110: 02 Configuring and Controlling Pro Tools

Question 1

How should the hardware buffer size be set for recording? For mixing?

Answer 1

Low for recording. High for mixing.

Question 2

When should you enable host engine error suppression? When should you make sure host engine error suppression is NOT active?

Answer 2

If frequent errors are interrupting workflow.

When doing the final mix.

Question 3

What dialog box would you use to configure the hardware settings and controls for your connected audio interface(s)?

Answer 3

Setup> hardware> select peripheral

Question 4

How would you specify the default sample rate for pro tools to use when you create your own session?

Answer 4

In the hardware setup dialog box. (Setup>hardware)

Question 5

What foot switch functions are available for 003? Where do you select the foot switch functions?

Answer 5

Record punch in/out and playback start/stop. Setup>hardware> select peripheral

Question 6

Name some control surfaces that are available for use with pro tools 10.

Answer 6

C|24, command|8, digi 002,003, etc

Question 7

What pro tools systems support the c|24 control surface? What pro tools systems support ICON work surfaces?

Answer 7

Pro tools 10

Pro tools 10 with complete production toolkit or pro tools hd

Question 8

What kinds of switches and controls are available in the channel strips of a control surface such as the 003?

Answer 8

Fader, solo, mute, rotary encoder, channel select

Question 9

What are the Arrow keys on a control surface such as the 003 used for? How can you change the way the Arrow keys function?

Answer 9

Bank, nudge, zoom

Question 10

What factors effect minimum buffer size?

Answer 10

CPU speed of host computer
Number of tracks
Number and type of plugins

Question 11

True or false? High hardware buffer size can increase latency caused by native plugins.

Answer 11

True.

Question 12

What is the recommended setting for host processors?

Answer 12

One less than the max allocated to host processing.

Question 13

A setting of 2 or more host processors facilitates what?

Answer 13

Large sessions and native plugIns.

Question 14

Lower number of processors favours what?

Answer 14

Automation, redraws, video, other programs.

Question 15

What is the amount of additional buffering normally set to? When minimize additional latency is selected?

Answer 15

Half the H/W buffer size or minimum 128.

128.

Question 16

What does the delay compensation engine do?

Answer 16

It determines how much of the system resources are allocated to lay compensation, which manages DSP and host-based delays in the pro tools mixer.

Question 17

At 44.1/48kHz, how many samples of delay compensation are provided for short, long, and maximum, respectively?

Answer 17

1023, 4095, 16 383

Question 18

Is the maximum setting in the delay compensation engine available in pro tools hd systems? Why or why not?

Answer 18

It is not available because of the limitations with TDM hardware.

Question 19

How does the normal setting in cache size buffer audio?

Answer 19

Directly under the play head. It dynamically grows the cache size to accommodate the number of tracks.

Question 20

What is the optimum plugin streaming buffer size setting for most sessions?

Answer 20

250 ms, level 2

Question 21

What does flip mode do?

Answer 21

Flips control assignments from the rotary encoders to the faders.

Question 22

What dialog box would you use to optimize Pro Tools’ host-based (native) processing?

Answer 22

Setup> playback engine