Avid Mojo Requirements

With Pro Tools|HD 6.9.x and 7.x Systems for Mac OS X

For additional product information, please see the following:

Please Note: Avid Mojo has unique compatibility requirements and is only compatible with Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Accel systems when used with Pro Tools 6.9.1 and higher for Mac OS X and Windows XP. If the information on this page appears to contradict information listed elsewhere in these Compatibility Documents, please adhere to the information listed on this page when configuring a system which includes Avid Mojo.

Important Information: For further compatibility information when used with Expanded Systems, see the following pages in the Digidesign Compatibility Documents:

Avid Mojo & Apple Power Mac G5 PCIe (PCI Express) Alert

If your Avid Mojo is not recognized by an Apple Power Mac G5 PCIe (PCI Express) computer, you must update the video peripheral's firmware on another computer. The firmware cannot be updated on the PCIe computer. (This will be true for all Avid Mojo interfaces manufactured before January 2006.) To update the firmware:

  1. Connect the Mojo to a non-PCIe Mac or any Windows XP computer
  2. Install Pro Tools 7.1 or later software, or MediaStation|PT 1.8.2 or later software
  3. Launch Pro Tools or Media Station|PT. This will update the firmware in the video peripheral
  4. Shut off the video peripheral, then connect to the PCIe computer

Note that using an updated video peripheral with an earlier version of Pro Tools or Media Station software will downgrade the firmware, and the process above will need to be repeated.

ATTO ExpressStripe Updater for Avid Mojo users on Mac OS X 10.4 ("Tiger")

This installer should only be used if you need to read or write to striped volumes for Mojo and you don’t have a Tiger-compatible version of ExpressStripe. This installer will not install the entire ExpressStripe application. Therefore you will not be able to create new striped volumes. Media Station|PT 1.8.2 includes the full application.

Supported Video Resolutions

Pro Tools with Avid Mojo supports import and playback of any combination of the following video resolutions created with the Avid DV, JFIF or MXF video codecs:

  • 1:1 (Uncompressed JFIF/MXF)
  • DV50
  • DV25 4:1:1
  • DV25 4:2:0
  • DV25P 4:1:1
  • DV25P 4:2:0
  • 15:1s 4:2:2
  • 14:1P 4:2:2
  • 28:1P 4:2:2
  • 35:1P 4:2:2

Pro Tools|HD & Pro Tools|HD Accel System Requirements

With Avid Mojo and Pro Tools 7.0/7.1 for Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger"

With Avid Mojo and Pro Tools 6.9.2/6.9.3 for Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger"

With Avid Mojo and Pro Tools 6.9.1 for Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther"

Avid Hardware Supplied with Avid Mojo System

  • Avid Mojo Digital Nonlinear Accelerator Video Break Out Box

Digidesign Software Compatibility

Note: New purchases of Media Station|PT or Avid Mojo/Media Station|PT Bundle include a free upgrade to Pro Tools HD 7 software. Pro Tools software for HD systems is not included with other Avid Mojo purchases.

Pro Tools TDM 6.9.1

  • Avid Mojo supported
  • Media Station|PT 1.6.1 supported
  • Mac OS X v10.3.8
  • QuickTime 6.5 or higher (Required, included with Mac OS X)

Pro Tools TDM 6.9.2/6.9.3

  • Avid Mojo supported
  • Not compatible with Media Station|PT
  • Mac OS X v10.4, 10.4.1, or 10.4.2
  • QuickTime 6.5 or higher (Required, included with Mac OS X)

Pro Tools HD 7.0/7.1

  • Avid Mojo supported
  • Not compatible with Media Station|PT
  • Mac OS X v10.4.2, 10.4.3, 10.4.4, 10.4.5, or 10.4.6 with Pro Tools HD 7.0/7.1
  • QuickTime 7.0 or higher (Required, included with Mac OS X)

Pro Tools HD 7.1cs1 and Higher

  • Avid Mojo supported
  • Media Station|PT 1.8.2 supported
  • Mac OS X v10.4.3, 10.4.4, 10.4.5, or 10.4.6
  • QuickTime 7.0 or higher (Required, included with Mac OS X)

DigiTranslator 2.0 (option, purchased separately)

MachineControl (option, purchased separately)

When using Avid Mojo with MachineControl option, 9-pin video transports must be connected to your Pro Tools system with the Keyspan USA-28x USB-to-Serial adapter with Keyspan USB Serial Adapter Software for Mac OS X Version 1.4 or higher, available at: www.keyspan.com/downloads. For more information on MachineControl option, see the following compatibility page:

Media Station|PT (option, purchased separately)

  • Media Station|PT v1.6.1
    • Pro Tools TDM 6.9.1 for Mac OS X 10.3 only (Required, not included)
    • Free update to Media Station|PT v1.6.1 for Media Station|PT v1.6 and Media Station|V10 owners, only available on CD at the DigStore
  • Media Station|PT v1.8.2
    • Pro Tools HD 7.1cs1 for Mac OS X 10.4 only (Required, not included)
    • Free update to Media Station|PT v1.8.2 for Media Station|PT v1.6 and Media Station|V10 owners, available for download
  • Media Station|PT1.8.2 Information & Downloads
  • Media Station|PT Compatibility Page

Required Hardware Components (not supplied)

  • Pro Tools|HD or Pro Tools|HD Accel system
  • Primary Audio Interface: Digidesign 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O, or 96 I/O
  • Digidesign SYNC I/O
    • Firmware version 1.1.1 required for Pro Tools 6.9 and higher, included with Pro Tools installer, or download from the SYNC I/O Download Page
  • Black Burst or other video reference source. Avid Mojo has strict standards for the reference signal that it will accept. Avid Mojo and other Avid video peripherals are tested with some or all of the following: Horita BSG-50, Burst, Video Accessory Corporation (VAC) VB/BBG-3, SIGMA Series 2100.
  • External NTSC or PAL video monitor

Supported Power Mac G5 Computers

When using Avid Mojo, these computers are qualified to provide 64 tracks of 48 kHz audio and one stream of uncompressed video. Your performance may vary based on number of audio tracks, edit density, automation, and plug-in usage. Dual Processors are required for Avid Mojo:

Supported with Mojo & Pro Tools HD 7.1 for Mac OS X 10.4 Only

These Power Mac G5 PCI Express models require one of the following:

  • HD PCIe Cards - installed inside the Power MaC G5
  • Digidesign HD|Expansion Chassis with HD PCI cards in the chassis and PCIe host card in the Power Mac G5

These Power Mac G5 PCI Express models require Pro Tools 7.1 or higher, included with Pro Tools|HD PCIe Core Systems and Digidesign HD|Expansion Chassis.

Dual Core G5 Processor Models - PCI Express
Power Mac G5 Dual 2GHz - single dual-core model M9590
Power Mac G5 Dual 2.3GHz - single dual-core model M9591
Power Mac G5 Quad 2.5GHz - twin dual-core model M9592

All 3 new Power Mac G5 models listed above use PCI Express (PCI-e) slots. Previous Digidesign PCI cards: HD Core card, HD Accel card, HD Process card, Digidesign 64-bit Expansion Chassis, ATTO UL3D, or any hardware that requires PCI or PCI-X slots cannot be installed internally on these G5 PCI Express models. For more information on PCI Express-compatible Pro Tools|HD Core and Pro Tools|HD Accel cards, please see the following announcement in the News section:

Supported with Mojo & Pro Tools HD 7.0/7.1 for Mac OS X 10.4 Only
HD PCI Cards Required

Dual Processor Power Mac G5 Models for Avid Mojo
Dual 2.3 GHz Power Mac G5 (model M9748)
Dual 2.7 GHz Power Mac G5 (model M9749)

Supported with Mojo & Pro Tools 6.9.2/6.9.3 for Mac OS X 10.4 Only
HD PCI Cards Required

Dual Processor Power Mac G5 Models for Avid Mojo
Dual 2.0 GHz Power Mac G5 (third generation model M9747)
Dual 2.3 GHz Power Mac G5 (model M9748)
Dual 2.7 GHz Power Mac G5 (model M9749)

Supported with Mojo and Pro Tools 6.9.1 for Mac OS 10.3, Pro Tools 6.9.2/6.9.3, or Pro Tools HD 7.0/7.1 for Mac OS X 10.4

HD PCI Cards Required

Dual Processor Power Mac G5 Models for Avid Mojo
Dual 2.5 GHz Power Mac G5 (model M9457)
Dual 2.0 GHz Power Mac G5 (second generation model M9455)
Dual 2.0 GHz Power Mac G5 (first generation model only )
Dual 1.8 GHz Power Mac G5 ( first generation model only)

Second generation Dual 1.8 GHz Power Mac G5 (model M9454) was not tested with Avid Mojo

See the following Pro Tools|HD with Power Mac G5 pages in the Digidesign Compatibility Documents for important information about supported models:

System RAM Requirements

  • 2 GB RAM minimum required
  • More RAM increases overall system and Pro Tools performance, and is especially recommended for working with:
    • Sessions with large amounts of audio, large DSP engines, high edit density, or large DigiBase databases
    • Options like MachineControl 2.0 and DigiTranslator 2.0

System Software Requirements

  • Pro Tools HD 7.1 is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.4.3 (Tiger)
  • Pro Tools HD 7.0 is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.4.2 and 10.4.3 (Tiger)
  • Pro Tools 6.9.2/6.9.3 is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.4, 10.4.1, and 10.4.2 (Tiger)
  • Pro Tools 6.9.1 is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.8 (Panther)
    • Other Mac OS 10.3 versions have not been tested and are not recommended
  • Mac OS X Requirements, Installation, Updating & Authorizing Plug-ins

Storage Requirements

SCSI Host Bus Adapter Requirements

The following SCSI HBAs have been qualified with Avid Mojo with Pro Tools versions as listed:

Power Mac G5 PCI Express Models

  • ATTO ExpressPCI UL5D - Dual-channel Ultra320 PCI Express SCSI Host Adapter
    • Power Mac G5 PCI Express models only
    • Qualified with Pro Tools HD 7.1 and higher only
    • Default Settings in the ATTO Configuration Tool

Power Mac G5 PCI Models (not compatible with Power Mac G5 PCI Express models)

  • ATTO ExpressPCI UL4D - Dual-channel Ultra320-to-PCI-X SCSI Host Adapter
    • Power Mac PCI models only
    • Qualified with Pro Tools HD 7.0 and higher only
  • ATTO ExpressPCI UL3D - Dual-channel Ultra160 SCSI Host Adapter
    • 33 MHz model only
  • Digidesign SCSI|128 Kit (includes ATTO UL3D)

Additional SCSI HBA Requirements

  • Unlike AVoption|XL, Avid Mojo does not require audio and video drives to have separate HBAs in order to play uncompressed video. The Audio and Video can be on separate SCSI channels of a single HBA.
  • ATTO UL3D drivers version 3.20 or higher required for the Digidesign SCSI|128/ATTO UL3D. For more information, see "Checking and Updating ATTO Firmware" on page 19 of the following:
  • Both of these documents, as well as the ATTO Utilities folder, are on the Pro Tools installation CDs. Also available from the Digidesign Technical Document Library
  • The ATTO Utilities folder from the Pro Tools CDs are also available from the Storage Downloads Section

SCSI Drive Requirements

  • Pro Tools with Avid Mojo requires separate SCSI drives for audio and video.
  • The audio drives and the video drives should each be connected to separate SCSI channels. For more information, see "Setting Up Local Storage" on page 17 of the following:
  • Striped Drive Requirements (Video Storage Only): Striped drives are configured so that multiple hard drives behave as if they are one hard drive. This makes higher data throughput possible. Requirements will vary depending on the drives. For example, the 5th-Generation DigiDrives™ (released November 2001) require 2-way striped drive sets when capturing or playing uncompressed (1:1) video. For earlier generations of drives, 4- way striped drives or greater (4 or more drives acting as one) are required when capturing or playing uncompressed (1:1) video; and 2- way striped drives (2 drives acting as one) are required when capturing or playing 2:1 and 3:1 compressed video.
  • When "inheriting" a drive containing audio and video data from an Avid system, we recommend you connect this drive to the SCSI channel dedicated to video storage. There is no need to copy the audio data from such a drive to your dedicated audio drives, however we recommend that you not record any additional audio tracks onto this drive.

FireWire Storage

The Avid MediaDrive rS80, DigiDrive FireWire 80, and third-party FireWire 400 drives with the Oxford 911 chipset have been qualified for record and playback of video with data transfer rates equal to DV25 or less. FireWire storage must be connected to a PCI FireWire card:

For information on slot order with Avid Mojo, please see the following:

SATA Storage

SATA drives installed internally with the Power Mac G5 have been qualified for record and playback of video with data transfer rates equal to DV25 or less.

PCI Expansion Chassis (Optional)

Because Avid Mojo connects to the internal FireWire bus, a chassis is not required. However, Avid Mojo requires the complete bandwidth of the FireWire bus. Therefore, no other devices can be attached to the same FireWire bus as the Avid Mojo.

  • The Digidesign Expansion|HD expansion chassis, Digidesign 64-bit 7 slot expansion chassis and the Magma 64-bit 7 slot expansion chassis (Model P7R464-D1) are the only models supported with Avid Mojo for use with Pro Tools PCI cards.
  • Other chassis have not been tested with Pro Tools 6.9.x or Pro Tools HD 7

CPU & Optional Expansion Chassis Slot Order Information

For information on slot order with Avid Mojo, please see the following:

PCI FireWire Cards (Optional)

The Avid Mojo will not function if any other device is connected to the same FireWire bus (FireWire video cameras may connect directly to the Avid Mojo). However, if you wish to have other FireWire devices connected to your system, you must install a PCI FireWire card to create an additional FireWire bus:

Maximum Performance Guidelines

  • Virtually all the testing for Avid Mojo was done with a baseline of 64 tracks of 24- bit/48k audio and one stream of uncompressed video data (record and/or playback). These test configurations generally included one drive for every 16 tracks of audio. One way to achieve higher track counts is to dedicate more drives to the audio tracks.
  • On a supported configuration, you should be able to easily achieve this performance baseline, even with a high degree of edit density on each track. The higher the edit density, the more heavily taxed will be the storage subsystem.
  • You may find much better results than this baseline, since Digidesign's performance tests are designed to stress the storage subsystem more heavily than the average "real world" usage.
  • There are other possible steps that can be taken to maximize the performance of a Pro Tools system with Avid Mojo. For more information, refer to the Avid Video Peripherals Guide in the Technical Document Library of the Support/Tech Support section of the website, on your Pro Tools CD, and here:

Avid Media Station|PT Information & Compatibility Requirements

Digidesign Compatibility Documents Index