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Pro Tools|HD for Mac OS X Hard Drive Minimum Requirements Storage Overview Storage requirements have not changed from previous versions of Pro Tools. As with all Pro Tools systems, drive performance depends on a number of factors, including track count, edit density, CPU speed, single or dual processors, and the use of crossfades or processing like Beat Detective. For sessions with high edit density, we recommend the following configurations. Testing has been conducted using Digidesign's DigiDrives and Avid MediaDrives. Performance with other drives may vary.
Macintosh Journaled File System Recommended for Pro Tools Mac OS X 10.4 incorporates a journaled file system, which will automatically log any file modifications. If your computer crashes badly enough to require a restart (or a restart from a power failure), the OS will then use the journal to aid in fixing any disk problems caused by the crash. Mac OS X 10.4 ships with journaling on by default. Digidesign now recommends that customers format their media drives with journaling turned on. When using Apple"s Disk Utility program to format drives, Digidesign recommends choosing "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" format, instead of "Mac OS Extended." Note: Mac OS 10.4 includes two new formatting options:
Digidesign has not tested these new formatting options with Pro Tools, and therefore these are not recommended. Please choose the following option for drive formatting:
Optional Digidesign & Avid Storage SCSI
Not compatible with Power Mac G5 or tested with Pro Tools 6.9 and higher:
Power Mac G5 PCI Express Models The following PCIe storage host adapter card is now qualified with the Power Mac G5 PCI Express models:
FireWire
Important Information for Avid rs80 and rs250 Users on Mac OS X SCSI Hard Drives Supported SCSI Cards for Qualified Power Mac Models
For more information, please see the following page: SCSI Drive Requirements
Formatting Instructions
Note: partitioning is not an option using the Erase command. To increase performance and improve seek time Digidesign recommends that you allocate a portion of your hard drive for recording. In Pro Tools, Choose Setups/Preferences and click Operation. Under the Open Ended Record Allocation option, select Limit To and enter a number of minutes to be allocated. ATTO Utilities ATTO ExpressPCI Configuration Tool You must install this if you are using a Digidesign SCSI|128 or ATTO EPCI-UL3D SCSI Host Bus Adapter card with a Mac OS X system. The cards listed above control the flow of SCSI data to and from your computer, and they must have the proper firmware and be set correctly for maximum performance. If you are using one of these cards, you will need the ExpressPCI Configuration Tool. The ATTO ExpressPCI Configuration Tool can be downloaded from the ATTO website: The Configuration Tool will allow you to update your firmware and set up your SCSI host bus adapter correctly. For important information on how to update your firmware for Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther" compatibility, please see the ATTO Utilities Read Me: Hard Drives Hard drive families from the following manufacturers are recommended:
* First generation DigiDrives are not supported in LVD mode Notes
Storage Stats Approximate Storage Consumption (Megabytes per Minute per Track)
As with all Pro Tools systems, drive performance depends on a number of factors, including track count, edit density, and the use of crossfades or processing like Beat Detective. For sessions with high edit density, we recommend the following configurations. Testing has been conducted using Digidesign DigiDrives and Avid MediaDrives. Performance with other drives may vary. SCSI Drives Approximate Track Counts
for Power Mac G4, Dual 1.25 GHz model
SCSI Drives Approximate Track Counts for Power Mac G5
SATA Hard Drives Internal SATA drives are qualified for up to 32 tracks at 44.1/48 kHz with Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Accel systems on Power Mac G5 models.
IDE/ATA Hard Drives IDE/ATA drives meeting the following requirements are qualified for up to 32 tracks at 44.1/48 kHz with Pro Tools TDM systems: FireWire 400 Hard Drives The Avid MediaDrive rS80, DigiDrive FireWire 80, and third-party 7200 RPM FireWire 400 drives with the Oxford 911 chipset have been qualified with Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Accel systems for the following:
FireWire 400 Drives Approximate Track Counts:
* Track/voice count at 44.1/48 kHz may vary depending on CPU speed and processor count. For more information and specific requirements for using FireWire drives, see FireWire Drive Requirements Granite Digital Mac OS 10.4 "Tiger" Support Notice
FireWire 800 Hard Drives FireWire 800 drives with the Oxford 912 interface have been qualified for record and playback with the following systems on Mac OS 10.4:
Known Issues 32-Bit vs. 64-Bit Chassis
Important Note About Mixing Drive Types With Pro Tools|HD Systems
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