Archive for the ‘Pro Tools’ Category
Friday, August 6th, 2010
I recently switched from Windows XP to Windows 7 64 bit. The install went surprisingly well considering my usual bad luck with this sort of thing. While there was a lot of reinstalling of software the experience overall was very positive and far less stressful than I feared. Win7 looks and feels and works a lot nicer than XP did with the same hardware so I’m really satisfied. Windows 7 64 bit is strongly recommended. Whether you need more RAM now or not, this is the way forward and will be the standard.
Note – I also updated my MacBook Pro to Snow Leopard, which was even easier but leaves very little to talk about as everything works perfectly as is. If you have questions feel free to ask.
I know some people are hesitant to upgrade, so here are my tips for making the transition.
Pro Tools
Pro Tools 8.0.4 is the first version to be officially compatible with a 64 bit Windows system. When this was announced I knew it was my cue to finally ditch ancient XP for good. At this time there is no full installer for 8.0.4 so unfortunately the installation takes quite a while. Pro Tools 8.0.0 (the retail dvd version) will not work correctly with Windows 7.
The Process is recommended in this order:
- Completely uninstall any previous versions if applicable
- Download and install Pro Tools 8.0.3 Full installer from your AVID account. Do not run Pro Tools yet.
- Download and install Pro Tools 8.0.4 Update
- Optional – Install additional Toolkits (Music Production/DV/Complete Production)
- Make sure ALL your plugins are up to date
Pro Tools should work well at this point. If it does not or you desire improved performance continue to the optimization steps below.
Note – Pro Tools 8.0.4 is 64 bit Windows compatible but is NOT a 64 bit application. For this reason Pro Tools will install to the Program Files (x86) folder.
Optimizing Windows 7 for Pro Tools
Note- These tips are with Pro Tools in mind but will improve the performance of ANY DAW you use.
1 – Windows 7 Optimizations and Troubleshooting – Here is AVID’s guide for setting up Windows 7: http://avid.custkb.com/avid/app/selfservice/search.jsp?DocId=349411&NewLang=en
I personally don’t find it all necessary and didn’t follow all of it on my system like disabling graphics effects, disabling other devices. I actually need internet and the internal sound card often while using Pro Tools for realtime collaboration, lessons or tech support. I did do the USB Power thing. Power settings are set to always on exept monitors which turn off after 10 minutes. This is the official guide, if you need tech support this is what they assume you have already tried.
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2 – Microsoft Hotfix Fix311388 – This hotfix has been recommended by a few PT 8/win7 users. I’ve installed on my system with no issues before or after. For some this made a world of difference. Recommended if you use either a firewire audio interface or firewire hard drive (or plan to).
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B981613&x=10&y=14
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3 – W7 x64 optimzations for 8.0.4 – I went through and applied the tweaks in here, but found my internet stopped working and had to revert it all. You can read through the thread but I would skip the the tips in the original post. The best bits of the thread are the next 3 below http://duc.digidesign.com/showthread.php?t=277438
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4 – Ultimate Windows Tweaker – Later in the thread user Shan recommended Ultimate Windows Tweaker. It adjusts windows options easily http://www.windowsvalley.com/ultimate-windows-tweaker-v2-1-released-download-now/
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5 – SMART – Shan also shared another great tool for registry tweaks, I use the “tweaked settings” option. One click to apply general system optimizations. http://www.thewindowsclub.com/smart-a-utility-for-tweaking-windows-7-vista-xp-services
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6 - Menu delay utility – Absolutely install this, removes the delay between clicking a button and the menu appearing in all of Windows. This tiny thing allows you to work faster. http://duc.digidesign.com/showpost.php?p=1635574&postcount=33
Extras
You can set up a key command to launch any program. This is something I started to do to make my life easier.
Here is how I did it for the M-Audio Profire control panel.
- Start>Control Panel find M-Audio ProFire. Right-click and choose ‘create shortcut’ Close the control panel explorer window.
- Go to your desktop and find the new shortcut to the profire control panel. Right click and choose properties
- In the ‘shortcut key’ entry box enter the key command you want to launch the control panel. I use ctrl+Alt + Num 0
- Apply and close the properties window.
I’ve also set this up for my media player and the Sounds control panel to quickly switch the default device.
I also find it handy to have a link to the DAE folder on the desktop to check the plugins and unused plugins folder from time to time.
“C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Digidesign\DAE”
That’s about it at this point, I’ll update the post if I come across any more tips. Everything is working great (other than the slow scrolling bug) on my end, I dare say the best any version ran on the same hardware. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Posted in Pro Tools, Windows 7 | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
Recently Kevin from Anemic Studios launched ProToolsGuides.com.
Looks like it’s off to a great start.
Check it out – http://protoolsguides.com
Posted in Pro Tools, tutorial | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
I submitted this with my bug report today. It’s really slowing down my workflow getting back into PT after my Reaper vacation. I upgraded my system to Windows 7, I installed everything over again and upgraded to 8.0.4. AVID broke something that was working perfectly fine AGAIN! (recall when 8.0 first came out, scrolling was brutally slow in all areas for 9 months, user Shan had a fix in days. Unfortunately that fix now makes the edit window too fast, because AVID broke it AGAIN!)
Ok enough ranting. Enjoy the gif I made
If you are experiencing this problem on your system (shift+scrollwheel in MIDI editor or Mix Window) please comment on the thread
http://duc.digidesign.com/showthread.php?p=1636716#post1636716
Posted in Pro Tools | No Comments »
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
Posted last night here: http://duc.digidesign.com/showthread.php?t=270775
Discussion of this is here: http://duc.digidesign.com/showthread.php?t=270798 you can also comment here
The future of Digidesign: An open letter to customers
As you might know, one year ago we decided to combine all the Avid companies—including Digidesign, M-Audio, and Sibelius—into a new, unified Avid. Since then, we’ve taken steps toward transitioning Digidesign to the Avid name. We understand that you might have questions about the future of Digidesign and the product lines you’ve invested in. With that in mind, we’d like to share some information, answer some questions, and explain how these changes will affect you.
New website launching April 12th
Many of you told us that we needed to improve the navigation, organization, and the overall user experience of digidesign.com. In order to make these improvements, a major overhaul was necessary. On April 12th, we’re going to launch a brand new avid.com website that will include all of the digidesign.com pages—plus a number of enhancements to make navigation faster and easier. At first, the website will be US-only, but over the next few months, we’ll work on moving the international Digidesign websites as well. To help you get acclimated, we’ll be posting an interim page at digidesign.com offering links straight to the pages that are most important to you.
Why move the website to Avid.com?
Not surprisingly, many of you own products from multiple Avid companies—including Digidesign, M-Audio, and Sibelius—so we thought it would be more convenient to offer one centralized, unified website for all Avid products. We’re working toward providing you benefits like a simplified product registration process, single login ID, and a one-stop source for all product information, support, downloads, and news.
What will the new site be like?
The people behind the look and feel of Digidesign and M-Audio are now creating a new look and feel for all Avid—so don’t expect the new site to look like we sell IT products! It will feature completely new navigation and organization, making it easier and faster to find what you want. Overall, it’s a big improvement over the current Digidesign website. Our web team incorporated feedback from customers into the new site—we think you’re really going to like it.
Is the Digidesign name going away?
Yes, we are in the process of retiring the Digidesign name—but the products will live on. After talking with many of you, we discovered that most people identify more with the product names—such as Pro Tools, VENUE, ICON—instead of the company name (actually, there are some people who thought the name of the company was Pro Tools, so go figure…).
What is happening to the Digidesign team?
Rest assured, the same core Digidesign team of audio fanatics is still here, with offices in Daly City, CA. We just have a different logo on our letterhead. And since the transition, we’ve been playing key roles in creating the new Avid. Over the coming months, you’ll start to see our influence on packaging, videos, customer communications (like this one), and the overall look and feel of Avid.
Why is the Digidesign name being retired?
In today’s rapidly changing business environment, it no longer makes sense to maintain many separate brands. It’s also impractical to have multiple marketing teams, websites, newsletters, and separate methods for communicating with customers. Our new brand strategy is to combine everything under the Avid name. This will help us streamline operations and become a healthier company—which frees up more resources for product development. We figured that you’d rather see us put more money towards designing innovative new gear than maintaining five separate brands.
What does this mean for the Digidesign product lines?
You’ve seen a taste of what can be accomplished when we work together—products like Pro Tools M-Powered, Video Satellite between Media Composer and Pro Tools, the DSM monitors, and Sibelius integration into Pro Tools. Moving forward, audio and video are going to be equally important for Avid. We’re totally committed to Pro Tools, VENUE, ICON, and all the other product lines that used to be branded under Digidesign. Combining forces with the other Avid companies means more resources for our R&D department to work with, enabling us to release more great products than ever. We’re also committed to expanding our product lines further—in fact, we have some incredible new audio products in store for 2010 and beyond…
What about the M-Audio brand name?
We’ve begun the process of transitioning the M-Audio name to a product brand instead of a company name. You’ll continue seeing product names like the M-Audio Oxygen 25, and the M-Audio BX5a Deluxe.
What does this mean for the M-Audio and Sibelius websites?
Eventually, the M-Audio and Sibelius websites will be moved to the new Avid.com as well. But for now, those sites will continue to operate independently just as usual.
We truly appreciate your loyalty and continued support, and hope you take some time to explore the new website on April 12th. If you have any questions or comments about the brand transformation, please join the conversation here.
Sincerely,
The Digidesign (aka Avid) team
Posted in Pro Tools | 1 Comment »
Sunday, March 14th, 2010
This is a repost of a forum post from veteran PT user Shane J who has just lost an NS-10 tweeter due to a dangerous bug in Pro Tools 8. This bug has affected users of LE, HD, M-Powered on both PC and Macs mostly with 8.0.3 but goes back further. Fortunately for me I haven’t yet seen this issue on my system or others I’ve worked on, though I have encountered several other bugs, nothing that would be considered a health risk like this one.
Please read the post below and have a look at the thread on the DUC.
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Attention Avid, this is 8.0.3 in XP downloaded off of your website. 
Pick up your damn phone!! You owe me an NS-10 tweeter and I’m pretty pissed right now! 
Not only does this junk release blow monitors, it’s extremely dangerous to people’s ears and hearing! YOU are responsible and liable for this. I suggest you pull it from the website with a warning to current users ASAP.
…and don’t even dare ask me for a Sandra report or if I’m running an “approved” system.
This extremely dangerous issue has been going on for literally years. It has been reported on HD, LE and M-powered on both PC and Mac:
I’ll end the tabulated list here as it’s very far from complete and it goes back many many years.
Avid Audio, what is it going to take for this to be top priority? Hearing damage on your customers and their clientele?
This warning has been published to 40,000+ subscribers. I’d advise everyone using XP and 8.0.3 not to gamble with their ears and roll back to 8.0.1cs1 or 7.4.
Shane
Posted in Pro Tools, commentary | 11 Comments »
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