. Windows Logo testing may appear. Click
Continue Anyway on each one until they go
3 Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed away.
with installation and click Next when prompted.
If any other dialogs appear (such as the
4 To install the complete compliment of
“Found New Hardware” dialog), leave them
Pro Tools software and plug-ins, leave Pro Tools
open and do not click on them. These dia-
selected.
logs will close on their own.
5 At the Select Features page, do one of the fol-
10 Wait for the installer to finish installing all
lowing:
software components, drivers, and PACE System
• To install all Pro Tools application files and
files before proceeding to the next step.
free plug-in suites (and associated content),
leave the default Installation options se- 11 When installation is complete, click Finish
lected and click Continue. and restart your computer.
– or –
• Select (or deselect) a custom configuration Installation Options
of Installation options (see “Installation
Pro Tools LE Options
Options” on page 12) and click Continue.
To install a subset of Pro Tools software and
6 Click Next.
plug-ins (and associated content), click the re-
7 Click Install. veal triangle for the Pro Tools LE option in the
installer, and deselect any of the following op-
8 When prompted, connect one end of the in-
tions that you do not want installed. (If an item
cluded FireWire cable to one of the FireWire
is checked, it will be installed.)
ports on Mbox Pro. Connect the other end of
the FireWire cable to any available FireWire Application Files (Required for Pro Tools) Installs
(6-pin 1394) port on your computer. Connect the Pro Tools application and supporting library
the power cable and turn on the interface using files needed to run Pro Tools. This option must
the power switch on the back. be selected to install Pro Tools.
9 Click OK.
DigiRack Plug-Ins Installs free plug-ins including
In Windows 7 and Windows Vista, a series DigiRack plug-ins, free Bomb Factory plug-ins,
of Windows Security dialogs may appear. Eleven Free, TL Utilities, and Digidesign D-Fi
Click “Install” on each one until they go and Maxim plug-ins. For more information, see
away. the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
Pro Tools Creative Collection Options
Select any of the Pro Tools Creative Collection

options you want installed. For more informa-
tion, see the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.

Effect Plug-Ins Installs 6 free virtual instrument Installing QuickTime
plug-ins from Avid’s AIR group.
QuickTime is required for Pro Tools if you plan
Virtual Instruments Installs 20 free effects plug- to include movie files, or import MP3 or MP4
ins from Avid’s AIR group. (AAC) files in your sessions. QuickTime for Win-
dows is available as a free download from the
Virtual Instrument Content Installs sample con- Apple website (www.apple.com).
tent for AIR virtual instruments.
For information on which version of
Virtual Instrument Content is very large QuickTime is compatible with your version of
and may take up to 20 minutes to install. Pro Tools, visit www.avid.com/compatibility).
During this time, the progress bar may not
appear to move but your software is still in- To install QuickTime:
stalling. Do not terminate your installation.
1 Visit www.apple.com and go to the Quick-
Additional Options Time page.
2 Download the QuickTime installer applica-

The Pro Tools installer provides the following
additional options to install along with tion to your computer.
Pro Tools software and plug-ins: 3 Double-click the QuickTime installer applica-
tion and follow the on-screen installation in-
Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option This option lets
structions.
your Pro Tools system read, write, record, and
play back using Mac-formatted HFS+ disks. HFS+ 4 Restart your computer.
disks are commonly referred to as Mac OS Ex-
tended disks.
For information on using the Mac HFS+

Disk Support option, see the HFS+ Disk Sup-
port Option Guide.
Avid Video Engine This option lets you integrate

Avid® video peripherals (such as the Avid Mojo®
with your Pro Tools system). Do not install un-
less you will be using one of these products.
Command|8 Controller and Driver This option in-

stalls the personality file and device driver for
the Avid Command|8 Control Surface. Do not
install unless you will be using Command|8.

Launching Pro Tools LE Additional Software on the
When launching Pro Tools LE the first time, you
Pro Tools Installer Disc
are prompted to enter an authorization code to The Pro Tools LE Installer disc provides addi-
validate your software. (The code begins with tional software for your system, including audio
the letters DIGI.) drivers (for playing other audio applications
through your Pro Tools hardware) and a
To authorize Pro Tools LE software: Pro Tools demo session.
1 Make sure Mbox Pro is connected to your
Check your Pro Tools Installer disc for
computer.
additional software and installers.
2 Double-click the Pro Tools LE shortcut on
your desktop (or the application icon in the Third-Party Applications and
Pro Tools folder inside the Digidesign folder). Plug-Ins
3 Enter the authorization code in the dialog Your Pro Tools package also includes free appli-
(making sure to type it exactly as printed, and cations and plug-ins from Avid and selected
observing any spaces and capitalization), then Avid Third Party developers (content subject to
click Validate. (Your authorization code is lo- change). Once you've completed your Pro Tools
cated on the back of your Pro Tools DVD wallet.) installation, you can install these separately.
4 Use the Quick Start dialog to do one of
Installers are located on your Pro Tools LE
the following:
Installer disc in the Additional Files\3rd Party
• Create a new session from template. Content folder.
• Create a new blank session.
• Open any other session on your system.
Avid Audio Drivers
The Avid Audio Drivers are multi-client, multi-
channel sound drivers that allow Pro Tools and
third-party audio programs that support the
ASIO Driver or WaveDriver MME/DirectX
(Multimedia Extension) standards to record and
play back through qualified Pro Tools audio
interfaces.
For information on configuring settings for

your audio interface for use with Pro Tools or
other audio applications, see Appendix A,
Quick Start dialog
“Using the Driver Control Panel.”
For more information on the Quick

For additional information on the Avid
Start dialog and session templates, see the
Audio Drivers, see the Windows Audio
Drivers Guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide).

Pro Tools Demo Session
Uninstalling Pro Tools
The Pro Tools LE Installer disc includes a demo
session that you can use to verify that your sys- Use the Uninstall Pro Tools application to unin-
tem is working. stall Pro Tools software from your computer.
The demo session for Pro Tool LE is named To uninstall Pro Tools from your computer:
“Filtered Dream.”
1 Start Windows, logging in with Administrator
Before installing the demo session to your privileges. For details on Administrator privi-
audio drive, make sure the drive is config- leges, refer to your Windows documentation.
ured as described in “Formatting an Audio 2 Go to C:\Program Files\Digidesign\
Drive” on page 82. Pro Tools\Pro Tools Utilities and double-click
Uninstall Pro Tools.exe.
To install the demo session:
3 Click Next.
1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc into your
DVD drive. 4 Click Uninstall to proceed with the uninstalla-
tion.
2 On the Pro Tools LE Installer disc, locate and
open the Additional Files\Pro Tools Demo Ses-
sions Installer folder.
3 Double-click LE Demo Session Setup.exe.
4 Follow the on-screen instructions.
5 When prompted, select your audio drive as

the install location and click Next to begin the
install.
6 When installation is complete, click Finish.
The demo session can be opened by double-

clicking the Filtered Dream.ptf file (located
in the Filtered Dream Demo Session folder).

chapter 4
Configuring Your Pro Tools System
After you have connected your system and in- 6 With the volume of all output devices low-
stalled Pro Tools software, you are ready to start ered, turn on your Pro Tools audio interfaces.
up and configure your Pro Tools system. Wait at least fifteen seconds for the audio inter-
face to initialize and the status LEDs to stop-
flashing.
Starting Up or Shutting Down 7 Turn on your computer.

Your System 8 Launch Pro Tools or any third-party audio or
To ensure that the components of your MIDI applications.

Pro Tools system communicate properly with 9 Bring the output levels up to a comfortable lis-
each other, you need to start them in a particu- tening level.
lar order.
Shut down your Pro Tools system in this order:
Start up your Pro Tools system in this order:
1 Quit Pro Tools and any other running applica-
1 Make sure all your equipment (including your tions.
computer) is off.
To quit Pro Tools, choose Pro Tools > Quit
2 Lower the volume of all output devices in your
(Mac) or File > Exit (Windows).
system (especially the main outputs to your
speakers!). 2 Turn off or lower the volume of all output de-
3 Turn on any external hard drives. Wait ap- vices in your system.
proximately ten seconds for them to spin up to 3 Turn off the interface.
speed.
4 Turn off your computer.
4 Turn on any control surfaces (such as Com-
mand|8). 5 Turn off any MIDI interfaces, MIDI devices, or
synchronization peripherals.
5 Turn on any MIDI interfaces, MIDI devices, or
synchronization peripherals. 6 Turn off any control surfaces.
7 Turn off any external hard drives.
Chapter 4: Configuring Your Pro Tools System 17

To change the Hardware Buffer Size:
Configuring Pro Tools LE 1 Launch Pro Tools.
2 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

Pro Tools System Settings
3 From the H/W Buffer Size pop-up menu, select
In the Playback Engine dialog, Pro Tools LE lets
the audio buffer size, in samples.
you adjust the performance of your system by
changing system settings that affect its capacity
for processing, playback, and recording.
In most cases, the default settings for your sys-

tem provide optimum performance, but you
may want to adjust them to accommodate large
or processing-intensive Pro Tools sessions.
Hardware Buffer Size

The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) con-
trols the size of the buffer used to handle host
processing tasks such as Real-Time AudioSuite™
(RTAS®) plug-ins.
• Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings are useful
for improving latency issues in certain record-
ing situations or for improving certain system
performance problems. On Pro Tools LE sys- Playback Engine dialog for Pro Tools LE, with Structure
tems, lower settings reduce all input-to-out- Free plug-in installed. (Mbox 2 shown)
put monitoring latency on any record-armed
4 Click OK.
tracks or Auxiliary Input tracks with live in-
puts.
• Higher Hardware Buffer Size settings are use-
ful for sessions that are using more RTAS plug-
ins for playback. These settings allow for more
audio processing. They can also be useful to
reduce errors on some machines that require a
higher buffer size.
In addition to causing slower screen re-

sponse and monitoring latency, higher
Hardware Buffer Size settings can increase
the latency caused by RTAS plug-ins, and
affect the accuracy of plug-in automation,
mute data, and MIDI track timing.

Host Processors To set the number of Host Processors:
The Host Processors setting lets you manage 1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
multi-processor support for RTAS (Real-Time 2 From the Host Processors pop-up menu, select
AudioSuite) plug-in processing. the number of available processors you want to
allocate. The number of processors varies de-
Used in combination with the CPU Usage Limit
pending on your computer:
setting, the Host Processors setting lets you con-
trol the way RTAS and other host-based process- • Select 1 Processor to limit processing to
ing tasks are carried out by the system. one CPU in the system.
• Choose 2 Processors to enable load balanc-
For example: ing across two available processors.
• For sessions with large numbers of RTAS plug- • On systems running four or more proces-
ins, you can allocate 2 or more processors to sors, choose the number of processors for
RTAS processing and set a high CPU Usage processing.
Limit.
3 Click OK.
• For sessions with few RTAS plug-ins, you can
allocate fewer Host Processors to RTAS and set a System Usage Window and Processing
low CPU Usage Limit settings to leave more host
processing resources available for automation The System Usage window (Window > System Us-
accuracy, screen response, and video. age) displays the combined amount of process-
ing occurring on all enabled processors with a
• Depending on the importance of video and
single indicator, regardless of how many proces-
overall screen response, and on the density of
sors are available in the system. If the System Us-
automation being employed, try different
age Window shows that you are at the limit of
combinations of Host Processors and CPU Us-
available resources, increase the number of pro-
age Limit settings to achieve the best results.
cessors and adjust the CPU Usage Limit setting.
For example, to improve screen response in a
medium-sized session using a moderate num-
ber of RTAS plug-ins, try reducing the number
of RTAS plug-ins, but keep the CPU Usage Limit
set to the maximum (up to 99% on a single
processor system).

CPU Usage Limit Host Engine (Error Suppression)
The CPU Usage Limit setting controls the per- The Host Engine option determines error report-
centage of CPU resources allocated to Pro Tools ing during playback and recording. This is espe-
host processing tasks. Used in combination with cially useful when working with instrument
the Host Processors setting, the CPU Usage Limit plug-ins.
setting lets you control the way Pro Tools tasks
are carried out by the system. You should only enable error suppression if you
are experiencing frequent RTAS errors that are
• Lower CPU Usage Limit settings limit the effect interrupting your creative workflow. When er-
of Pro Tools processing on other CPU-inten- ror suppression is enabled, you can experience a
sive tasks, such as screen redraws, and are use- degradation of audio quality. However, this may
ful when you are experiencing slow system be acceptable in order to avoid interrupting
response, or when running other applications playback and recording when working with in-
at the same time as Pro Tools. strument plug-ins. Be sure to disable error sup-
• Higher CPU Usage Limit settings allocate more pression when you need to ensure the highest
processing power to Pro Tools, and are useful possible audio quality, such as for a final mix.
for playing back large sessions or using more
RTAS plug-ins. To enable error suppression:
The maximum available CPU Usage Limit de- 1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
pends on the number of processors in your com- 2 Select Host Engine: Ignore Errors During Play-
puter and on the number of processors you spec- back/Record.
ify for RTAS processing. This value can range
from 85% for single-processor computers, and 3 On Mac, you can also select Minimize Additional
99% for multiprocessor computers (which dedi- I/O Latency.
cate one entire processor to Pro Tools). 4 Click OK.
On multiprocessor computers, the maximum

Error Suppression Options
CPU Usage Limit is reduced when you use all your
processors (as selected in the Processing pop-up
Ignore Errors During Playback/Record
menu). For example, on dual-processors, the
limit is 90%. On four-processor computers, the When the Ignore Errors During Playback/Record
limit is 95%. option is enabled, Pro Tools continues to play
and record even if the host processing require-
Increasing the CPU Usage Limit may slow ments exceed the selected CPU Usage Limit. This
down screen responses on slower computers. can result in pops and clicks in the audio, but
does not stop the transport.
To change the CPU Usage Limit:
2 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up menu, select

the percentage of CPU processing you want to
allocate to Pro Tools.
3 Click OK.

Minimize Additional I/O Latency (Mac Only) • DAE Playback Buffer Size settings higher than
1500 msec; Level 2 (Default) allow higher track
When enabled, any additional latency due to
count, higher density of edits in a session, or
suppressing errors during playback and record is
the use of slower hard drives. However, a
minimized to 128 samples. Suppressing RTAS er-
higher setting may increase the time lag when
rors requires at least 128 samples of additional
starting playback or recording, starting pre-
buffering on some systems. If this option is dis-
view in context from DigiBase browsers, or
abled, the buffer is half the H/W Buffer Size, or at
cause a longer audible time lag while editing
least 128 samples (whichever is greater). If you
during playback.
are on an older, slower computer, you may want
to disable this option to avoid adverse perfor- Using a larger DAE Playback Buffer Size
mance. leaves less system memory for other tasks.
The default setting of 1500 msec (Level 2) is
This option is only available on Mac if the Ignore
recommended unless you are encountering
Errors During Playback/Record option is enabled.
–9073 (“Disk too slow or fragmented”)
errors.
DAE Playback Buffer Size
To change the DAE Playback Buffer Size:
The DAE Playback Buffer Size setting determines
the amount of memory DAE allocates for disk 1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
buffers. In addition to levels, the DAE Playback
2 From the DAE Playback Buffer pop-up menu, se-
Buffer Size shows values in milliseconds, which
lect a buffer size. Memory requirements for each
indicate the amount of audio buffered when the
setting are shown at the bottom of the Playback
system reads from disk.
Engine dialog.
The optimum DAE Playback Buffer Size for most 3 Click OK.
disk operations is 1500 msec; Level 2 (Default).
If Pro Tools needs more system memory for the
• DAE Playback Buffer Size settings lower than
DAE Playback Buffer, it will prompt you to re-
1500 msec; Level 2 (Default) may improve
start your computer.
playback and recording initiation speed, as
well as preview in context in DigiBase brows-
ers. However, a lower setting may make it dif-
ficult to play or record tracks reliably with
sessions containing a large number of tracks
or a high density of edits, or with systems that
have slower or heavily-fragmented hard
drives.

Cache Size Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size
The Cache Size setting determines the amount (Structure Plug-In Only)
of memory DAE allocates to pre-buffer audio for
This setting appears in the Playback Engine dia-
playback and looping when using Elastic Audio.
log only if Structure, Structure LE, or
Minimum Reduces the amount of system mem- Structure Free is installed on your system. The
ory used for disk operations and frees up mem- Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size determines the
ory for other system tasks. However, perfor- amount of memory DAE allocates for streaming
mance when using Elastic Audio features may playback from disk with the Structure plug-in.
decrease. This setting only affects playback if disk stream-
ing is activated in Structure’s plug-in controls
Normal Is the optimum Cache Size for most ses- (see the AIR Virtual Instruments Guide for more
sions. information).
Large Improves performance when using Elastic The optimum Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size for
Audio features, but it also decreases the amount most sessions is 250 ms (Level 2).
of memory available for other system tasks, such
• Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size settings lower
as RTAS processing.
than 250 msec (Level 2) reduce the amount of
Using a larger Cache Size leaves less system system memory used for sample playback and
memory for other tasks. The default setting frees up memory for other system tasks. How-
of Normal is recommended unless you are ever, audio quality of sample playback may
encountering -9500 (“Cache too small”) decrease.
errors. • Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size settings higher
than 250 msec (Level 2) improve the audio
To change the Cache Size: quality of sample playback, but they also de-
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine. crease the amount of memory available for
other system tasks, such as RTAS processing.
2 From the Cache Size pop-up menu, select a
disk cache size. Using a larger Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size
leaves less system memory for other tasks.
3 Click OK.
The default setting of 250 ms (Level 2) is
recommended unless you are experiencing
problems with the audio quality of sample
playback.
To change the Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size:

2 From the Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size pop-up

menu, select a buffer size.
3 Click OK.

Optimizing the Plug-In Streaming Buffer Default Sample Rate
Size
The Sample Rate setting appears as the default
(Structure Plug-In Only) sample rate when you create a new session. (This
setting is available in the Hardware Setup dialog
This option appears in the Playback Engine dia-
only when no session is open.)
log only if one of the Structure sampler instru-
ment plug-in is installed on your system. This You can change the sample rate when creat-
option is useful when you are playing samples ing a new Pro Tools session by selecting a
from the same drive that contains audio for the different sample rate in the New Session
current session. When this option is selected, dialog. (Refer to the Pro Tools Reference
Pro Tools automatically optimizes the size of the Guide for details.)
Plug-In Streaming Buffer to facilitate disk access
from both Pro Tools and Structure. The Plug-In To change the default Sample Rate:
Streaming Buffer Size pop-up menu is unavail-
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
able when this option is selected.
To set Pro Tools to optimize the Plug-In Streaming

Buffer Size:
2 Select the Optimize for Streaming Content op-

tion.
3 Click OK.
Hardware Setup dialog for Mbox Pro
Configuring the Pro Tools 2 Select the sample rate from the Sample Rate
Hardware Settings pop-up menu.
3 Click OK.
In the Hardware Setup dialog, Pro Tools lets you
set the default sample rate and clock source for
your system, as well as a range of controls spe-
cific to each type of audio interface.

Clock Source Pro Tools LE has default I/O Setup settings that
will get you started. Use the I/O Setup dialog
The Pro Tools Hardware Setup dialog lets you se- only if you want to rename the default I/O
lect the Clock Source for the system. paths.
Internal If you are recording an analog signal di-
rectly into Pro Tools, you will usually use the Pro To rename I/O paths in I/O Setup:
Tools Internal clock source. 1 Choose Setup > I/O.
S/PDIF Use this setting if you are recording

through the Mbox Pro S/PDIF input from an ex-
ternal digital device. This setting will synchro-
nize Pro Tools to that digital device.
Word Clock If you are transferring material into

Pro Tools from an external digital device, or if
you utilize a common house clock signal, you
will need to synchronize Pro Tools to that digital
device or common signal. For details, refer to
the Pro Tools Reference Guide or to the guide for
your specific audio interface.
To select the Clock Source:

1 Choose Setup > Hardware. I/O Setup dialog for Mbox Pro
2 Choose the clock source from the Clock Source 2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus tab to dis-
pop-up menu. play the corresponding connections.
3 Click OK. 3 To change the name of a path or subpath, dou-
ble-click directly on the Path Name, type a new
Your digital input device must be connected
name for the path, and press Enter.
and powered on for Pro Tools to synchro-
nize to it. If your input device is not powered 4 Click OK.
on, leave the Clock Source set to Internal.
See the Pro Tools Reference Guide (Help >
Pro Tools Reference Guide) for more infor-
Configuring I/O Setup
mation on renaming I/O paths.
Using the I/O Setup dialog, you can label
Pro Tools LE input, output, insert, and bus signal
paths. The I/O Setup dialog provides a graphical
representation of the inputs, outputs, and signal
routing of the Mbox Pro.

Configuring MIDI Setup
Optimizing a Mac System for
If you plan to use any MIDI devices with Pro Tools, Pro Tools
do one of the following:
To ensure optimum performance with
On Mac, configure your MIDI setup with Au- Pro Tools, configure your computer before using
dio MIDI Setup. See Appendix C, “Configuring Pro Tools software.
AMS (Mac OS X Only)” for details.
Before configuring your computer, make sure
– or –
you are logged in as an Administrator for the ac-
On Windows, configure your MIDI setup with count where you want to install Pro Tools. For
MIDI Studio Setup. See Appendix D, “Configur- details on Administrator privileges in Mac OS X,
ing MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only)” for de- see your Apple OS X documentation.
tails.
Do not use the Mac OS X automatic
Software Update feature, as it may upgrade
Backing Up your System your system to a version of Mac OS that has
Configuration not yet been qualified for Pro Tools. For
After configuring your system and Pro Tools, details on qualified versions of Mac OS, visit
you should save an image of your system drive www.avid.com/compatibility.
using a backup utility such as Bombich Carbon
Copy Cloner or Time Machine (Mac) or Acronis Turning Off Software Update
True Image or Norton Ghost (Windows). By do-
To turn off the Software Update feature:
ing this, you can quickly restore your system
configuration and settings if you encounter any 1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple
problems. menu and click Software Update.
2 Click the Scheduled Check tab.
3 Deselect “Check for Updates.”
Turning Off Energy Saver
To turn off the Energy Saver feature:

1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple
menu and click Energy Saver.
2 Do the following:
• Set the computer sleep setting to Never.
• Set the display sleep setting to Never.
• Deselect “Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when
possible.”

Disable or Reassign Mac Keyboard Reassign Spaces Keyboard Shortcuts
Shortcuts Used by Pro Tools
If you want to use Spaces, you should reassign
To have the full complement of Pro Tools key- the Spaces keyboard shortcuts to avoid conflicts
board shortcuts, you need to disable or reassign with important Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts.
any conflicting Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts in You can reassign Spaces keyboard shortcuts to
the Apple System Preferences, including the fol- use a combination of modifier keys (Com-
lowing: mand+Option+Control+Shift) in addition to
the default Spaces keyboard shortcut assign-
• “Show Help menu”
ments to avoid these conflicts.
• Under “Keyboard Navigation”
• “Move focus to the window drawer” To reassign Spaces keyboard shortcuts to use
• Under “Dock, Exposé, and Dashboard” modifier key combinations that do not conflict
with Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts:
• “Automatically hide and show the Dock”
1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple
• “All windows”
menu and click Exposé & Spaces.
• “Application windows”
• “Desktop” 2 Click the Spaces tab.
• “Dashboard” 3 Ensure that Enable Spaces is selected.

• “Spaces”
4 Press and hold Command+Option+Con-
• Under “Spotlight” trol+Shift and select “Control+Option+Shift+Com-
• “Show Spotlight search field” mand+F8” from the “To activate Spaces” pop-up
• “Show Spotlight window” menu.
5 Press and hold Command+Option+Con-

For a complete list of Pro Tools keyboard
trol+Shift and select “Control+Option+Shift+Com-
shortcuts, see the Keyboard Shortcuts Guide
mand+Arrow Keys” from the “To switch between
(Help > Keyboard Shortcuts).
spaces” pop-up menu.
To disable or reassign Mac OS X keyboard 6 Press and hold Command+Option+Con-
shortcuts:
trol+Shift and select “Control+Option+Shift+Com-
1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple mand+Number Keys” from the “To switch directly
menu and click Keyboard. to a space” pop-up menu.
2 Click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab.
3 Do one of the following:

• Deselect the Mac OS X options that conflict
with Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts.
– or –
• Assign different, non-conflicting keyboard
shortcuts to the corresponding Mac OS X
options.

Disabling Spotlight Indexing
Optimizing a Windows System
The Mac OS X Spotlight feature automatically for Pro Tools
indexes files and folders on local hard drives in
the background. In most cases, this is not a con- To ensure optimum performance with
cern for normal Pro Tools operation. However, Pro Tools LE, configure your computer before
if Spotlight starts indexing drives while record- using Pro Tools hardware and software.
ing in a Pro Tools session with high track counts
for an extended period of time, it can adversely For Mac System Optimization, see “Opti-
affect Pro Tools system performance. You may mizing a Mac System for Pro Tools” on
want to disable Spotlight indexing for all local page 25
drives before using Pro Tools for big recording
Before configuring your computer, make sure
projects.
you are logged in as an Administrator for the ac-
count where you want to install Pro Tools. For
Disabling Spotlight indexing also disables
details on Administrator privileges, see your
the Find function in Mac OS X.
Windows documentation.
To disable Spotlight indexing:
1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple Required Optimizations
menu and click Spotlight.
To ensure optimum performance with
2 In the Spotlight window, click the Privacy tab. Pro Tools, configure the following settings be-
fore using Pro Tools hardware and software.
3 To prevent indexing of a drive, drag its icon
from the desktop into the list. When you are finished changing Windows
system settings, restart your computer.
Enabling Journaling for Audio Drives
Enabling DMA
To yield higher performance from audio drives,
enable journaling. Enabling your computer's DMA (Direct Memory
Access) frees up CPU bandwidth so your com-
To enable journaling: puter can do other Pro Tools tasks.
1 Launch the Disk Utility application, located in In most cases the DMA option will already be set
Macintosh HD/Applications/Utilities. correctly, as Windows detects and activates
2 Select the volume in the left column of the DMA mode by default.
Disk Utility window.
Select Enable Journaling in the toolbar.

To enable DMA for any IDE hard drives Configuring Windows Power
(Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP): Management Settings
1 Choose Start.
Pro Tools requires maximum CPU performance
2 Right-click Computer (Windows 7, Windows for optimal RTAS processing and disk streaming.
Vista) or My Computer (Windows XP) and choose For best performance, use the following recom-
Manage. mended Windows Power Management settings.
3 In the left pane of Computer Management un-

To configure Windows Power Management
der System Tools, click on Device Manager. Settings (Windows 7, Windows Vista):
4 In the right pane, click the triangle 1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
(Windows 7) or the plus (+) sign (Windows
Vista, Windows XP) next to IDE ATA/ATAPI 2 Click Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
Controllers. 3 In the Power Options control panel, click High
5 Double-click on an IDE Channel. Performance.
6 Click the Advanced Settings tab. 4 Click Change plan settings.
7 Under Device Properties, check the box Enable 5 Click Change advanced power settings to
DMA (Windows 7, Windows Vista) or under each change additional settings.

listed Device, set the Transfer Mode to DMA if 6 Click Hard disk > Turn off hard disk after =
available (Windows XP). Never. You can make optional changes such as
8 Click OK. disabling sleep and disabling shutting down the
monitor.
9 Repeat for each IDE Channel.
7 Click OK or click Save changes to save the
changes.
8 Close the window.

To configure Windows Power Management Recommended Optimizations
Settings (Windows XP):
Pro Tools can also be affected by other software
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
and hardware drivers installed on your com-
2 Double-click Power Options. puter. For best possible performance, it is recom-
mended (but not required) that you do the fol-
3 Click the Power Schemes tab.
lowing:
4 From the Power Schemes pop-up menu, select • Avoid running any unneeded programs at
Always On. the same time as Pro Tools.
5 Verify that the following settings are set to • Turn off any software utilities that run in
Never: the background, such as Windows Messen-
ger, calendars, and disk maintenance pro-
• Turn off hard disks
grams.
• System standby
• Turn off any non-essential USB devices
• System hibernates
while running Pro Tools.
6 Click OK. • If your video display card supports it, en-
able Bus Mastering in the manufacturer’s
Disabling User Account Control Control Panel. See the manufacturer’s in-
structions for details.
(Windows 7, Windows Vista)
Some third-party applications that interface

Optional Optimizations
with Pro Tools may require UAC to be disabled
for proper operation. The following system optimizations may help
Pro Tools perform better on some systems. It is
To disable User Account Control (UAC): recommended that you only try these optimiza-
tions if necessary, as they may disable or ad-
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
versely affect the functionality of other pro-
2 Click User Accounts and Family Safety. grams on your system.
3 In the User Accounts and Family Safety control

panel, click User Accounts.
4 Click Change User Account Control settings

(Windows 7) or Turn User Account Control on or off
(Windows Vista).
5 Move the User Account Control slider to Never

Notify (Windows 7), or deselect the Use User Ac-
count Control (UAC) to help protect your computer
option (Windows Vista).
6 Click OK.
7 Restart your computer.

Disabling Network Cards Adjusting Processor Scheduling
If applicable, disable any networking cards
To adjust Processor Scheduling performance
(other than a FireWire card that you might use (Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP):
to connect an external drive to your system).
1 Right-click Computer (Windows 7, Windows
Vista) or My Computer (Windows XP) and choose
To disable a network card (Windows 7, Windows
Vista): Properties.
1 Choose Start > Computer. 2 Click the Advanced system settings link in the
left pane (Vista, Windows 7) or the Advanced
2 Click System Properties.
tab (Windows XP).
3 In the left-hand pane under Control Panel
3 Under the Performance section, click the Set-
Home, click on Device Manager. tings button.
4 In the Device Manager window, double-click
4 In the Performance Options window, click the
Network adapters. Advanced tab.
5 Right-click on the network adapter and select
5 Under the Processor Scheduling section, select
Disable. the Background Services option.
6 Repeat as necessary for additional network
6 Click OK to close the Performance Options
adapters window.
7 Close the Device Manager window.
7 Click OK to close the System Properties win-
dow.
To disable a network card (Windows XP):
8 Restart the computer for the changes to take
1 Right-click My Computer and choose Manage.
effect.
2 Under System Tools, select Device Manager.
3 In the right-hand pane, click “+” to reveal Net-

work adapters.
4 In the Device Manager window, double-click

Network adapters.
5 Right-click on the network adapter and select-

Disable.
6 Repeat as necessary for additional network-

adapters.
7 Close the Computer Management window.

Disabling System Startup Items
The fewer items in use by your computer, the
more resources are available for Pro Tools. Some
startup applications may be consuming unnec-
essary CPU resources, and can be turned off.
If you disable any of the following startup items,

do so carefully:
• Portable media serial number (required for
some applications that utilize a copy pro-
tection key)
• The Plug and Play service
• Event log
• Cryptographic services
To Disable System Startup Items:

(Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP):
1 From the Start menu, type “msconfig” in Start
Search (Windows 7, Windows Vista) or in Run
(Windows XP) and click OK to open the System
Configuration Utility.
2 Under the General tab, choose Selective

Startup.
3 Deselect Load Startup Items and click OK.
4 Click Restart to restart the computer.
After restarting, the computer displays a System

Configuration message. Check to see if Pro Tools
performance has increased before you deselect
the Don't show this message again option. If per-
formance has not changed, run “msconfig” and
return your computer Startup Selection back to
Normal Startup - load all device drives and services.
Alternatively, try disabling Startup items and
non-essential processes individually.

chapter 5
Mbox Pro Hardware Overview
Mbox Pro Front Panel Features

Figure 1 identifies controls, indicators, and input and output ports on the front panel on the
Mbox Pro.
Headphones A and B Volume knob

Input combo jacks Dim/Mute
Gain/–20 dB Pad Switches switch
Gain/–20 dB Multi button Power indicator LED
Pad Switch
Soft Master volume

Soft limit knob
+48V switch Mono
limit switches switch
switch
Speaker.source
LED ladders Headphone select switch
(Inputs 1 - 4) outputs
Front/Back Front/Back
input source input source Mic/Line
switch switch input source button
Figure 1. Mbox Pro front panel
The Mbox Pro front panel provides the follow- Gain/–20 dB Pad Switches
ing:
These knobs adjust the input gain levels of
Mic/DI 1 and 2, or Mic 3 and 4. Turn the knob
Input Combo Jacks (Mic/DI) clockwise to increase gain, and counter-clock-
These combination jacks (Mic/DI) provide XLR wise to decrease gain.
and 1/4-inch (TS) inputs for Input channels 1
and 2 (01, 02).
Chapter 5: Mbox Pro Hardware Overview 33

If your input signal is too hot even with the Phantom Power (+48V) Switch
Gain knob at a low setting, pull the Gain knob
out to engage a “pad” that attenuates the signal The 48V switches toggle phantom power on/off
by –20dB. for all mic input channels. The LED, when lit,
indicates that 48V phantom power is active on
the Mic inputs.
Front/Rear Input Source Switches
These buttons select the input source for input About Phantom Power
channels 1 and 2. When “out”, the front panel
Mic/DI input is active; when “in” the back panel Most condenser microphones (such as an
Line Input is active for that channel. M-Audio Solaris) require phantom power to op-
erate. Dynamic microphones (such as a Shure
SM57) do not require phantom power to oper-
Soft Limit Switch ate, but are not harmed by it.
These switches engage a soft limiter on that
Although phantom power can be used
channel, applying a smooth, overdriven tape-
safely with most microphones, it is possible
type limiter to strong input signals.
to damage some ribbon microphones with
it. Always turn off phantom power and wait
Mic/Line Input Source Button at least ten seconds before connecting or dis-
connecting a ribbon microphone.
These buttons select the input source for input
channels 3 and 4. When “out”, the back panel
Mic input is active; when “in” the back panel When using phantom power, Mbox Pro’s
Line Input is active for that channel. maximum current per microphone is 10 mA.
If you are not sure about the phantom power re-

LED Ladders (Inputs 1–4) quirements for your microphone, consult your
microphone’s documentation or contact the
These four, eight-segment LED ladder-style me-
manufacturer.
ters illuminate green in the presence of audio
signal, and illuminate red when the signal is
about to clip. The LEDs are associated with sig- Headphone A and B Volume Knobs
nals routed from Inputs 1–4.
The headphone knobs adjust the output level of
their corresponding Headphone output (A or B).
Multi Button
The Multi button can be assigned to execute sev-
eral functions in Pro Tools, including
Track Create, Start/stop Record, Tap Tempo,
Toggle Marker Locations, and Save Session. For
detailed information, see Appendix B, “Using
the Multi Button.”

Dim/Mute Switch Mono Switch
The Dim/Mute switch affects the output volume The Mono Button sums the control room out-
for control room outputs as assigned in the puts to a mono signal (delivering that identical
Driver Control Panel setup (by default, Line signal to both speakers) via the Driver Control
Outputs 1 and 2.) Panel or the Mbox Pro. When engaged, the
Mono LED lights.
There are two functions of the switch:
When pushed, Line Outputs 1 and 2 (or the

Speaker/Source Select Switch
currently assigned Control Room outputs) are
dimmed. When Dim is engaged, the switch LED If you push and hold the Speaker/source select
lights solid. switch, it sources Aux Inputs 5 and 6 so you can
switch between monitoring Pro Tools playback
When pushed and held in, Line Outputs 1
and monitoring an external source (such an
and 2 (or the currently assigned Control Room
MP3 player).
outputs) are muted. When Mute is engaged, the
switch LED flashes. When pushed, it lets you toggle through the
control room output pairs so you only hear one

of them at a time. (For more information on
Power Indicator LED control room output pairs and Speaker/source
The Power LED indicates that the Mbox Pro is functionality, see Appendix A, “Using the
receiving power from its power supply. Once the Driver Control Panel.”)
light is on, audio can pass in or out of the sys- When pushed and held in, it lets you have
tem. If the light is flashing, the power is not cor- Aux Inputs 5-6 “take over” from Pro Tools - to
rect or clock is not locked. listen to something such as an MP3 player.
Master Volume Knob

The Master Volume knob controls the output
level of assigned control room outputs. You can
turn it up to the level you like while playing an
instrument, recording into a mic, or while play-
ing back audio from Pro Tools.
Headphone Outputs
Use the A and B, front panel Headphone Out-
puts to connect stereo headphones with a 1/4-
inch stereo connector.

Mbox Pro Back Panel Features
Figure 2 identifies each port on the back panel of the Mbox Pro.
Power input jack Aux Inputs 5/6

Power switch (RCAs and 1/8-inch mini) Insert jacks Mic inputs
Line Outputs Line inputs
Foot switch FireWire ports
Word clock, MIDI

+4/–10 switches
S/PDIF connector
Figure 2. Mbox Pro back panel
The Mbox Pro back panel provides the follow- Aux inputs 5–6
ing:
The RCA jacks and the 1/8-inch mini are all part
of Aux Input 5/6.
Power Switch
Use the RCA jacks is for line-level devices like
This button is used to turn Mbox Pro on or off. a CD player.
Use the 1/8-inch mini to connect line-level
Power Input Jack sources such as MP3 players with an 1/8-inch

stereo connector.
This port supplies power to Mbox Pro using the
included power supply. The Mbox Pro requires
the power supply to function. For stand-alone Line Inputs
mode you power on the unit with a power con-
nection and no FireWire connection. There are four TRS balanced analog line inputs
on the back panel for Input channels 1–4. For
Inputs channels 1–2, Line inputs are selected us-
Line Outputs ing the 01 and 02 Front/Rear switch on the front
There are six balanced 1/4-inch TRS analog panel (set to “Rear”). For Inputs 3–4, Line inputs
outputs that support line level outputs, are selected using the 03 and 04 Mic/Line
multiple stereo monitors, or up to 5.1 surround switches on the front panel (set to “Line”). Mic
monitoring. For more information on stereo inputs are selected using the 03 and 04 Mic/Line
and surround monitor configuration, see (set to “Mic”).
“Setup (Output Setup)” on page 59.

Insert Jacks Word Clock, MIDI, S/PDIF
Connector
These 1/4-inch TRS jacks let you patch (or “in-
sert”) an external analog effect such as a com- The DB15 connection that handles Word Clock,
pressor or limiter into the input signal, between MIDI, and S/PDIF is a multi-pin port where you
the preamp and the A/D converter. plug in a breakout cable (included). On the op-
posite end of the cable you can connect to Word
These inserts are only active when a connector is
Clock, MIDI, and S/PDIF devices.
inserted, and are otherwise bypassed. The TRS
jack is configured as follows: Tip=Send;
Ring=Return; Sleeve=Ground.
Mic Inputs
These two jacks provide XLR inputs for Input
channels 3 and 4. The Mic signal is adjusted by
the Gain knob for each channel.
Breakout cable
Foot Switch Connector
The footswitch connector on Mbox Pro lets you
FireWire Ports
use a footswitch to control either playback These standard FireWire 1394 connectors are
start/stop or recording punch in/out. Both used to connect your computer to Mbox Pro.
QuickPunch audio punch-in and punch-out The Mbox Pro cannot be powered solely
and MIDI punch-in and punch-out recording through its 1394 connection to your computer.
are supported. The Mbox Pro requires the power supply to
function.
The footswitch connector is designed specifi-
cally for instantaneous (momentary) on/off
pedals with a 1/4-inch TS connector. Continu- +4/–10 Switches
ous on/continuous off pedals can also be used,
These switches let you select +4 or –10 input lev-
but may result in unexpected behavior.
els channel settings 1–2 and 3–4. When “out”
the level is set to +4 and when “in” it is set to
(–10).

chapter 6
Making Studio Connections
This chapter provides step-by-step instructions By default, headphone A monitors the Pro Tools
for connecting mics, instruments, mixers, main mix outputs (usually output channels
headphones, speakers, and other devices to 1–2).
Mbox Pro.
You can configure headphone output through
the Driver Control Panel. See “Using the
Driver Control Panel” on page 51.
Connecting Outputs
To hear audio recorded into a Pro Tools session, Do not use the front panel headphone out-
you will need to connect headphones or an ex- puts for anything but headphones. If you
ternal sound system (such as powered monitors use a headphone distribution amp or cue
or a home stereo) to Mbox Pro. Sound from system, use any of the six available Line
Mbox Pro cannot be played through your com- Out channels on the back panel. See “Addi-
puter’s speakers or your computer’s sound out- tional Analog Outputs” on page 40.
put.
Connecting a Sound System
Connecting Headphones The default monitor outputs on the back of the
On the front panel of the Mbox Pro are two 1/4- Mbox Pro, (Line outputs 1 and 2) support 1/4-
inch headphone connectors, each with an asso- inch plugs. These connections can be balanced,
ciated level control, labelled A and B. Connect TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) style connectors, or un-
up to two sets of headphones for mixing and balanced connectors. To listen to your Pro Tools
tracking. session, these outputs can be connected to any
amplification system: powered speakers, a home
stereo system, or an audio mixer.
Headphone level (A, B)
When connecting to a stereo system, connect
the left channel (often the white plug) to
Line Out 1, and the right channel (often the red
plug) to Line Out 2.
1/4-inch
Headphone jacks (A, B)
Headphone jacks and controls on front of Mbox Pro
Chapter 6: Making Studio Connections 39

Line Output 1–6
Line Outputs 1–6
Line Outputs 1–6 can be connected to any de-
vice that has analog inputs. Use these six bal-
anced 1/4-inch TRS outputs to feed analog de-
vices such as headphone amps or cue systems
for discrete headphone mixes, samplers, or a sec-
ondary recorder.
There are other use for Line Outputs, such as:

• Stereo main monitors (Outputs 1–2)
Line Out connectors for monitors on Mbox Pro
• Stereo/Alt monitors (Outputs 3–4)
• Surround (Outputs 1–6)
Home stereo systems often use RCA connec-
tors. You can use an adaptor or a special ca-
To connect additional Mbox Pro outputs:
ble to convert from the TRS or TS connectors
used by Mbox Pro to the RCA connectors on 1 Using 1/4-inch TRS cables, connect any of the
your home stereo. Line Out (1–6) connectors on the back panel to
the inputs of your external devices.
To connect a sound system:
See the Pro Tools Reference Guide for infor-
For stereo monitoring, connect Line out 1 and
mation on signal routing, sends and bussing.
2 to the inputs of your left and right speak-
ers/monitors. You can hook up more than one
set of stereo speakers and switch between them Additional Analog Outputs
(Speaker A, B, C switching). See “Setup (Output Mbox Pro provides a total of four insert jacks
Setup)” on page 59 (Inserts 1–4), for inserting external processing
devices on input channels. (See “Insert Jacks” on
Mbox Pro is capable of 5.1 control room
page 37.) Insert jacks are for putting a hardware
monitoring complete with custom configu-
signal processor (like and EQ or compressor) be-
ration and routing controls. For more infor-
tween the onboard mic preamp and the on-
mation, see “Setup (Output Setup)” on
board analog to digital convertor.
page 59.
40 Mbox Pro Setup Guide

To connect to an external processor:
Using a 1/4-inch insert cable, connect the single

end of the cable from Insert 1, and the “Y” end
(send and return) to the external processor.
Word Clock, MIDI, S/PDIF connector

Word Clock, MIDI, S/PDIF Connector on Mbox Pro
When recording from Pro Tools to a digital

device, make sure the Pro Tools Clock
Source setting is set correctly. For more in-
formation, see “Digital Input and Output”
Insert cable on page 46.
Inserts jacks 1–4

Connecting Audio Inputs
This section describes the analog inputs avail-
able on Mbox Pro. For information about con-
necting specific audio sources, see “Connecting
a Microphone” on page 42, and “Connecting
Instruments to the Mbox Pro” on page 45.
Insert jacks for external processing on Mbox Pro

Overview of Analog Inputs
Connecting a Digital Deck
There are a total of six channels of analog input.
If you have a CD, DVD, DAT or other device that On the front, they are labelled 01, 02, 03, and
accepts S/PDIF connections, connect it to 04, On the back, the label is Aux Inputs 5/6.
S/PDIF In and S/PDIF Out RCA ports via a (There are also two channels of digital input.)
breakout cable. (Connect the included breakout
cable into the Word Clock, MIDI, S/PDIF Con- 01, 02, 03, 04
nector on the back panel, then connect RCA-
RCA cable.)
Aux Inputs 5/6

(and 1/8-inch)
Inputs channels on the front/back of Mbox Pro

Mic/DI 1 and Mic/DI 2
Connecting a Microphone
Each Input section (01, 02) on the front panel
has a combination jack (Mic/DI) that provides
an XLR and 1/4-inch input for Inputs 1 and 2.
Mic Cables and Connectors
(If you plug in an XLR mic, it’s Mic; if you plug Use a microphone with an XLR connector to
in a 1/4-inch it’s DI). connect the microphone to the Mbox Pro.
Or, you can toggle the Front/rear input source The Mbox Pro can only supply power through a
switch to source Input channels 1–2 from the microphone cable with an XLR connector. If
back panel Line inputs instead. you are not sure about the phantom power re-
quirements for your microphone, refer to your
Mic Inputs microphone’s documentation or contact the
manufacturer.
The Mic Inputs (03–04) section on the back
panel provide two dedicated XLR connectors for
Input channels 3 and 4.
Or, you can toggle the Mic/Line switch on the

front panel for Input channels 3 and 4. When
“out” the Mic input is active; when “in” the Line
Input (3 or 4) is active for that channel.
Aux Inputs 5/6 XLR connector
Aux In connectors are provided for Line and Phantom Power

Phono sources via RCA or 1/8-inch connectors.
Some microphones require power to operate.
You can keep something plugged into RCA jacks This power, called phantom power, is supplied ei-
(5/L and 6/R) but as soon as a 1/8-inch is ther by a battery in the microphone, or through
plugged in, it will defeat the RCAs. Whenever an audio interface (such as Mbox Pro) that can
something is plugged into the 1/8-inch, that’s supply power through the microphone cable.
what Pro Tools will see.
Most condenser microphones (such as an
5/L and 6/R For interfacing with a pair of RCA M-Audio Solaris) require phantom power to op-
cables from mixers, CD or DVD players, or sim- erate. Dynamic microphones (such as a Shure
ilar sources. SM57) do not require phantom power to oper-
ate, but are not harmed by it.
1/8-inch For a 1/8-inch stereo plug from iPod or
similar sources. Although phantom power can be used
safely with most microphones, it is possible
to damage some ribbon microphones with
it. Always turn off phantom power and wait
at least ten seconds before connecting a rib-
bon microphone.

The Mbox Pro can only supply phantom power 3 If your microphone requires phantom power,
through a microphone cable with XLR connec- make sure the microphone is connected, then
tors. If you are not sure about the phantom press the Phantom Power switch (labeled 48V)
power requirements for your microphone, refer on the front of the Mbox Pro. This switch sends
to your microphone’s documentation or con- 48V to all four mic inputs. The 48V LED on the
tact the manufacturer. front of the Mbox Pro will light when phantom
power is being supplied.
Using a Mic with an XLR Connector

(Input Channels 1–2)
To use a microphone with an XLR connector:

1 Plug your microphone cable into one of the
two Mic/DI inputs on the front of Mbox Pro (in 48V (Phantom Power)
this example, input 2).
Phantom Power switch
Input 1 4 On the front of the Mbox Pro, turn the master

Mic input
volume knob to the desired level.
Gain knob Master volume knob
Input 2 Mic/DI input

XLR connector plugged into Input 2 (Mic/DI combo jack)
Gain knob for Input 1 (Master volume knob shown)
2 Set the input source to Mic/DI (microphone)
by pressing the Front/Rear switch for channel 2 5 On the front of the Mbox Pro, carefully turn
to the “out” position. (When the button is set to the Gain knob to the right to increase the input
the “out” position, the front panel, combo level of your microphone signal.
Mic/DI inputs will be active. When the button is
6 If the incoming signal is too loud, press the
set to the “in” position, the back panel Line in-
Push/Pull knob to engage the –20 dB pad.
puts will be active.)
–20 dB Pad
Front/Rear switches Input 2 Pad
Front/Rear switches for Mic/DI combo jacks

Using a Mic with an XLR Connector
(Input Channels 3–4)
To use a microphone with an XLR connector:

1 Plug your microphone cable into one of the
two Mic inputs (XLR) on the back of Mbox Pro
(In this example, input 3). 48V (Phantom Power)
Phantom Power switch
4 On the front of the Mbox Pro, turn the master

Gain knob Master volume knob
Mic Input 3
XLR connector plugged into Mic Input 3 (XLR jack)
2 There are two Mic Inputs (XLR) on the back

Gain knob for Input 3 (Master volume knob shown)
panel, (Input 3 and 4). On the front panel, set
the Mic/Line input switch for channel 3 to the 5 On the front of the Mbox Pro, carefully turn
“out” position (microphone). the Gain knob to the right to increase the input
level of your microphone signal.
Use the corresponding back panel inputs
6 If the incoming signal is too loud, press the
(marked Line Input 3 and Line Input 4) on
the back when working with line-level sig- Push/Pull knob to the “out” position to engage
nals. In that case, you would set the Mic/Line the –20 dB pad.
input switch for channel 3 to the “in” posi-
tion (line).
–20 dB Pad
Input 3 Pad
Mic/Line switches
Mic/Line switches for Mic/DI combo jacks
3 If your microphone requires phantom power,

make sure the microphone is connected, then
press the Phantom Power switch (labeled 48V)
on the front of the Mbox Pro. This switch sends
48V to all four inputs. The 48V LED on the front
of the Mbox Pro will light when phantom
power is being supplied.

Connecting Instruments to volume knob to the desired level.
the Mbox Pro 4 On the front of the Mbox Pro, carefully turn
Mbox Pro provides three input types (DI, Line the Gain control knob to the right to increase
and Aux In) that correspond to the different sig- the input level of your guitar.
nal strengths output by different types of instru-
ments and other equipment. You can tune your guitar using the on-board
tuner from the front panel of the Mbox Pro.
DI Input (Front Panel) Instruments such as elec- Hold down the Mono and Dim buttons to
tric guitar or electric bass that usually have a launch the tuner in the Driver Control Panel.
lower level of output than line level instruments See “Tuner” on page 54.
use the front panel DI (“Direct Inject”) input.
Line Inputs (Back Panel) Line level devices, in-

cluding electronic audio sources such as mixers,
Connecting Keyboards and
samplers, keyboards, and synthesizers use the Mixers
back panel Line inputs.
To use a keyboard or mixer with Mbox Pro:
Aux 5/6 (Back Panel) RCA jacks for line level
1 Plug your keyboard (with line outputs), mixer,
devices such as a CD players. 1/8-inch mini port
or other audio source into any one of the four
for line level sources such as MP3 players with
Line Input channels on the back of the
stereo connectors. (The RCA jacks and 1/8-inch
Mbox Pro. If your source is stereo (such as a ste-
mini port are all part of Aux 5/6).
reo keyboard or the stereo output from a mixer),
connect the left channel (often the white plug)
Connecting Electric Guitar or Bass to Input 1, and right channel (often the red
plug) to Input 2.
To use a guitar with Mbox Pro:
1 On the front of the Mbox Pro, plug your guitar
If your keyboard has unbalanced outputs,
or bass cable into one of the Mic/DI inputs. set the line input switch to -10 instead of
+4. Refer to your keyboard’s documenta-
tion.
2 On the front of the Mbox Pro, set the

Front/Rear switch to Rear or Mic/Line switch to
Line (that corresponds to your channel).

4 Set your instrument’s volume to its optimal
Connecting guitar to the Mic/DI 1 connector level. For example, the optimal level for most
keyboards is between 80% and 100% of maxi-
2 On the front of the Mbox Pro, make sure the mum volume.
Front/Rear switch for Mic/DI 1 is in the “out”
position.

5 On the rear panel of the Mbox Pro, use the In- Connecting Digital Devices
put Level switch for +4/-10 input line level set-
tings (one for each stereo pair, 1/2 & 3/4). In the To connect Mbox Pro to an external digital device:
“out” position the level is set to +4; and when
1 Using the included breakout cable, connect it
pushed to the “in” position, it is set to (-10).
to the Word Clock, MIDI, and S/PDIF input on
the back panel of the Mbox Pro.
To use Aux Input 5/6 Line inputs:
2 Using RCA (coaxial) cables, connect the
1 Plug your keyboard, mixer or other line level
Mbox Pro S/PDIF In to the S/PDIF output of the
device into the Aux Input 5/6 inputs (L and R).
device.
Connecting DJ Equipment Use 75 ohm RCA cables (the standard for

digital audio) as other cables (such as home
To use the Aux Inputs 5/6: stereo cables) may have problems.
1 Plug your DJ mixer, DVD player, or similar
3 Connect the Mbox Pro S/PDIF Out to the
outputs into the Aux Input 5/6 inputs (L and R).
S/PDIF input of the external device.
There is no RIAA preamp or grounding post 4 Be sure to read the next section for important
on the Mbox Pro, so connecting a turntable information.
is not recommended.
Using S/PDIF Input
Connecting an MP3 player or having some-
In Pro Tools, you can record or listen to an ex-
thing plugged in to the 1/8-inch mini port
ternal digital device that is connected to
will defeat the RCA input signal.
Mbox Pro’s S/PDIF Input connector. Pro Tools
must first be configured to enable the S/PDIF In-
puts.
Digital Input and Output
Refer to this section whenever you plan to use
Mbox Pro provides two channels of S/PDIF digi- S/PDIF input on Mbox Pro.
tal input and output on the back panel (via a
breakout cable that you connect to the multi- The following requirement only applies to
pin port). This lets you record signals from digi- using S/PDIF input to record or monitor dig-
tal devices into Pro Tools, and send digital audio ital signals through Pro Tools LE and
from Pro Tools to other digital devices. Mbox Pro.
Mbox Pro does not support external sync at

88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and
192 kHz sample rates.
To enable the S/PDIF inputs on Mbox Pro:
Multi-pin port for breakout cable input 1 Make sure your have connected the external
digital device to the correct Mbox Pro S/PDIF
Word Clock, MIDI, and S/PDIF input on Mbox Pro
connector (In and Out).

2 Make sure the external device is powered on, If you need additional MIDI ports you can add a
that it is set to the correct sample rate, and that compatible MIDI interface. USB MIDI interfaces
it is configured to provide S/PDIF clock (if rele- work effectively with Pro Tools systems on Win-
vant to your device). dows or Mac. Serial MIDI interfaces are sup-
ported on Windows systems only.
3 Launch Pro Tools LE.
4 Choose Hardware > Setup. Only USB MIDI interfaces are compatible
with Pro Tools systems for Mac OS X. Mo-
5 Click the Clock Source pop-up menu and dem-to-serial port adapters and serial MIDI
choose “S/PDIF.” devices are not supported.
To connect MIDI devices to Mbox Pro:

1 Using a breakout cable, connect it to the
Word Clock, MIDI, and S/PDIF input on the
back panel of the Mbox Pro.
2 Connect the MIDI OUT of your MIDI device

or controller to the MIDI IN port on the break-
out cable.
Clock Source 3 Connect the MIDI IN of your MIDI device or
Enabling S/PDIF Input in the Hardware Setup dialog controller to the MIDI OUT port on the break-
Once enabled in the Hardware Setup dialog, the out cable.
S/PDIF inputs become active and will pass audio
to Mbox Pro.
Setting the Clock Source to S/PDIF is the only

Word Clock
way to utilize S/PDIF input. Doing so lets you re- Mbox Pro provides Word Clock In and Out con-
cord or monitor up to eight discrete input chan- nectors on the back panel that let you synchro-
nels (six analog and two S/PDIF). nize, or “clock” Pro Tools LE and Mbox Pro to
industry standard Word clock. Word clock is
Selecting any other Clock Source (Internal,
used to synchronize a wide range of devices such
or Word Clock) disables S/PDIF input.
as non-linear video systems and other types of
S/PDIF output remains available.
equipment typically found in professional audio
facilities.
MIDI Connections With both Word clock input and output, your
Mbox Pro-equipped Pro Tools LE system can act
Two MIDI ports become available when you as Word clock “slave” or “master.”
connect the provided breakout cable into the
Word Clock, MIDI, and S/PDIF input on the
back panel of the Mbox Pro. See “Word Clock,
MIDI, S/PDIF Connector” on page 37.

2 Configure all external devices to slave to the
Do not confuse Word clock and other forms Word clock coming from Mbox Pro. (Be sure to
of “clock reference” with time code and verify sample rate settings, termination require-
other forms of “positional reference.” For an ments and other internal settings for the device;
overview of synchronization terminology refer to the manufacturer’s documentation if
and concepts, see the Pro Tools Reference you need more information on the particular re-
guide. quirements for your other equipment.)
3 Launch Pro Tools.

Mbox Pro will synchronize to Word clock at
88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and 4 Choose Hardware > Setup.
192 kHz sample rates.
5 Click the Clock Source pop-up menu and
To connect Word clock to Mbox Pro: choose Internal.
Using high-quality, 75 ohm BNC cables (not

Pro Tools LE as Word Clock Slave
included) connect the Mbox Pro Word Clock In
and Out connectors to the appropriate ports on In order to slave Pro Tools to an external Word
the other Word clock-capable devices in your clock source, you must configure Word clock as
studio. the Pro Tools Clock source, as follows:
Using Word Clock with To configure Pro Tools LE with Mbox Pro as a Word
clock slave:
Pro Tools LE
1 Make sure all Word clock and audio connec-
Pro Tools LE with Mbox Pro can act as Word tions are correct as described earlier in this sec-
clock master, or as a slave to Word clock sup- tion.
plied by an external device.
2 Make sure the external Word clock source is
Pro Tools LE as Word Clock Master powered on, and configured to output 1x Word
clock. (Be sure to verify any required termina-
Mbox Pro Word clock output is always active, tion; refer to the manufacturer’s documentation
letting Pro Tools supply Word clock to any con- if you need more information on the particular
nected devices that support standard Word requirements for your device.)
clock.
3 Launch Pro Tools.
To use Pro Tools LE as Word clock master: 4 Choose Hardware > Setup.
1 Make sure all connections are correct between 5 Click the Clock Source pop-up menu and
Mbox Pro and your external devices. choose Word Clock.
S/PDIF digital input is not available when

the Pro Tools Clock source is set to Word
clock or Internal. To use S/PDIF input,
S/PDIF must be the Pro Tools Clock source.
For more information, see “Digital Input
and Output” on page 46.

Using a Footswitch
The footswitch connector on Mbox Pro lets you
use a footswitch pedal to control either playback
start/stop or recording punch in/out. Both
QuickPunch audio punch-in and punch-out
and MIDI punch-in and punch-out recording
are supported.
The footswitch connector is designed specifi-

cally for instantaneous (momentary) on/off
pedals with a 1/4-inch TS connector. Continu-
ous on/continuous off pedals can also be used,
but may result in unexpected behavior.
To use a footswitch control:

1 Connect a footswitch to the footswitch con-
nector on the back panel of the Mbox Pro.
2 Launch Pro Tools.
4 Select Record Punch In/Out or Playback

Start/Stop.
5 Click OK.

appendix a
Using the Driver Control Panel
The Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel lets you To open the Driver Control Panel:
configure settings for your audio interface for
On Mac, launch System Preferences (Apple
use with Pro Tools or other audio applications
menu > System Preferences), then double-click
that support the CoreAudio Drivers (Mac) or
Avid Mbox Pro. (You can also open the Driver
ASIO Audio Drivers (Windows) standard.
Control Panel from the Applications menu.)
Several features of Mbox Pro can be accessed di- – or –
rectly from the Mbox Pro front panel, such as in-
On Windows, choose Start > Control Panel >
put gain, phantom power, and output levels.
Mbox Pro.
But there are many additional parameters that
cannot be accessed from the front panel. These Presets Layout Additional Functions
additional features are available to you using the
included Driver Control Panel application.
Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel (Horizontal view shown)
Appendix A: Using the Driver Control Panel 51

To open the Driver Control Panel from Pro Tools: Load Button
1 Choose Setup > Hardware in the Edit window.
The Load Button opens a file browser that lets
2 Click launch control panel. you load a previously saved Settings file.
Save as...
The Save as button opens a file browser that lets
you save the current settings of the Driver Con-
trol Panel to a Settings file.
Layouts
The Layout drop-down menu lets you choose
what information you would like the Driver
Control Panel to show, and how you would like
that information to be displayed. There are four
Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel launched in a Pro Tools layouts to select from:
session
Horizontal
Presets The Horizontal layout is the default layout. It
shows all knobs, faders, meters and buttons in a
The Preset view lets you load and save Mbox Pro
layout similar to that of a mixing console. The
Settings files, which contain all settings of the
Horizontal layout is used for all the screen cap-
Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel. This is useful if
tures in this chapter.
you'd like to save various configurations so that
you do not have to manually reconfigure your
system each time you work on a different type of Horizontal (Meters Only)
project.
The Meters Only layout emphasizes pre-fader
For example, you could save the following pre- hardware input and software return metering,
sets: but does not provide access to the stereo mixers.
• A preset for live tracking, in stereo (low-la-
tency/direct monitoring, and/or for dis-
crete headphone mixes).
• A preset for mixing in stereo (alternate
speakers, etc.).
• A preset for working in multi-channel/sur-
round.
Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel
(Horizontal (Meters Only) shown)

Vertical Vertical (Meters Only)
The Meters Only layout emphasizes pre-fader
hardware input and software return metering,
but does not provide access to the stereo mixers.
Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel

(Vertical shown)
The Vertical layout provides access to all con- Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel
trols and meters in a vertical window. The Verti- (Vertical (Meters Only) shown)
cal layout was designed for compact operation,
which is convenient if you want to run it along
with Pro Tools (uses far less screen real estate,
but provides full functionality).

Setup
Additional Functions
Setup has two modes; “General Setup” and
Mbox Pro also features a variety of functions ac- “Output Setup.” You can toggle between modes
cessible through pop-up menus located at the by clicking General Setup or Output Setup in the
upper-right area of the Control Panel: Setup pop-up menu.
• Tuner
General Setup is where you define the hardware
• Setup settings of the Mbox Pro. For example, you can
• General Setup set buffer size, sample rate, and clock source.
• Output Setup You can also define how Mbox Pro functions
when it’s connected to a computer or when it’s
• Flow
in standalone mode (not connected to a com-
• About puter). Think of General Setup as a quick way to
customize Mbox Pro behavior.
Tuner Output Setup is where you define the prefer-
The Tuner activates the tuner function of ences of your monitoring environment. For ex-
Mbox Pro. You can also access the tuner by ample, you can configure up to three stereo
pressing the front panel Mono and Dim buttons hardware output pairs to function as “control
simultaneously. A tuner display will appear in room output pairs.” Then you can use
the center of the Driver Control Panel, and the Mbox Pro’s Speaker button (front panel) to cycle
front panel input meters will function as tuning through the control room output pairs.
indicators as well.
Setup (General Setup)
When tuning from the front panel, use the in-
put meters (LED ladders). They are red when
out of tune and green when in tune.
Setup pop-up menu (General Setup mode shown)

The “General Setup” options are grouped in the Sample Rate
following categories:
This drop-down menu sets the sample rate of
Mbox Pro. Note that when using the interface
Hardware Settings with an ASIO or CoreAudio application, the
This section of the Control Panel provides pa- sample rate can also be determined by your au-
rameters you can set on your interface when it is dio application. This parameter may not be ed-
connected to a computer using a FireWire cable itable from within the Mbox Pro Control Panel
(i.e., Hosted Mode). if your audio application is running. In this case,
any changes to the sample rate must be made
Disable Host Control through the audio application itself. If the appli-
cation does not provide a way to set the sample
This setting lets you rest control of the Driver rate, quit the application, then change the sam-
Control Panel from Pro Tools. When you launch ple rate through the Mbox Pro Control Panel.
Pro Tools, it takes control of the Driver Control
Panel's first stereo mixer. If you want to obtain In Windows Vista, when using the
full manual control of the Driver Control Panel, Mbox Pro WDM/MME (i.e., non-ASIO)
choose this option. drivers, the sample rate of the interface (and
your audio software) is always determined
If you want to use the Low Latency Monitor- by this drop-down menu. Your selection in
ing option in Pro Tools, this option must not this menu is the only item that will appear
be checked. in your audio application. For example, if
you select “44.1kHz” in this menu, your
Clock Source
audio application’s control panel will only
This setting determines the clock source to display “44.1kHz” and you will not be able
which Mbox Pro is synchronized. to select any other rates from within the ap-
plication.
Internal If you are using Mbox Pro by itself (i.e.,
without other digital devices or an external When the sample rate is locked to an external
clock), select the Internal option for the interface digital clock source, the Mbox Pro’s LED is solid
to work properly blue. When the sample rate is set and there is no
digital clock source detected (or cannot lock to it
S/PDIF If you have connected a S/PDIF device to
for some reason), the LED will blink. (A message
your Mbox Pro and would like to use that device
appears at the bottom of the Hardware Settings
as the master clock source, select the S/PDIF op-
section stating that: “External clock not de-
tion. This will make Mbox Pro clock to the exter-
tected, Audio Streaming is Disabled.”).
nal device’s clock.
Word Clock If you are transferring material into

Pro Tools from an external digital device, or if
you utilize a common house clock signal, you
will need to synchronize Pro Tools to that digital
device or common signal. Select the Word Clock
option.

Buffer Size (Windows only) Soft Button Settings
This menu sets the size of the input and output
Press and Hold Duration
buffers on Mbox Pro.
This pop-up menu gives you four choices of
Buffers are used to help keep audio hardware Press and Hold duration for all soft buttons on
and software running smoothly by processing the front of the Mbox Pro. Choose between 250
audio in groups of samples rather than one sam- msec, 500 msec, 750 msec, and 1 sec.
ple at a time. Due to variations between com-
puter hardware and software, it is impossible to Use Dim LEDs for Button off State
recommend a single optimum setting for all sys-
tems. It may be necessary to experiment with Checking this option gives you a dim LED for all
various settings until you find the best buffer the soft buttons that are off (so you can still dis-
size for your system. cern the LED in the dark).
The goal of setting a buffer size is to reduce it as High-pass Filter Enable

much as possible without hearing any clicks,
pops, or other glitches. If the buffer size is too There is a high-pass filter on the first four chan-
small, the computer will not be able to make all nels. Let’s say you are recording an instrument
the required audio calculations on time and you that does not produce very low frequency
will hear pops, clicks, and stuttering in your au- sounds. You can enable the associated channel’s
dio streams. On the other hand, if the buffer size high-pass filter (check In 1, In 2, In 3, or In 4) to
is set too high, your computer will process audio remove handling and low rumble from a vocal
without incident, but your software will feel microphone.
sluggish and unresponsive. See “Hardware Buf-
fer Size” on page 18. Driver Control Panel Options
To find your system’s optimum buffer size set- Hold Clipping Indicators until Clicked
ting, begin with a high setting and gradually re-
duce the size until you begin to hear clicks, The top section of the meters (or right section
pops, or other audible glitches in your audio. for horizontal meters) of the Driver Control
Then, raise the buffer size setting until these Panel feature a red clipping indicator. When this
glitches disappear. You may need to stop play- option is selected, the clipping indicators will re-
ing audio any time you change this setting and main lit until they are clicked.
certain applications will require you to re-
launch the program before the new buffer size Load Latency and Clock Settings from Settings
Files
settings become active.
When this option is selected, the clock source
This menu only appears on Windows sys-
and buffer settings are recalled when loading a
tems. Most Mac OS X applications allow to
setting file.
change the buffer size from within the au-
dio application itself. Please see your audio
application’s user guide to learn how to
change this setting.

Post-Fader Meters Standalone Settings
When this option is selected, fader positions will Standalone settings affect the setting of the
affect the meters. Post-Fader Meters mean the Mbox Pro when it's in standalone mode with no
meter indicate post-fader levels. host computer connected.
Pre-Fader Meters When you set up your standalone settings,

you must be connected to the computer.
When this option is selected, the meters display
the level of a signal before it passes the fader. The interface can function in the following two
This allows signal levels to be displayed regard- modes:
less of the fader positions within the stereo mix
(in other words, a fader can be all the way down Hosted Operation If there is a FireWire connec-
and no sound will be heard from the mixer’s tion to the computer when the Mbox Pro is first
output, but you can still see if there is any activ- powered on, then it boots into hosted mode.
ity on that input).
Standalone Operation If there is no FireWire con-
nection to the computer when the Mbox Pro is
FX Sends Mode first powered on, then it boots into standalone
mode.
Pre-Fader FX Sends
When you are in standalone mode, the follow-
When Pre-Fader FX Sends is selected, the full au-
ing functions can be adjusted:
dio signal will be sent to the FX Sends, regardless
• Clock source
of the position of the Channel Faders of stereo
mix 1–2. • Sample rate
• Mode
Post-Fader (Mix 1/2) FX Sends
Clock Source
When Post-Fader (Mix 1/2) is selected, the audio
signal level being sent to the FX Sends will be af- Clock source and sample rate settings work in
fected by the position of the Channel Faders of the same manner as above, it defines what the
Stereo Mix 1. clock source will be; internal, S/PDIF, or word
clock.
The clock source can be switched from the front

panel when in standalone, using the Multi but-
ton.
The LED button will either be off/on/pulsing to

indicate which clock source is currently as-
signed.
• If the LED if off, the clock source is internal.
• If the LED is on, the clock source is word clock
• If the LED is pulsing, clock source is S/PDIF

Sample Rate
This setting assigns the sample rate when it's set

to internal clock source in standalone mode.
Mode
The Mbox Pro can be in the following three

types of sub-standalone modes:
AD/DA Converter When in AD/DA mode, analog

inputs 1 and 2 are routed to S/PDIF outputs left
and right and S/PDIF inputs left and right are
routed to analog outputs 1 and 2.
Preamp When in Preamp mode, analog input 1

is sent to analog output 1 and S/PDIF left. Ana-
log input 2 is sent to analog output 2 and S/PDIF
Right. Analog inputs 3–6 are sent to analog out-
puts 3–6.
Mixer When in Mixer mode, all analog and dig-

ital inputs are summed and routed to analog
outputs 1-2 are mirrored to S/PDIF outputs left
and right.
Changing Sub-standalone Modes
Once you are in standalone mode you can tell

which of the three sub-standalone modes the
Mbox Pro is in and change them using the
Speaker source select switch (pushing the
Speaker button cycles through them all).
The button displays the following colors for

each mode:
• Green in AD/DA Converter Mode
• Red in Preamp mode
• Amber in Mixer mode

Setup (Output Setup) For example, if you check “Master Volume” for
the first three output pairs, then the master vol-
Output Setup lets you set up stereo and sur- ume would control all of them at once. This is
round monitoring options/settings. useful if you are mixing in surround.
Stereo Monitor Configuration
You can configure up to three stereo hardware

output pairs to function as control room moni-
tor pairs. Pressing the speaker button on the
front panel of the hardware cycles through the
control room output pairs. This is useful for
A/B-ing your mix between different studio mon-
itors.
Setup pop-up menu (Output Setup mode shown)
The Output Setup options are grouped in the fol-

lowing categories:
Mbox Pro (Speaker button shown)
Surround Monitor Configuration
You can also choose which output pairs are con-

trolled by Mbox Pro’s master volume knob.

Hardware Outputs (1–2, 3–4, 5–6) Left Trim This knob trims the level of the Left
(odd numbered) output.
Name
Right Trim This knob trims the level of the Right
This is where you can assign a name to your ste- (even numbered) output.
reo output pairs. The name appears in the tabs
of the Output Pair Select View. See “Output Pair Hardware Outputs 7–8
Select View” on page 61.
These outputs are not assignable as control
room outputs.
Control Room Assignment
Headphones 1 This lets you label the headphone
This drop-down menu assigns a hardware out-
out for Headphone output A.
put (1–2 or 3–4 or 5–6) as a control room output.
You have four choices when setting up your Headphones 2 This lets you label the headphone
control room monitor pairs: Choose between out for Headphone output B.
the following options:
Close Select this button to closes the dialog box.
• None
• Speakers A (Green LED)
Flow
• Speakers B (Red LED)
• Speakers C (Amber LED) Clicking the Flow pop-up menu opens a display
showing the signal flow from the inputs to the
Let’s say that outputs 1–2 are set up to be Speak- outputs of Mbox Pro. This is a useful reference
ers A, outputs 3–4 are set up to be Speakers B, for understanding the path of an audio signal
and outputs 5–6 are set up to be Speakers C. flowing through Mbox Pro.
Pressing Mbox Pro’s Speaker button lets you
switch between the three pairs of speakers.
(Only one control room output pair is active at
any time in Stereo mode.)
Master Vol.
Checking this option lets you choose which out-

put pairs are controlled by Mbox Pro’s master
volume knob.
If you check “Master Volume” for the first three

output pairs, then the master volume knob con-
trols all of them at once. (If one output pair is
designated as a control room speaker pair, this
checkbox is automatically checked and cannot
be unchecked.)

About Output Pair Select View
The About pop-up menu lets you view the firm- For each hardware output pair of Mbox Pro
ware version of the Mbox Pro hardware, and the (Line outputs 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, S/PDIF Left and
package version of the Mbox Pro driver installer. Right, or Headphones A and B), there is a repre-
sentative tab in the output pair select view. The
output pair select view lets you choose the audio
source for each hardware output pair, and where
applicable, edit the audio source.
Tabs representing each Mbox Pro hardware output pair

(output pair select view shown)
Each output pair select tab includes a drop-

Web links
down menu where you can select the audio
Firmware and driver information
source you want. The sources include:
Accessing the Web Links • Stereo Mix 1
• Stereo Mix 2
Along the bottom-right of the Driver Control
• Stereo Mix 3 (Available only at sample rates
Panel you can easily access helpful online re-
at or below 96 kHz)
sources on our Avid website (www.avid.com) by
clicking on the following pop-up menus: • Stereo Mix 4 (Available only at sample rates
at or below 96 kHz)
• Manual
• Updates
at or below 96 kHz)
• Support
• FAQs
at or below 96 kHz)
• Register
• Software Returns 1–2
Clicking on any of the “Web links” will • Software Returns 3–4
open your web browser. Your computer must • Software Returns 5–6
have Internet access for these pages to load. • Software Returns 7–8
• Hardware Inputs 1–2

The available output pair audio sources can be Notes:
divided into two categories: • The source of the currently selected tab is
displayed below the output pair select view.
Stereo Mixes See “Setup (Output Setup)” on page 59.
A stereo mix lets you set up a custom stereo mix, • For Stereo Mix sources, a traditional mixer
setting the desired level for each hardware input view is displayed. See “Stereo Mixes” on
and software return that is fed to the hardware page 63.
output pair. See the Stereo Mix section below for • For direct route sources, a view with meters
details. is displayed, and the input source and out-
put destination are highlighted.
Direct Routes • You can drag and drop the tabs to reorder
them if you want.
A direct route means that the chosen signal is
passed directly to the hardware output pair. For Notes on output pairs that are designated as
example, if the source for output pair 1–2 were control room outputs:
“Hardware Inputs 1–2,” then the signal coming
• If an output pair is a designated control
into hardware inputs 1–2 of the Mbox Pro
room output (see Setup Drawer section
would be fed directly to hardware outputs 1–2.
above), a speaker icon will appear in the
Similarly, if the source were “Software Returns
upper right corner of the tab. Click the
1–2,” the signal fed from an audio host software
speaker icon, or double click the tab, to
returns 1–2 would be fed directly to hardware
make the associated output pair the active
outputs 1–2.
control room speaker pair.
• Control room output pairs must have ste-
reo mixes as their source. This is enforced
automatically by the software.
• In most cases, you will want to use the
same stereo mixer (for example, Stereo
Mix 1) for all designated control room out-
put pairs. This is not enforced by the soft-
ware, because there are cases in which
varying sources for control room output
pairs would be desirable.

A pair of channels can be linked together by
Stereo Mixes clicking the link icon between the two channels.
Linking channels lets you adjust mute, solo, and
These 16-input, 2-output mixes allow you to cre-
fader settings simultaneously by modifying pa-
ate up to six stereo mixes when running at a
rameters on either one of the linked channels.
sample rate at or below 96 kHz, and up to two
However, linking two channels will not have
stereo mixes when running at a sample rate
any effect on their Pan controls, which are al-
above 96 kHz.
ways made on a per-channel basis.
This lets you set up near-zero latency cue mixes
The stereo mix features multi-segment meters to
in which the performers hear a “customized”
show input channel levels (directly above each
mix while recording.
channel) and main mixer output levels (at the
It is important to note that any changes made to top right of the mixer). The pre/post fader me-
the stereo mix will only affect what is audible tering operation can be set from the Setup Tab
from the mixer’s outputs—the stereo mix does of the Control Panel. The clip indicators can be
not affect the signals that are sent to Pro Tools set to “stick” by choosing Hold Clipping Indicators
for recording. For example, if you are recording until Clicked in the Setup pop-up menu, and reset
a vocalist and he/she tells you to turn up the vo- by clicking on the clip indicator itself.
cal track so they can hear themselves better, you
Setting or adjusting the stereo mix will not af-
can increase the vocalist’s microphone channel
fect the signal that is recorded into Pro Tools.
in the stereo mix. This will make the vocal part
For example, you’ll still be able to record a chan-
louder in the vocalist’s headphones, but it will
nel while its corresponding stereo mix channel
still be recorded into Pro Tools at the volume de-
is muted. You won’t hear the part through the
termined by the front panel Gain Adjustment
stereo mix as it is being recorded, but it will still
Knob.
record into Pro Tools and play back properly.
The stereo mix is set up like a standard mixing
console: There are 16 input channels, each with
its own volume fader, pan and aux send knobs,
solo, and mute buttons, as well as a master out-
put section with its own pair of faders and mute
buttons.

Using the Stereo Mix Section
The stereo mix section is located in the main view of the Driver Control Panel and is divided into
four main sections:
• Hardware Inputs
• Software Returns
• Master
• Effects
Hardware Inputs Software Returns
Signal Meter
Pan
Solo
Mute Master
Channel Fader
Channel Label
Link
Effects
Hardware Inputs Software Returns

The Hardware Inputs section is where the The Software Returns section is where the audio
Mic/Line and Instrument inputs are monitored, coming back from Pro Tools (or other audio ap-
as well as the S/PDIF input of Mbox Pro. Hard- plication) is monitored. Software Returns 1 and
ware Inputs 1–6 are the analog inputs, and Hard- 2 will be the default stereo output from
ware Inputs 7–8 are the S/PDIF inputs. Pro Tools.

Pan Link
The Pan knobs control the position of a chan- The Link buttons connect stereo pairs of knobs
nel’s audio signal in the stereo image of the ste- or faders (and also links the corresponding FX
reo mix (double-click the knob to return pan to Send knobs), so that adjusting either channel
center). (left/right) adjusts the other side identically.
Links buttons
Solo
Each Solo button lets audio be monitored for the
channel of which it is a part, while simultane-
ously muting all other Hardware Input channels
and Software Returns (except for those that also
have their Solo buttons activated). Pan controls are unaffected by linking two
channels.
Mute
Hardware Input FX Sends
The Mute buttons are used to individually turn
off audio monitoring for each channel in the FX Sends are shared by all Stereo Mixes, unless
stereo mix. “Post-Fader Stereo Mix 1” is chosen in the Setup
pop-up menu.
Channel Faders
Software Return FX Sends
The Channel Faders control the monitoring vol-
ume level of each channel in the stereo mix. FX Sends are shared by all Stereo Mixes, unless
“Post-Fader Stereo Mix 1” is chosen in the Setup
Channel Labels pop-up menu.
By default, the Channel Labels show the input

name of each channel (1–8), except for the Mas-
ter fader pair (which is labeled L/R by default).
Clicking on a Channel Label gives you a cursor,

allowing you to type in your own custom chan-
nel name (such as “guitar,” “vocals,” etc.).
The Channel Labels also display the signal level

(in dB) while a fader is being adjusted.

FX Returns Master
These knobs control how much of the Effect au- The Master section lets you control the main
dio output will be mixed in with the monitor mixer output. This output can be routed to any
signal Master L/R outputs. Unlike sends, hardware output. Each Stereo Mix includes a
FX Returns are individually adjustable for each master section with several controls:
stereo mix.
Master fader Stereo Mix Copy
pull-down
Master section Balance knob
Width knob
Mute button (L) Mute button (R)

FX Returns section
Swap button
Channel Fader
FX Returns (below Master section)
The Clip LED will show clipping if the input to

the FX is clipping and if the output is clipping
(the rest of the meter is just output).
Link button Mono button

Effect FX Returns
section
The Effect drop-down menu is used to select the
Master section of the Driver Control Panel
effect to be applied to the Hardware Inputs
and/or Software Returns (effects are not avail- Master Fader Adjusts the overall level of the ste-
able if the sample rate is > 96 kHz). There are five reo mix.
available reverb types: Three room reverbs and
two hall reverbs, delay, and echo. These effects Balance Knob Adjusts the left/right balance of
can be customized by using the following three the stereo mix (double-click the knob to return
controls: it to center).
Duration This knob controls decay time (for the Width Knob Adjusts the width of the stereo im-
reverbs) or delay time (for delay and echo). age, where fully counter-clockwise is mono, and
fully clockwise is full stereo (double-click the
Feedback This knob controls the number of re- knob to return it to center).
peats for the delay and echo effects. It does not
affect the reverbs. Mute Buttons Mutes the left and/or right side of
the stereo mix.
Volume This knob controls the effects output
level being sent to the FX Returns

Swap Button Swaps the stereo image, making the Status Indicators
left channel play out the Right output, and the
right channel play out the Left output. Along the bottom-left of the Driver Control
Panel are the following status indicators:
Link Button Links the FX Returns section and the
mute buttons. Hardware Connected
Master Meters Lets you have a visual representa- This tells you the status of the hardware; if a
tion of the audio signal being fed to the associ- properly installed, powered-on Mbox Pro is con-
ated hardware output pair. nected to the computer.
Stereo Mix Copy Lets you copy the settings of the

current stereo mix to one of the other stereo
mixes.
Mono Button The Mono button is available only

under the following circumstances: Status indicators
• At least one output pair is assigned as a con-
trol room output pair. Streaming
• The currently displayed stereo mix is the This indicates if audio from a Digital Audio
stereo mix used by the current control Workstation or a media player (such as Pro Tools
room output pair. or Windows Media Player) is currently stream-
ing audio to the Mbox Pro.
Host Control Enabled

If an application such as Pro Tools has control
over the Driver Control Panel, then “Host Con-
trol Enabled” displays.

appendix b
Using the Multi Button
The Multi button on the front panel of the

Mbox Pro can be assigned to easily execute sev- Using the Multi Button
eral functions in Pro Tools including (but not
In the Hardware Setup dialog, Pro Tools lets you
limited to):
set three Multi button parameters for your
• Add Track Mbox Pro using the “Multi Button Function”
• Start/Stop Record pane. (You can also launch the Driver Control
• Tap Tempo Panel from here).
• Locating to Next/Previous Marker
For more information on the Driver Control
• Save Session
Panel, see Appendix A, “Using the Driver
Control Panel.”.
The Multi Button Function includes the follow-

ing options:
Press and Release Displays the options avail-

able for Press and Release mode.
Press and Hold Displays the options available

for Press and Hold mode.
Duration Gives four time duration options for

Mbox Pro (Multi button shown) Press and Hold button.
You can use the Multi button to do these and Launch Control Panel Launches Driver Control
other common tasks with a single button in- Panel.
stead of using on-screen menu commands. By
pressing the Multi button two different ways
(Press and Release, Press and Hold) you can per-
form two functions with one button.
Appendix B: Using the Multi Button 69

To use the Multi Button Function pane and
configure its parameters (example): Press and Release Options
1 Launch Pro Tools. When you click on the Press and Release list, a
2 Choose Track > New and create 1 Mono audio
pop-up menu provides access to the following
track. options:
You need to have at least one track avail-

able in a session to use the Add Last Track
and Add Selected Track functions.
4 From the Press and Release list, select

Start/Stop Record (the default).
5 From the Press and Hold list, select Add Se-

None No function is selected in this mode.
lected Tracks (the default).
Add Last Track Adds the last track type that you
6 From the Hold Duration list, select 500 msec
created in the session. Say you have created two
(the default).
Audio tracks in a session. It will add another
mono Audio track.
Add Selected Track Adds whatever tracks that

you have selected in a session. Say you have se-
lected two Audio tracks in a session. It will add
another two Audio tracks.
Cursor to Next Marker Each time the button is

Multi Button Function pane (Shown in Hardware Setup pressed and released, the transport will locate to
dialog)
the next marker location.
7 Go to the Edit Window and select the track
Cursor to Previous Marker Each time the button
you just created.
is pressed and released, the transport will locate
8 Press and hold the Multi button for 500 msec, to the previous marker location.
then release. A new track is added in Record En-
able mode. Start/Stop Playback Each time the button is
pressed and released, it starts/stops playing back
9 Press and immediately release the Multi but- : session.
the
ton. The track begins recording.
Start/Stop Record Each time the button is
This is just one example of how easy it is to use pressed and released, it starts/stops recording.
the Multi button if you want to quickly throw
down tracks and record. But you can personalize Loop Playback Toggle Each time the button is
the Multi button settings to fit any audio work- pressed and released, the Loop Playback mode is
flow that works for you. toggled between enabled and disabled.

Undo Each time the button is pressed and re- Add Last Track Adds the last track type that you
leased, it undoes that last operation you per- created in the session. Say you have created two
formed in Pro Tools. (Same as the Undo com- Audio tracks in a session. It will add another
mand from the Pro Tools menu) mono Audio track.
Save Session Each time the Multi button is Add Selected Track Adds whatever tracks that
pressed and released, it saves the session. you have selected in a session. Say you have se-
lected two Audio tracks in a session. It will add
Tap Tempo The Multi button can be tapped to another two Audio tracks.
adjust the session tempo. Tapping tempo will
cause Pro Tools to come out of Conductor mode Cursor to Next Marker Each time the button is
and match its tempo to the tapped tempo. If held and released, the transport will locate to
Pro Tools is already in Manual Tempo mode, the the next marker location.
session will automatically adjust its tempo to
match the value created by the Tap Tempo func- Cursor to Previous Marker Each time the button
tion. is held and released, the transport will locate to
the previous marker location.
Start/Stop Playback Each time the button is

Press and Hold Options held and released, it starts/stops playing back
the session.
When you click on the Press and Hold list, a
pop-up menu provides access to the following Start/Stop Record Each time the button is held
options: and released, it starts/stops recording.
Loop Playback Toggle Each time the button is

held and released, the Loop Playback mode is
toggled between enabled and disabled.
Undo Each time the button is held and released,

it undoes that last operation you performed in
Pro Tools. (Same as the Undo command from
the Pro Tools menu)
Save Session Each time the Multi button is held

None No function is selected in this mode. and released, it saves the session.
Appendix B: Using the Multi Button 71

Hold Duration Options
When you click on the Hold Duration list, a
drop-down menu provides access to the follow-
ing options:
Hold Duration There are four choices of Hold Du-

ration (250 msec, 500 msec, 750 msec, and 1 sec),
which is the amount of time you choose to hold
the Multi button down in Press and Hold mode.
The default is 500 msec.

appendix c
Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only)
2 Click MIDI Devices. AMS scans your system for

Audio MIDI Setup connected MIDI interfaces. If your MIDI inter-
face is properly connected, it appears in the win-
Pro Tools recognizes the ports on your MIDI in-
dow 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 Do one of the following:
• Launch Audio MIDI Setup (located in Mac-
intosh HD/Applications/Utilities). Click
Window > Show MIDI Window to view MIDI
studio. Audio MIDI Setup (MIDI Devices)
– or – 3 For any MIDI devices connected to the MIDI

• In Pro Tools, choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI interface, click Add Device. A new external device
Studio. In Audio MIDI Setup, click icon with the default MIDI keyboard image will
Window > Show MIDI Window to view MIDI appear.
studio. 4 Drag the new device icon to a convenient lo-
cation within the window.
Appendix C: Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) 73

5 Connect the MIDI device to the MIDI inter- 2 Select a manufacturer and model for the new
face by clicking the arrow for the appropriate device from the corresponding pop-up menus.
output port of the device and dragging a con- (If the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus
nection or “cable” to the input arrow of the cor- do not provide a name for your particular de-
responding port of the MIDI interface. vice, you can type a name.)
Naming a new MIDI device
For Manufacturer and Model names, AMS

refers to one or more files with the suffix
Making MIDI input and output connections
“.middev” in the directory Root/Library/
6 Click the arrow for the appropriate input port Audio/MIDI Devices. Pro Tools installs a
of the device and drag a cable to the output ar- file that contains information for many
row of the corresponding port of the MIDI inter- commercially available MIDI devices,
face. named “Digidesign Device List.middev.” If
the Manufacturer or Model names for any of
To remove a connection, select the cable and your external MIDI devices is not available
press Delete. To delete all connections, click in the AMS Manufacturer and Model pop-up
Clear Cables. menus, you can add them by editing the
.middev file in any text editor (such as
7 Repeat steps 3–6 for each MIDI device in your
TextEdit).
MIDI setup.
To configure an external MIDI device:

1 Select the external device icon and click Show
Info (or double-click the new device icon).
External Device Icon

3 Click the More Information arrow to expand 4 Click the device image. The window expands
the dialog, then enable the appropriate MIDI to show images for various MIDI devices (such
channels (1–16) for the Transmits and Receives as keyboards, modules, interfaces, and mixers).
options. (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
device window.
5 Click OK.
The device names you enter appear as MIDI in-

put and output choices in Pro Tools.
Appendix C: Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) 75

4 In the Patch Select dialog, click Change.
MIDI Patch Name Support
Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup
Language) for storing and importing patch
names for you external MIDI devices. Pro Tools
installs MIDI patch name files (.midnam) for the
factory default patch names of many common
MIDI devices. These files reside in directories,
sorted by manufacturer, in Macintosh HD/
Library/Audio/MIDI Patch Names/Digidesign. Change button
Patch Select dialog
To import MIDI patch names into Pro Tools:
5 In the Open dialog, navigate to /Library/Au-
1 Verify the MIDI Device name in the Audio
dio/MIDI Patch Names/Digidesign/<name of
MIDI Setup window (see “Audio MIDI Setup” on manufacturer>, and select the MIDI Patch Name
page 73). file (.midnam) for the MIDI device.
2 Verify the Instrument or MIDI track output is
6 Click Open.
correctly assigned to the MIDI device.
The Patch Select dialog is populated with patch
3 Click the Instrument or MIDI track Patch Se-
names and the Patch Name Bank pop-up menu
lect button.
appears in the upper left hand corner of the win-
dow.
Once patch names have been imported into

Pro Tools, they are available for that MIDI de-
vice in all sessions.
To clear patch names:

In the Patch Select dialog, click Clear, and the
click Done.
Patch Select button Patch Select button MIDI patch name files (.midnam) can be
(Edit window) (Mix window) edited in any text editor, or you can use
Patch Select button third-party patch librarian and editor soft-
ware to create your own custom patch
names.

appendix d
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 Name
ing of MIDI data between your MIDI equipment list on the left side of the window. A detailed
and Pro Tools. view of MIDI parameters is shown in the Proper-
ties 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
Appendix D: Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only) 77

Interface Controls Properties Section
Create Adds a new instrument to the Instru- The Properties section lets you edit information
ment Name list. for new instruments, or instrument currently se-
lected in the Instrument list.
Delete Deletes the instrument or instruments se-
lected in the Instrument Name list.
Import Imports an existing MIDI Studio Setup

file.
Export Exports the current MIDI Studio Setup

file.
Show Duplicate Emulated Ports When this op-

tion is selected and you are using a MIDI inter-
face that supports timestamping (such as MIDI
MIDI Studio Setup Properties section
I/O), in addition to the MIDI ports on Mbox Pro,
the MIDI Studio setup window shows both the When a previously defined instrument is se-
DirectMusic time-stamped output ports, and lected in the Instrument list, the Properties sec-
non-stamped duplicate emulated output ports. tion changes to reflect the properties of the se-
lected instrument.
Some MIDI Interfaces will not properly load
or unload their drivers unless you quit and To define an instrument with MIDI Studio Setup:
re-launch Pro Tools. Check the documenta-
1 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio.
tion that came with your MIDI interface for
more information. 2 Click Create.
3 In the Instrument Name field, type the name

Instrument List
of your instrument, and press Enter.
The Instrument list contains all the currently
defined instruments. Selecting an instrument in If you do not enter an instrument name, the
the list displays that instrument’s properties in Instrument Name field will automatically
the Properties section of the window. inherit information from the Manufacturer
and Model pop-up menu.
4 Set a manufacturer and model for the new de-

vice from the corresponding pop-up menus. If
the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus do
not provide a name for your particular device,
select None.
5 From the Input pop-up menu, select the input

port on your MIDI interface that is connected to
the MIDI Out of your instrument.

6 From the Output pop-up menu, select the out- terface port that is set and displayed here is the
put port on your MIDI interface that is con- port through which MIDI data is sent from the
nected to the MIDI In of your instrument. external MIDI device specified in the Instru-
ment Name field into your MIDI interface.
7 Enable the appropriate MIDI channels (1–16)
for the Send Channels and Receive Channels op- If you set the input port to None, the defined
tions (These determine which channels send instrument will not appear as a choice in a
and receive MIDI.) MIDI Input selector.
Instrument Name Output Port

The Instrument Name field shows the user-de- The Output Port pop-up menu displays a list of
finable instrument name for the currently se- available MIDI interface output ports. The port
lected instrument. set and displayed here is the port through which
MIDI data is sent from your MIDI interface to
Manufacturer the MIDI device specified in the Instrument
Name field.
The Manufacturer pop-up menu provides a list
of MIDI equipment manufacturers. This list is If you set the output port to None, the de-
derived from the XML-based MIDI device files. fined instrument will not appear as a choice
in a MIDI Output selector.
For more information, see “MIDI Patch
Name Support” on page 79. Send Channels
Model The Send Channels grid sets the send channels
for the MIDI device specified in the Instrument
The Model pop-up menu provides a list of MIDI
Name field.
devices, filtered by the manufacturer name. This
list is derived from the XML-based MIDI device
Receive Channels
files provided with your Pro Tools installation.
The Receive Channels grid sets the receive chan-
For more information, see “MIDI Patch nels for the MIDI device specified in the Instru-
Name Support” on page 79. ment Name field.
Input Port
The Input Port pop-up menu displays a list of

available MIDI interface input ports. Inputs will
MIDI Patch Name Support
include Mbox Pro and any additional MIDI in- Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup
terfaces enabled on your system. The MIDI in- Language) for storing and importing patch
names for your 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 C:\Program Files\
Common Files\Digidesign\MIDI Patch Names\
Digidesign.
Appendix D: Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only) 79

To import MIDI patch names into Pro Tools: The Patch Select dialog is populated with patch
names and the Patch Name Bank pop-up menu
1 Verify the MIDI Device name in the MIDI Stu-
appears in the upper left hand corner of the win-
dio Setup window (see “MIDI Studio Setup” on
dow.
page 77).
2 Verify the Instrument or MIDI track output is

correctly assigned to the MIDI device.
3 Click the Instrument or MIDI track Patch Se-

lect button.
Patch Select dialog with patch names
Once patch names have been imported into

Patch Select button Patch Select button Pro Tools, they are available for that MIDI de-
(Edit window) (Mix window) vice in all sessions.
Patch Select button
To clear patch names:
4 In the Patch Select dialog, click Change.
In the Patch Select dialog, click Clear and then
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 C:\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.

appendix e
Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance
It is recommended that you start with a newly

formatted external or secondary internal audio Supported Drive Formats and
drive. You should also periodically defragment Drive Types
your audio drive to ensure continued system
performance. Drive Formats
Always back up any important data on your Mac Mac systems should use drives formatted
drive before formatting it, as it will erase all with HFS+ or HFS file system only.
data on the drive.
HFS drives are supported as Transfer drives
only.
Avoid Recording to the Windows Windows systems should use drives

System Drive formatted as NTFS only.
Recording to your system drive is not recom- Windows systems can also support Mac
mended. Recording and playback on a system drives formatted with HFS+ system (also
drive may result in lower track counts or fewer commonly referred to as Mac OS Extended).
plug-ins. Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide for
more information (Help > Pro Tools Refer-
ence Guide).
Hard drive performance depends on factors in-

cluding system configuration, number of tracks,
session sample rate, density of edits, and the use
of crossfades and other processes such as Beat
Detective in a session.
For complete hard drive requirements, visit our

website (www.avid.com).
Appendix E: Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance 81

FireWire Hard Drives 2 Click the Erase tab.
Avid recommends qualified FireWire drives and

(on Windows systems) a qualified FireWire host
adapter.
For complete information on track count and

the supported number and configuration of
FireWire drives, visit our website
(www.avid.com).
ATA/SATA Hard Drives

A qualified internal ATA/SATA drive may be
used as a dedicated audio drive.
For complete information on track count with Disk Utility (Mac OS X)

internal drives, refer to our website
3 Select the drive you want to initialize in the
(www.avid.com).
column on the left side of the window.
SCSI Hard Drives 4 Choose the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for-

mat.
Avid recommends qualified SCSI hard drives
and a qualified SCSI host bus adapter (HBA) card Do not choose the “Case-Sensitive” format
or (on Windows systems) a qualified built-in option. Pro Tools will not operate properly
SCSI HBA connector on the motherboard. with case-sensitive formatted drives.
For complete information on track count and 5 Type a name for the new volume.
the supported number and configuration of
6 If you plan to connect the drive to a Mac OS 9
SCSI drives, visit our website (www.avid.com).
computer, select Install Mac OS 9 Drivers.
7 Click Erase.
Formatting an Audio Drive The drive appears on the Desktop with the new
volume name.
Formatting Mac Audio Drives
For optimum performance, audio drives should Formatting Windows Audio Drives
be formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
For optimal performance, audio drives should
be formatted as NTFS.
To format an audio drive:
1 Launch the Disk Utility application, located in Pro Tools only supports Basic drive types.
Macintosh HD/Applications/Utilities. Do not convert the drive to a Dynamic type.

To format an audio drive (Windows 7, • In the New Partition Wizard window, click
Windows Vista, and Windows XP): Next.
1 Right-click Computer (Windows 7, • When prompted, select the partition type.
Windows Vista) or My Computer (Windows XP)
and choose Manage. Avid recommends using Primary partitions,
instead of Extended partitions.
2 Under Storage, choose Disk Management.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to select
a partition size and other partition settings.
• When prompted, choose a file system. For
optimum performance, audio drives
should be formatted as NTFS.
• Select Perform a quick format.
• Make sure Enable file and folder compression
is not selected.
• Set the Allocation unit size to Default.
• Click OK.
Disk Management window (Windows XP)
3 If the volume is “Healthy,” do the following:

Partitioning Drives
Healthy volumes are volumes that have pre-
Partitioning creates a logical volume or volumes
viously been partitioned and formatted.
on a physical drive, almost as if you were creat-
• In the Disk Management window, right- ing virtual hard drives. Partitions can then be
click the hard drive you will use for audio formatted with the appropriate file system
and choose Format. (NTFS for Windows, HFS+ for Mac).
• In the Format window, name the volume. Mac OS allows drives larger than 4096 MB
• Choose a file system. For optimum perfor- to be seen as whole volumes. Drives must be
mance, audio drives should be formatted as initialized with a disk utility that recog-
NTFS. nizes the 2 terabyte limit. Single Pro Tools
• Select Perform a quick format. audio files cannot exceed 3.4 GB in size.
• Make sure Enable file and folder compression
is not selected. Windows XP allows drives formatted with
• Set the Allocation unit size to Default. the NTFS file system to be seen as whole
• Click OK. volumes. Single Pro Tools audio files can-
not exceed 3.4 GB in size.
4 If the volume is “Unallocated,” do the follow-
ing:
• In the Disk Management window, Right-
click the hard drive you will use for audio
and choose New Partition.

Seek Times on Partitioned Drives In multitrack recording, audio tracks are written
in discrete files, spaced evenly across the disk.
Seek times are actually faster on partitioned While fragmentation of individual files may be
drives (assuming that reads and writes are per- zero, the tracks may be far enough apart that
formed on a single partition), since the heads playback will still be very seek-intensive. Also,
only have to seek within the partition boundar- the remaining free space on the disk will be dis-
ies, rather than the whole capacity of the drive. contiguous, increasing the likelihood of file
Smaller partitions perform faster than larger par- fragmentation on subsequent record passes.
titions, but this comes at the expense of contig- Increased fragmentation increases the chance of
uous storage space. When you partition a drive, disk errors, which can interfere with playback of
you will need to find the compromise that best audio, and result in performance errors.
suits your performance and storage require-
ments. On Windows, to avoid fragmentation,
format drives with higher cluster sizes
Avoid distributing audio files within a ses- (such as 32K).
sion over different partitions on the same
drive since this will adversely affect drive Optimizing (Defragmenting) Drives
performance.
To prevent fragmentation, you can optimize
your drive, which rearranges your files into a
contiguous format. Most optimizing software
Defragmenting an Audio Drive
lets you run a check on a drive to find out the
percentage of fragmentation. If your drive
Mac Systems shows moderate to heavy fragmentation, you
should consider optimizing it.
When working with larger files (such as video),
you can limit fragmentation by backing up your If you use your system for intensive editing, or if
important files to another disk, erasing the files you frequently delete audio or fade files from
from the original hard disk, then copying the your hard drive, you may need to optimize your
files back, instead of doing a defragmentation. drives on a weekly basis, or even every few days,
since it doesn’t take long for even a large hard
Window Systems drive to become fragmented.
Periodically defragment audio drives to maintain

Backing Up Data Before Optimizing
system performance.
Since your files will be rewritten by the optimi-
For maximum recording and playback effi- zation process, always make a backup copy of
ciency, data should be written to your hard the data on your hard drive before you optimize
drive in a contiguous fashion—minimizing the it. You should also use a hard drive utility to find
seek requirements to play back the data. Unfor- and repair any problems before optimizing data
tunately, your computer can’t always store the or re-initializing your drives. If there is any dam-
sound files in this way and must write to disk age to your hard drive's directories prior to opti-
wherever it can find space. mizing, serious data loss may result.

Defragmenting Windows Audio Drives 5 When defragmenting is complete, close the
Computer Management window.
To defragment an audio drive (Windows 7 and
Windows Vista):
1 Click Start. Using Mac Drives on Windows
2 Type “disk defragmenter” in the search field at Systems
the bottom. “Disk Defragmenter” should appear
Pro Tools for Windows lets you record and play
at the top of the search results.
back sessions directly from a Mac-formatted
3 Click the Disk Defragmenter. (HFS+) drive connected to a Windows system.
This functionality requires that all Mac session
4 Click the Defragment disk button (Windows 7)
and audio files be stored on Mac-formatted
or the Defragment now button (Windows Vista).
drives.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
During Pro Tools installation, make sure to se-
5 When defragmenting is complete, close the
lect the Mac HFS+ Disk Support option. This op-
Disk Defragmenter window.
tion lets your Pro Tools system read, write, re-
In Windows 7 you can Ctrl-Click on the cord, and play back using Mac-formatted HFS+
drive names to select multiple drives to de- disks.
fragment, and once more than one drive is
For information on sharing sessions be-
selected, the button changes to “Defrag-
tween Mac and Windows systems, see the
ment disks.”
Pro Tools Reference Guide).
The “Defragment Now” (Vista only) com-
mand defragments all your hard drives.
This can take a lot of time, especially on
Formatting and Maintaining HFS+
systems with multiple drives. Drives
To format and partition any drives as HFS+, con-
Advanced users can use the command line
nect the drives to a Mac computer and use the
tool Defrag.exe to defragment individual
Apple OS X Disk Utility to format the drives as
drives. See your Windows Vista documen-
Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
tation for more information.
To defragment an audio drive (Windows XP):

1 Right-click My Computer and choose Manage.
2 Under Storage, choose Disk Defragmenter.
3 In the Disk Defragmenter window, choose the

drive you want to defragment
4 Click the Defragment button and follow the

on-screen instructions.

Hard Disk Storage Space
Mono audio tracks recorded with 16-bit resolution at 44.1 kHz (CD quality) require approximately
5 MB of hard disk space per minute. The same tracks recorded with 24-bit resolution require about
7.5 MB per minute.
Stereo audio tracks recorded with 16-bit resolution at 44.1 kHz (CD quality) require approximately
10 MB of hard disk space per minute. The same tracks recorded with 24-bit resolution require about
15 MB per minute.
Table 6 lists the required disk space for certain track numbers and track lengths, to help you estimate
your hard disk usage.
Table 6. Required hard drive space for audio tracks (44.1 kHz and 48 kHz sessions shown)
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

appendix f
Troubleshooting
Backing Up Your System

Backing Up Your Work Configuration
It is highly recommended that you back up your After configuring your system and Pro Tools,
work on a regular basis, and especially before you should save an image of your system drive
making changes to your system configuration. using a backup utility such as Norton Ghost
(Windows) or Bombich Carbon Copy Cloner
Backing Up Your Session Data (Mac). By doing this, you can quickly restore
your system configuration and settings if you
Back up your session and audio data frequently. encounter any problems.
There are a variety of media that are suited to
back up projects of various sizes, from auto-
mated tape backup systems to high-capacity op-
tical drives, or to CD burners. Common Issues
The best way to back up an entire session is to
use the Save Copy In command. This command
Pro Tools Won’t Launch
lets you save the session file and all of its associ-
Problem
ated files to a new location.
When you double-click the Pro Tools applica-
You can also use the Auto Save Backup fea-
tion or a Pro Tools session file, Pro Tools doesn’t
ture (in the Operation Preferences page) to
launch, or displays an error message.
have Pro Tools automatically save backups
of the session file while you work.
Possible Solutions
Check to be sure your computer has the re-
quired amount of RAM to launch Pro Tools.
Visit www.avid.com/compatibility.
Try a complete restart. Turn off your audio in-
terfaces, computer peripherals and your com-
puter, and then turn them on again in the
proper sequence.
Appendix F: Troubleshooting 87
If you tried to launch Pro Tools by double-
clicking a Pro Tools session file, do the follow- Performance Factors
ing:
There are several conditions that may adversely
• Close any error message. affect the performance of Pro Tools. These in-
• Double-click the Pro Tools application. clude:
• In Pro Tools, choose File > Open Session to
Network Connections Close any network con-
open the session.
nections unless you are using them for network
Reinstall the Pro Tools application, using the
interchange of audio data.
Pro Tools Installer disc.
Background Applications Any software utilities
that run in the background or generate disk ac-
Audio Interface Is Not Recognized tivity, such as virus protection, disk optimiza-
tion, or file savers, should be turned off or re-
Problem moved.
When you launch Pro Tools it does not recog-
Screen Savers Screen saver software should be
nize an audio interface, or a connected audio in-
completely disabled on your computer before
terface is not available.
running Pro Tools.
Possible Solutions Power Saver Features Some automatic power

saver features, such as those that spin down the
Turn off your computer and check to be sure
system hard drive, can affect Pro Tools perfor-
your cables are properly and securely connected
mance. These features should be turned off.
to your computer and to your audio interface.
Verify that your Hardware Setup dialog set-
tings are correct.

Pro Tools Software
Before You Call Avid Support • Pro Tools software version
• Plug-In versions
Register Your System • Other Pro Tools software options or com-
Register your purchase by following the instruc- ponents
tions on the Registration Information Card in- • Additional plug-ins from Avid Develop-
cluded with your system. By registering, you be- ment Partners
come eligible to receive the following:
Other Hardware
• Technical support information
• Software update and upgrade notices Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation for
• Hardware warranty information operational details.
The most common hardware additions include:

Gather Important Information • 1394 (FireWire) cards for Windows systems
(manufacturer, model)
Avid wants to help you resolve problems as
quickly and efficiently as possible. If you collect • Video Capture cards (manufacturer, model)
the following information before you contact To verify that your hardware is qualified for use
Avid Support, it will make the diagnosis of your with your Pro Tools system, visit:
problem easier.
www.avid.com/compatibility
System Information Other Software
Computer If you are using other audio or video applica-

• Make, model, processor speed tions, refer to the manufacturer’s documenta-
tion for operational details.
• Amount of system RAM
• Operating system (version of Windows or Make note of any other software that was run-
Mac OS) ning when a problem occurred.
• Any Drivers, Disk Utilities, or other system-
related applications you may have installed Diagnostic Information
Pro Tools Hardware Note any DAE errors or other error codes you en-
• Type of cards, interfaces, or peripherals counter. Additonally, note the ability to repro-
duce the problem under different conditions,
Hard Drives for example, with another session, or after
• Make, Model changing settings (such as the Hardware Buffer
Size).
• Drive size (GB)
• Drive speed (RPM)
• Drive type (SCSI, FireWire, IDE/ATA)
• Utility used to format the drive
• Number and size of partitions on the drive
Appendix F: Troubleshooting 89
appendix g
Resources
Whether you are new to Pro Tools or just start- Printed Intro to Pro Tools Guide
ing out with your new system, we encourage
you to read and utilize the many guides that The printed Intro to Pro Tools has tutorials on us-
Pro Tools provides. There are also useful online ing Pro Tools (such as recording in a Pro Tools
resources available, giving you everything from session, importing audio from a CD, and creat-
Pro Tools tips to Pro Tools answers. ing an audio CD from a Pro Tools session).
Guides Accessible in Pro Tools

About the Pro Tools Guides The main Pro Tools guides are accessible from
In addition to any printed guides included with the Pro Tools Help menu. (Choose Help, then
your system, PDF versions of the printed guides select a guide.)
and many additional Pro Tools guides and Read These include:
Mes are installed automatically during Pro Tools
installation (see “Documentation Installed Au- • Pro Tools Shortcuts, provides a complete list of
tomatically with Pro Tools” on page 92). The keyboard and Right-click shortcuts for
PDFs are located in the Digidesign/Documenta- Pro Tools.
tion folder on your local drive. • Audio Plug-Ins Guide, describes the audio plug-
ins included with Pro Tools for both real-time
Printed copies of the Pro Tools Reference and file-based audio processing as well as
Guide and other guides in the Pro Tools guide many other paid plug-in option offered from
set can be purchased separately from the Avid.
Avid Store (http://shop.avid.com).
• Pro Tools Menus Guide, covers all the Pro Tools
on-screen menus.
User Guide
• Pro Tools Reference Guide, explains Pro Tools
The User Guide for your system gives you de- software in extensive detail.
tailed instructions for setting up and configur-
ing software and hardware for optimum perfor-
mance.
Appendix G: Resources 91
Documentation Installed
Automatically with Pro Tools
When you install Pro Tools, you get useful PDF
versions of many Pro Tools guides and
Read Mes. This documentation can be found in
the following locations:
Mac Applications/Digidesign/Documentation
Windows C:\Program Files\Digidesign\

Documentation
To view or print PDF guides, you can use

Adobe Reader (recommended) or Apple
Preview (Mac only).
Read Me Files
These contain late-breaking information and

known issues pertaining to Pro Tools software
and hardware configurations. Read Me files are
installed in the Documentation folder when you
install Pro Tools.
Helpful Online Resources
Once you get going, here are some helpful on-

line resources:
• For questions about installation, visit
Avid’s online Knowledge Base. Go to:
http://www.avid.com/onlinesupport
• Get useful information, help, and tips from
the worldwide community of Pro Tools users
at the online User Conference. Go to:
http://duc.avid.com
• If you can’t find your answers on the User
Conference or the Knowledge Base, contact
Avid email support. Go to:
http://www.avid.com/support

appendix h
Compliance Information
Proposition 65 Warning
Environmental Compliance
This product contains chemicals, including lead,
Disposal of Waste Equipment by Users known to the State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands
in the European Union after handling.
Perchlorate Notice
This product may contain a lithium coin battery. The State of
California requires the following disclosure statement:
“Perchlorate Material – special handling may apply, See
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.”
This symbol on the product or its packaging indicates that this Recycling Notice
product must not be disposed of with other waste. Instead, it
is your responsibility to dispose of your waste equipment by
handing it over to a designated collection point for the recycling
of waste electrical and electronic equipment. The separate
collection and recycling of your waste equipment at the time of
disposal will help conserve natural resources and ensure that
it is recycled in a manner that protects human health and the
environment. For more information about where you can drop
off your waste equipment for recycling, please contact your
local city recycling office or the dealer from whom you
purchased the product.
Appendix H: Compliance Information 93

Australian Compliance
EMC (Electromagnetic
Compliance)
Avid declares that this product complies with the following
standards regulating emissions and immunity:
• FCC Part 15 Class B
• EN 55022 Class B Avid
• EN 55204 Class B
• AS/NZS 3548 Class B
• CISPR 22 Class B Canadian Compliance
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian
FCC Compliance for United States ICES-003
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A est conforme à la norme
NMB-003 du Canada
Radio and Television Interference
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the CE Compliance
limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. (EMC and Safety)
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
We, Avid, 2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard
Daly City, CA 94014-3886, USA
650-731-6300
declare under our sole responsibility that the product
Mbox Pro
complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules. Avid is authorized to apply the CE (Conformité Europénne)
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: mark on this compliant equipment thereby declaring conformity
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and to EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and Low Voltage Directive
(2) this device must accept any interference received, 73/23/EEC.
including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Communication Statement
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply
Safety Compliance
with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide Safety Statement
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, This equipment has been tested to comply with USA and
and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed Canadian safety certification in accordance with the
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause specifications of UL Standards: UL60065 7th /IEC 60065 7th
harmful interference to radio communications. However, and Canadian CAN/CSA C22.2 60065:03. Avid Inc., has been
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a authorized to apply the appropriate UL & CUL mark on its
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful compliant equipment.
interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try and correct the interference by one or Warning
more of the following measures:
• Reorient or locate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and
receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit
different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician
for help.
Any modifications to the unit, unless expressly approved by
Avid, could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.

Important Safety Instructions 12) For products that are not rack-mountable: Use only with a
cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the
manufacturer, or sold with the equipment. When a cart is used,
1) Read these instructions. use caution when moving the cart/equipment combination to
avoid injury from tip-over.
2) Keep these instructions.
13) Unplug this equipment during lightning storms or when
3) Heed all warnings. unused for long periods of time.
4) Follow all instructions. 14) Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing
is required when the equipment has been damaged in any way,
5) Do not use this equipment near water. such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been
spilled or objects have fallen into the equipment, the
6) Clean only with dry cloth. equipment has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not
operate normally, or has been dropped.
7) Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance
with the manufacturer’s instructions. 15) For products that are a Mains powered device:
The equipment shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing
8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat and no objects filled with liquids (such as vases) shall be
registers, stoves, or other equipment (including amplifiers) placed on the equipment.
that produce heat.
Warning! To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not
9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or expose this equipment to rain or moisture.
grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one
wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and 16) For products containing a lithium battery:
a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are CAUTION! Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly
provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into replaced. Replace only with the same or equivalent type.
your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the
obsolete outlet. 17) For products with a power switch:
The main power switch is located on the back panel of the
10) Protect power cords from being walked on or pinched Mbox Pro. It should remain accessible after installation.
particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point
where they exit from the equipment. 18) The equipment shall be used at a maximum ambient
temperature of 40° C.
11) Only use attachments/accessories specified by the
manufacturer.
Appendix H: Compliance Information 95

index
A H
Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) (Macintosh) 73 hard drives
authorizing Pro Tools LE drive formats 81
Mac 7 FireWire requirements 82
Windows 14 formatting 82, 83
formatting (Mac) 82
IDE/ATA requirements 82
C
maintenance 81, 84
Cache Size 22 optimizing 84
Clean Uninstall (Mac) 9 partitioning 83
Clock Source 24 requirements 3
Internal setting 24 SCSI requirements 82
S/PDIF (digital) setting 24 space requirements 86
compatibility 3 Hardware Buffer Size 18
CPU Usage Limit 19, 20
I
D I/O Setup
DAE Playback Buffer Size 21 Windows 24
DMA option (Windows), enabling 27 IDE/ATA requirements 82
drive formatting Ignore Errors During Playback/Record option 20
Mac 82 installing Pro Tools LE
Windows 83 Mac 5
drive maintenance 81 Windows 11
drive requirements 3 installing QuickTime (Windows) 13
E J
Energy Saver (Mac), turning off 25 journaling (Mac), enabling 27
F L
FireWire requirements 82 latency
Hardware Buffer Size 18
Index 97
M R
Mbox Pro removing Pro Tools
features 1 Windows 9, 15
MIDI RTAS Processors setting 19
requirements 3
setup (Macintosh) 73 S
setup (Windows) 77
Safe Uninstall (Mac) 9
MIDI Studio Setup (MSS) (Windows) 77
Sample Rate 23
Minimize Additional I/O Latency option 21
screen savers 88
SCSI requirements 82
N Software Update (Mac), turning off 25
network cards (Windows), disabling 30 Spotlight indexing (Mac), disabling 27
network connections 88 Startup items (Windows), disabling 31
system
O optional optimizations (Windows) 29
optimizing hard drives 84 recommended optimizations (Windows) 29
required optimizations (Windows) 27
P shutting down 17
starting up 17
partitioning hard drives 83
system optimization
Patch Select dialog
Mac 25
Macintosh 76
Windows 30
Windows 80
system requirements 3
phantom power
system settings
when to use 34, 42
Cache Size 22
Playback Engine
Clock Source 24
RTAS Processors setting 19
CPU Usage Limit 20
Plug-In Streaming Buffer 23 Hardware Buffer Size 18
Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size 22 I/O Setup 24
plug-ins Plug-In Streaming Buffer 23
multiprocessors 19 Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size 22
RTAS Processors setting 19 Sample Rate 23
Pro Tools
demo session (Windows) 8, 15 T
removing (Windows) 9, 15
technical support 4
Pro Tools LE
capabilities 2
configuration (Windows) 18 U
installing (Mac) 5 uninstalling Pro Tools
installing (Windows) 11 Mac 9
Processor Scheduling performance (Windows) 30 Windows 15
User Account Control (UAC)
disabling 29
Q
QuickTime
installing (Windows) 13

Avid Technical Support (USA) Product Information
2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard Visit the Online Support Center at For company and product information,
Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA www.avid.com/support visit us on the web at www.avid.com

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®

Mbox Pro User Guide

Product features, specifications, system requirements, and

Guide Part Number 9329-65003-00 REV B 06/10

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

Chapter 2. Installing Pro Tools on Mac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 3. Installing Pro Tools on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Chapter 4. Configuring Your Pro Tools System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Chapter 6. Making Studio Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Appendix A. Using the Driver Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Appendix B. Using the Multi Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Appendix C. Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Appendix D. Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

iv Mbox Pro User Guide

Appendix H. Compliance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Welcome to Mbox Pro

Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox Pro 1

• Two 1/4-inch (TRS) stereo headphone outputs

2 Mbox Pro User Guide

If you require additional MIDI ports, add a MIDI

Only USB MIDI interfaces are compatible

For a list of supported MIDI interfaces and

Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox Pro 3

Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or

Cross References point to related sections in

4 Mbox Pro User Guide

Installing Pro Tools on Mac

This chapter contains information for Mac sys-

Installation Overview To install Pro Tools LE on Mac OS X:

3 Configuring your system for improved perfor-

Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 5

To install a subset of Pro Tools software and

6 Mbox Pro User Guide

Avid Video Engine This option lets you integrate

MIDI I/O Driver The MIDI I/O™ Driver is re-

When launching Pro Tools LE the first time, you

Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 7

Avid CoreAudio Driver To install the demo session:

For information on configuring the 4 Follow the on-screen instructions.

If you uninstall Pro Tools, the CoreAudio

8 Mbox Pro User Guide

To remove Pro Tools from your computer:

For details on Administrator privileges in

3 Click Continue to proceed with the uninstall.

4 Choose the type of uninstall you want to per-

Safe Uninstall Leaves certain plug-ins and sys-

Clean Uninstall Removes all Pro Tools files, in-

6 Enter your Administrator password and click

7 Click Finish to close the Installer window.

Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 9

Installing Pro Tools on Windows

This chapter contains information for Windows

Installation Overview To install Pro Tools LE:

Chapter 3: Installing Pro Tools on Windows 11

Pro Tools Creative Collection Options

Select any of the Pro Tools Creative Collection

12 Mbox Pro User Guide

Additional Options Time page.

2 Download the QuickTime installer applica-