Pro Tools Systems

Control 24

• Overview

• Signal Flow

• Connections Control 24 HD 192 Interface Accel Core Card

• Monitoring

• Synchronisation (& Pro Tools Sync Unit )

• Plug in Architecture

Agenda

Control 24

• Pro Tools established itself early on when most of the other players didn't really step up.

• PT was one of the first systems that didn't rely on Native CPU power to run.

• It just was not an option to run a professional session with a native solution DAW rig when hard disk recording first came into play.

• Because it was a system that was adopted early, it became the system of choice for many professional audio engineers.

• Editing capabilities way better than any thing else at the time.

Overview

Control 24

Signal FlowAnalogue Studio Layout

Control 24

Signal FlowPro Tools Studio Layout

However, there is no outboard, two track and

external recording device as this is all done ‘in the box’.

Live Room connections remain the same.

XX X

Control 24

Control 24Focusrite Pre Amp

192 HD Unit

Control 24 Monitor Section

Speakers

Live Room

AnalogueDigitalMIDI

Signal Flow

Pro Tools MIDI Interface

Control 24

Control 24 back panel, mic preamp connectors and switches

Global phantom power in banks of 8. Problem?

Connections

Channels 1 and 2 have DI (Direct Inject) inputs that serve the same function as a direct box in accommodating instrument-level signals such as from an electric guitar or bass.

Control 24

Connections

X Inputs - Control 24 output to 192 inputs

192 I/O Back Panel

Expansion Port - Lets you connect an additional Pro Tools|HD audio interface

Legacy Port - connect MIX-series Digidesign audio interfaces to the 192 I/O. (such as the 888|24 or 882|20)

Primary Port - connects a Pro Tools|HD card (Accel Core Card) to the 192 I/O

Analogue Outputs - To Control 24 monitoring section.

Control 24

Connections192 I/O Front Panel

Displays sample rate setting

The LOOP MASTER LED indicates whichPro Tools|HD audio interface is the masterPro Tools peripheral.

Input/Output LED

Control 24

ConnectionsAccel Core Card

The Accel Core Card sits in the computer and uses either a PCI or PCIe slot depending on your system. It provides up to 96 tracks of direct-to-disk recording and playback, as well as DSP power for mixing and plug-in processing. The Accel Core (for PCIe) card supports up to 24-bit and up to 192 kHz sessions.

Digi Serial connects to the Sync I/O

Digi Link connects to the Primary Port on the 192 unit.

Control 24

HD 192 I/O Back PanelMonitoring

Control 24

192 I/O Back Panel

Analogue Outputs - To Control 24 monitoring section.

Monitoring

Control 24

192 I/O Back PanelMonitoring

Control 24

192 I/O Back PanelMonitoring

Control 24

Omni Interface

Monitoring

Control 24

Monitoring

Control 24

Monitoring

In our studios, outputs 7 & 8 feed the headphones

Control 24

Monitoring

L C R

Ls Rs

LFE

1 23

4

5 6

SMPTE/ITU Configuration

Control 24

Monitoring

Pro ToolsOutputs Signal

1 L

2 R

3 C

4 LFE

5 Ls

6 Rs

SMPTE/ITU Surround Configuration

Control 24

MonitoringPro Tools i/o Settings

Pro Tools HD systems also includes a Sync i/o

Synchroniser or Sync unit

(Pro Tools Sync i/o)

Control 24

Synchronisation

What is Synchronisation?

Synchronisation means that the operation of one or more devices is simultaneous and parallel.

It is the job of the sync unit to read timecode from one or more machines, and ensure that one machine follows the other.

Control 24

Synchronisation

When to we need to Sync?

• Sequencer/MIDI to recording device (Radar)

• Video to recording device• Recorder to Recorder.

Control 24

Sync Formats

SMPTESociety of Motion Picture and Television Engineers

hours

Logic Transport Display

mins

secs

frames

sub frames

SMPTE timecode is a set of cooperating standards to label individual frames of video or film.

Timecodes are added to film, video or audio material, and have also been adapted to synchronise music.

SMPTE

Sync picture to sound – Every frame has an identifiable number

00:00:00:01

00:00:00:02 frames

There are a maximum of 30 frames per second. So after 30 frames we would get:

SMPTE

1 sec

SMPTE

1. Film = 24 frames per second (Film industry only)

2. E.B.U = 25 frames per second (used in Europe)

3. Film = 24 frames per second (Film industry only)

4. Drop frame = 29.97 frames per second (U.S.A only for use with colour broadcasting)

5. S.M.P.T.E = 30 frames per second (used in U.S.A and Japan and other places that use the NTSC format)

Time codes may use a number of frame rates. Common ones are:

Control 24

MTC - MIDI Time Code

Embeds the same timing information as standard SMPTE timecode as a series of small 'quarter-frame' MIDI messages.

Its a series midi messages (send along a standard MIDI cable) that tells other devices what time it is at any given moment in hours, minutes, seconds and frames.

Control 24

MIDI Clock

A tempo based time code which is sent down the MIDI cable at a rate of 24 clocks per beat or 24 clock pulses or clicks per quarter note (PPQN)

Control 24

Radar CB202(master)

Pro Tools(slave)

MIDI OUT MIDI IN

Set Pro Tools to MIDI clock or external clock. Internal timing reference switched off

MIDI Clock

Clock pulses (timing reference)

Synchroniser or Sync unit

Pro Tools Sync Set Up Window

Synchronisation

Logics Sync Window

When Syncing in the Audient Studios, the sync mode needs to be set to MTCFrame rate need to be the same on each device

Offset needs to be the same

Pro Tools Plug in Architecture

• Native plug-ins are designed to work by using the processor within the host computer.

• Because the same CPU that runs your native plug-ins also has to run your audio recording and MIDI sequencing, the available processing power has to be shared between all these activities.

• It may be impossible for a single computer processor to cope with the calculation speeds required.

• For this reason, some manufacturers have developed audio processing hardware for handling processing-intensive audio functions, such as the running of plug-ins.

• Pro Tools has 2 proprietary plug-in formats: Real-Time AudioSuite (RTAS) and TDM (Time-Division Multiplexing). However these are being phased out in favour of the AAX (Avid Audio eXtension) format on new HDX Pro Tools Systems.

Control 24

Library Resources

An Introduction to Pro Tools 101 - Frank Cook

Control 24

• http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may11/articles/hd-native.htm• (

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul03/articles/pronotes0703.asp

• ADA-8XR multi-channel modular AD/DA converter• http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct00/articles/faqusingplugins

.htm

• http://akmedia.digidesign.com/support/docs/Getting_Started_HD_26684.pdf

• http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/studentarea/studios/Control24_Guide_25948.pdf

• http://akarchive.digidesign.com/support/docs/SYNC_IO_Guide_1.1.pdf

Bibliography