How To: Pro Tools

If you’re new to Pro Tools, have just purchased an Mbox 2, Mbox 2 Mini, or Mbox 2 Micro – or just need help setting everything up, this article is for you.

Choose Your Platform:

>>> Windows <<<

>>> Mac <<<

Setting Up the Mbox 2 (Windows)

First Things First

Before we start plugging things in, we first need to install the Pro Tools software.

To make this process go smoothly, I encourage everyone to optimize their computer fist. Choose your OS below:

Windows XP

Windows Vista

Installing Pro Tools LE 8

At this point, your mbox should still be unplugged. If you’ve plugged it in already, go ahead and unplug it now.

1. Insert the Pro Tools LE disk, or open Pro Tools 8 Installer you’ve downloaded

Choose “Install Pro Tools LE”


Note: If you downloaded Pro Tools 8, you will need to right click on the downloaded file (Pro_Tools_LE_v8_56243.zip) and choose “extract” or “extract all“Once the file is extracted you will have a new folder called  “Pro_Tools_LE_v8_56243“. Open the unzipped “Pro_Tools_LE_v8_56243” folder & go into the “Pro Tools LE Installer” folder, then click on the first “setup.exe” icon  to open the installer.

2. Accept the License agreement



Click “Next”

3. Choose Destination Location



The installer does this part for you, just click “next”

4. Select Features



Only “Pro Tools LE 8.0“, “Application Files“, “DigiRack Plug-ins” & “Pro Tools Creative Collection“ should be Checked.

Click “Next“

Note If you have purchased a Command|8 control surface, check the Command|8 & Drivers box

5. Install



Click the “install” button. You’re half way there!

6. Plug in Your Mbox



Plug in your Mbox and wait until the “Found New Hardware” box pops up. When it does, DON’T click on it. Simply click the “OK” button to continue.

Note: If the “Found New Hardware” window never pop’s up, go ahead and click “OK” to continue.

7. Installing Hardware Drivers



Click “Continue Anyways”  Note: You may have to click “Continue Anyways” a few times – this is normal.

8. Quicktime



If you get this message, click “OK” (After installing pro tools, you will want to visit Apple’s website and download the latest version of QuickTime)

9. Installing Pro Tools Creative Collection



This stage just requires you to wait. It can take 10 – 20 minutes, sometimes longer, so go grab a cup of tea and sip it out like a champ.

10. Third Party Content



Click “Next“.

Pro Tools 8 comes with 3 free programs: Celemony Melodyne Essential, FXpansion BFD Lite, Torqe LE . These can be installed from the installer disk, in the “Additional Files” folder under “3rd Party Content”

11. Restart



Click “yes, I want to restart my computer now”

12. Launch Pro Tools –Once the Computer has rebooted, double click on the yellow Pro Tools icon  on your desktop to launch Pro Tools.
13. Enter Authorization Code – This is the code that begins with DIGI0800 xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx . It can be found on the inside cover of the Mbox 2 Setup Guide that was included with the packaging.  Note: If you’ve installed from a download and not a disk, then your Authorization code will be in your MyDigi Account.
14. Register – If you haven’t used your Registration ID Card to register online yet, click the top box, “I have a new Pro Tools system” and click “Next” to fill out the form. If you have already registered, choose the bottom box “I have upgraded my Pro Tools software” and click “Exit Registration”.
15. The Quickstart Menu: You’ve finally arrived, Pro Tools is up and running & ready to use.

Setting Up The Mbox 2 (Mac)

First Things First

Before we start plugging things in, we first need to install the Pro Tools software.

To make this process go smoothly, I encourage everyone to optimize their computer fist.

Mac OSX Optimization Guide

Installing Pro Tools LE 8

At this point, your mbox should still be unplugged. If you’ve plugged it in already, go ahead and unplug it now.

1. Insert the Pro Tools LE disk – Find the Pro Tools LE DVD icon on your desktop & double click on it.



(If you downloaded your copy of Pro Tools LE, double click on the “Pro_Tools_Le_v8_56245.dmg“ file that you downloaded.)



2. Uninstall / Install Pro Tools – If this is the first time installing Pro Tools on this computer, Double click on the “Install Pro Tools LE.mpkg“



IMPORTANT: If you have a previous version installed (Pro Tools 6.x, 7.x), you should run the “Uninstall Pro Tools“


Choose “Clean Uninstall.”

Note: A clean uninstall will NOT remove your 3rd Party plug-ins, ie. Waves, Autotune, IK Multimedia, Native Instruments etc…

3. Installing Pro Tools



Click “Continue” for this first page.

4. License Agreement


Click “Continue“

Then “Agree“

5. Keyboard Shortcuts



This is just a notice box, Click “Continue“.

Pro Tools has keyboard shortcuts for almost every command you can think of. The mac operating system – Mac OSX – uses the same shortcut to open the Spotlight Search as Pro Tools does for recording. But this shouldn’t effect you, because you’ve already optimized your mac for Pro Tools, right?

6. Custom Install


By default, Pro Tools LE & the CoreAudio Driver are selected. Unless you own the MIDI I/O, or a video peripheral such as the Avid Mojo SDI , these are the ONLY 2 boxes that need to be checked. Click “Continue“

7. Standard Install



This will tell you how much space the install is going to take up. Click “Install“


8. Wait – Certain sections of the installation might say “about a minute remaining“, but in reality, what it really means is, about 5-20 minutes remaining. So kick back and relax for a few while Pro Tools does it’s thing.
9. 3rd Party Content
   


Click “OK“. Pro Tools 8 comes with 3 free programs: Celemony Melodyne Essential, FXpansion BFD Lite, Torqe LE . These can be installed from the installer disk, in the “Additional Files” folder under “3rd Party Content”

10. Restart – Click to reboot the computer.
11. Launch Pro Tools – Plug in your Mbox 2 & wait for the lights to come on. Look down in your dock for the yellow Pro Tools Icon: and click on it to open Pro Tools.
12. Enter Authorization Code – This is the code that begins with DIGI0800 xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx . It can be found on the inside cover of the Mbox 2 Setup Guide that was included with the packaging.  Note: If you’ve installed from a download and not a disk, then your Authorization Code will be in your MyDigi Account.
13. Register – If you haven’t used your Registration ID Card to register online yet, click the top box, “I have a new Pro Tools system” and click “Next” to fill out the form. If you have already registered, choose the bottom box “I have upgraded my Pro Tools software” and click “Exit Registration“.
14. The Quickstart Menu: You’ve finally arrived, Pro Tools is up and running & ready to use.

Getting Started

If this is your first time using Pro Tools, or you are just starting out, I suggest you check out the Pro Tools 8 Training DVD that came with your Mbox 2.

If you downloaded Pro Tools 8, you can find the training video online at the Digi TV page. Click to open the DigiTV Player, then choose “Introduction To Pro Tools” on the right, under Channels.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 7:26 pm and is filed under Mbox 2. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.