DigiDesign Pro Tools, Reference Manual

Page: 57 / 886

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 43
Chapter 6: I/O Setup
The I/O Setup dialog provides tools to label, for-
mat, and map Pro Tools input, output, insert, or
bus
signal paths for each session.
A signal path is a logical grouping of multiple
inputs, outputs or busses that has a single name
and (channel) format. In Pro Tools, paths are
similar to
stems , as they are known in the film
and video industry (see “Stems and Stem Mixes”
on page 45). The I/O Setup dialog lets you de-
fine and name paths according to the needs of
each project.
With Pro Tools HD, the I/O Setup dialog pro-
vides a graphical representation of the signal
routing for each connected audio interface, with
controls to route physical ports to Pro Tools in-
puts and outputs. These controls mirror the
routing controls found in the Hardware Setup
dialog—changes made to physical routing in
one dialog are always reflected in the other.
Each Pro Tools system can have a different
I/O Setup configuration, determined by:
• Whether it is a Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE,
Pro Tools M-Powered, or Pro Tools Aca-
demic system
• On Pro Tools|HD systems, the number and
types of audio interfaces
• On Pro Tools|HD systems, the installed
Mixer plug-in (Stereo or Surround)
Each Pro Tools session retains its path configu-
rations as I/O Settings. The I/O Settings saved
with the session are loaded automatically when
the session is opened. Unavailable items (in-
cluding hardware, paths, or required resources)
remain in the session as inactive items (see “Ac-
tive and Inactive Paths” on page 54).
When you create a new session, you can specify
a default I/O Setup configuration, including
presets for stereo or multichannel mixing for-
mats. Multichannel mixing requires a
Pro Tools|HD system.
The I/O Setup dialog also lets you save and im-
port I/O Settings files.
Navigating in the I/O Setup Dialog
To resize the I/O Setup dialog:
■
Drag the lower-right corner of the window ac-
cording to standard convention for your operat-
ing system.
To scroll left or right in the I/O Setup dialog:
■
Press Alt+Page Up/Down (Windows) or Op-
tion+Page Up/Down (Mac).