Mac OS X Requirements with Pro Tools 6 & 7 Systems

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After updating either Pro Tools or your Mac OS, always run Disk Utility and "Repair Permissions" on the startup drive.

Mac OS X 10.4 ("Tiger") Information

Pro Tools 7

"Tiger" Required for all versions of Pro Tools 7 on Mac OS X

  • Pro Tools HD 7.0/7.1, Pro Tools LE 7.0/7.1, and Pro Tools M-Powered 7.0/7.1 are officially supported on Mac OS X 10.4.2, 10.4.3, 10.4.4, 10.4.5, or 10.4.6
  • Pro Tools HD 7, Pro Tools LE 7, and Pro Tools M-Powered 7 will not run on Mac OS X 10.3.9 (Panther) and earlier

Pro Tools HD 7.0/7.1 software requires Mac OS X 10.4.2, 10.4.3, 10.4.4, 10.4.5, or 10.4.6 ("Tiger"), and supports the following systems:

  • Pro Tools|HD
  • Pro Tools|HD Accel

Pro Tools LE 7.0/7.1 software requires Mac OS X 10.4.2, 10.4.3, 10.4.4, 10.4.5, or 10.4.6 ("Tiger"), and supports the following systems:

  • Digi 002
  • Digi 002 Rack
  • Mbox 2
  • Mbox

Pro Tools M-Powered 7.0/7.1 software requires Mac OS X 10.4.2, 10.4.3, 10.4.4, 10.4.5, or 10.4.6 (Tiger), and supports the following systems:

Pro Tools 6

The initial release of Pro Tools TDM 6.9, Pro Tools LE 6.9, Pro Tools M-Powered 6.8, Digidesign CoreAudio Driver v6.9, and all earlier versions of Pro Tools will not work with Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger", released April 29, 2005.

Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Accel Systems — Supported on Mac OS 10.4 with Pro Tools TDM 6.9.2

Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Accel systems require Pro Tools TDM software version 6.9.2 or higher to work on Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger". A free compatibility update for Mac OS X 10.4 is now available for Pro Tools|HD users with Pro Tools TDM 6.4 or higher software:

  • Pro Tools 6.9.2 Update for Mac OS X 10.4
  • Pro Tools TDM 6.9.2 is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.4, 10.4.1 and 10.4.2 (Tiger)
  • Pro Tools TDM 6.9.3 is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.4.2 (Tiger)

Digi 002, Digi 002 Rack, and Mbox Systems — Supported on Mac OS 10.4 with Pro Tools LE 6.9.2

Digi 002, Digi 002 Rack, and Mbox systems require Pro Tools LE software version 6.9.2 or higher to work on Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger". A free compatibility update for Mac OS X 10.4 is now available for Digi 002, Digi 002 Rack, and Mbox users with Pro Tools LE 6.7 or higher software:

Pro Tools M-Powered Systems — Supported on Mac OS 10.4 with Pro Tools M-Powered 6.8r2

The initial release of Pro Tools M-Powered 6.8 does not run on Mac OS 10.4 "Tiger". In order to use M-Powered software on Mac OS 10.4, M-Powered owners will need to download Pro Tools M-Powered 6.8r2:

Mbox 2 Systems — Supported on Mac OS 10.3 and 10.4 with Pro Tools LE 6.8.1

Pro Tools LE 6.8.1 is a cross-platform release for Mac OS X and Windows XP that ships with Mbox 2 systems and does not support other Digidesign interfaces. Pro Tools LE 6.8.1 will only work with Mbox 2 hardware.

  • Pro Tools LE 6.8.1 for Mbox 2 is officially supported on Mac OS 10.3.8 and 10.3.9 (Panther), Mac OS 10.4.2 (Tiger), and Windows XP Home and Professional

Digidesign CoreAudio Driver

The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver for Mac OS 10.4 is included with Pro Tools TDM 6.9.2 and Pro Tools LE 6.9.2. There is currently no standalone version of the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver for Mac OS 10.4. For more information, please see the following page:

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Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther" Information

Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther" Requires Pro Tools 6.2.2 or Higher

  • Previous versions of Pro Tools will not work on Panther

Mac OS X 10.3.2 or Higher is Required to use Pro Tools 6.2.2 and Higher

Downloads for Pro Tools 6.0 through 6.2 Owners

*Not officially supported, last version with Audiomedia III audio engine

System Software Summary

  • Pro Tools 6.9.1 and Pro Tools LE 6.9 are officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.8 (Panther)
    • Mac OS X 10.3.9 has not been fully tested with Pro Tools 6.9.x and is therefore not recommended
  • Pro Tools LE 6.8.1 for Mbox 2 is officially supported on Mac OS 10.3.8 and 10.3.9 (Panther) and Mac OS 10.4.2 (Tiger)
    • Pro Tools LE 6.8.1 is a special cross-platform release included with Mbox 2 sytems
  • Pro Tools M-Powered 6.8 is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.7 and 10.3.8
    • Earlier versions of Mac OS X have not been tested with Pro Tools M-Powered software
  • Pro Tools 6.7 and Pro Tools LE 6.7 are officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.2, 10.3.4, 10.3.5, 10.3.7, and 10.3.8
  • Pro Tools 6.6 for HD systems with Avid Mojo on Mac OS X is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.5, 10.3.7, and 10.3.8
  • Mac OS X 10.3.3 and 10.3.6 have not been fully tested with Pro Tools, will not be further tested, and are not recommended with any version of Pro Tools
  • Pro Tools 6.4 and Pro Tools LE 6.4 are officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.2 and 10.3.4, except as noted below with newer G5 models and 10.3.5
  • Although there are no known issues reported from users with Pro Tools 6.4 TDM or LE and 10.3.5, 10.3.7, or 10.3.8, Pro Tools 6.4 was not tested with Mac OS X 10.3.5 and higher, except as noted below with newer G5 models and 10.3.5

Approved Mac OS X Operating System with Pro Tools 6.9 — Mac OS 10.3.8

Pro Tools 6.9 TDM software for HD systems is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.8 (Panther) with the following systems on qualified* Power Mac G5, Power Mac G4, and PowerBook G4 models:

  • Pro Tools|HD Accel
  • Pro Tools|HD

Pro Tools LE 6.9 is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.8 (Panther) with the following systems on qualified* Power Mac G5, Power Mac G4, iMac G5, iMac G4, PowerBook G4, iBook G4, and Mac Mini models:

  • Digi 002
  • Digi 002 Rack
  • Mbox

Additional Notes:

  • Mac OS X 10.3.9 has not been fully tested with Pro Tools 6.9.x and is therefore not recommended
  • See the top of this page for information on Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger"

*For information on qualified models, please see the individual compatibility documents for your Pro Tools system.

Approved Mac OS X Operating System with Pro Tools 6.7 — Mac OS X 10.3.2, 10.3.4, 10.3.5, 10.3.7, and 10.3.8 "Panther"

Pro Tools 6.7 TDM software for HD systems is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.2, 10.3.4, 10.3.5, 10.3.7, and 10.3.8 (Panther) with the following systems on qualified* Power Mac G5, Power Mac G4, and PowerBook G4 models:

  • Pro Tools|HD Accel
  • Pro Tools|HD

Pro Tools LE 6.7 is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.2, 10.3.4, 10.3.5, 10.3.7, and 10.3.8 (Panther) with the following systems on Power Mac G5, Power Mac G4, iMac G4, PowerBook G4, and iBook models*:

  • Digi 002
  • Digi 002 Rack
  • Mbox

Additional Notes:

  • Mac OS X 10.3.3 and 10.3.6 have not been fully tested with Pro Tools and are not recommended
  • Digi 001 and MIX systems will not work with Pro Tools 6.7 and higher

*For information on supported models, please see the individual compatibility documents for your Pro Tools system

Approved Mac OS X Operating System with Pro Tools 6.4 — Mac OS 10.3.2 and 10.3.4 "Panther"

Pro Tools 6.4 TDM software for HD systems is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.8 (Panther) with the following systems on qualified* Power Mac G5, Power Mac G4, and PowerBook G4 models:

  • Pro Tools|HD Accel
  • Pro Tools|HD

Pro Tools LE 6.4 is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.2 and 10.3.4 (Panther) with the following systems on Power Mac G5, Power Mac G4, iMac G4, PowerBook G4, and iBook models*:

  • Digi 002
  • Digi 002 Rack
  • Mbox
  • Digi 001 (on Power Mac G4 only)

Additional Notes:

  • Mac OS X 10.3.3 has not been fully tested with Pro Tools and is not recommended

*For information on supported models, please see the individual compatibility documents for your Pro Tools system.

Approved Mac OS X Operating System with Pro Tools 6.2.3 — Mac OS 10.3.2 "Panther"

Pro Tools 6.2.3 TDM software for HD systems is officially supported on Mac OS X 10.3.2 (Panther) with the following systems on Power Mac G5 and supported Power Mac G4 models*:

  • Pro Tools|HD
  • Pro Tools|HD Accel

Additional Notes:

  • Although Pro Tools 6.2.3 is not officially qualified with OS X 10.3.4, there have been no known issues reported to Digidesign specific to this configuration
  • Mac OS X 10.3.3 has not been fully tested with Pro Tools and is not recommended

*For information on supported models, please see the individual compatibility documents for your Pro Tools system.

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Mac OS X 10.2 "Jaguar" Information

Approved Mac OS X Operating System with Pro Tools TDM version 6.1 and 6.2 and Pro Tools LE 6.1.2 on non-G5 Computers — Mac OS 10.2.6 or 10.2.8 "Jaguar"

  • Pro Tools TDM 6.1/6.2 and Pro Tools LE version 6.1.2 software have been tested and approved on all computers listed as supported in these compatibility documents with Mac OS 10.2.6 and 10.2.8.

Approved Mac OS X Operating System for Power Mac G5 Computers — Mac OS 10.2.7 or 10.2.8 "Jaguar" — Pro Tools|HD Only (Pro Tools LE requires Panther when using a G5)

  • Pro Tools 6.2.r2.1 Update supports Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Accel on Power Mac G5 Single 1.6 GHz, Single and Dual 1.8 GHz and Dual 2 GHz models on Mac OS 10.2.7 and 10.2.8.
  • Mac OS 10.3 "Panther" is required to use Pro Tools LE on Power Mac G5. Pro Tools LE will not run on G5 models with Mac OS 10.2.x "Jaguar". If your G5 has Jaguar installed, you will need to upgrade to Panther, then install Pro Tools LE 6.4.

Settings & Requirements

  • Pro Tools Does Not Support Energy Saver. In the Macintosh System Preferences, launch Energy Saver, click the Sleep tab, and disable all Sleep features. Set "Put the computer to sleep when it is inactive" to Never. Do not manually put your computer to sleep when running Pro Tools.
  • QuickTime 6.0.2 or higher required. QuickTime downloads are available from www.apple.com/quicktime
  • QuickTime Pro 6.0.2 or higher is also supported

Important: Energy Saver Settings for Power Mac G5*

For optimal Pro Tools performance, you must set Processor Performance (located in System Preferences > Energy Saver > Options) to Highest.

Apple's Mac OS help documentation provides the following info on Energy Saver Processor settings:

  • The PowerPC G5 processor in your Power Mac G5 can run at various speeds. The default setting for this feature is "Automatic", which allows the system to run the processor at full speed when required, and at a lower speed during periods of light processing activity. Certain real-time applications, such as audio creation or gaming, may perform optimally when using the highest processor performance setting. You can change the processor performance setting in the Energy Saver pane of System Preferences.

*With either Mac OS 10.2 or 10.3

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Installation and Copy Protection

Installing Pro Tools 6.x on OS X

To ensure proper operation and file management, Pro Tools 6 software must be installed in an administrator-level account in Mac OS X. In addition, to ensure that access to all plug-ins from within Pro Tools, it is recommended that the Pro Tools application and all Pro Tools plug-ins be installed and used from the same administrator-level account. Do not install or operate Pro Tools while logged in as a root-level user. File permissions of a root-level user make it possible to perform actions that may conflict with Pro Tools file management tasks.

Disable Automatic Software Update

Pro Tools 6.2.2 has been qualified with Pro Tools systems with Mac OS X 10.3.1 only.

Pro Tools 6.1/6.2 and Pro Tools LE 6.1.2 have been qualified with Pro Tools systems with Mac OS X 10.2.6 and 10.2.8 on non-G5 systems only.

Pro Tools 6.2.r2.1 has been qualified with Pro Tools|HD and HD Accel systems with Mac OS X 10.2.7 and 10.2.8 on Power Mac G5 only.

Digidesign cannot guarantee the compatibility of automatic updates of Mac OS X or any updates to system software components. For this reason, you should disable "Automatically check for updates when you have a network connection" in the Software Update System Preferences.

Plug-In Authorizations for OS X

Please be advised that floppy based copy protection authorizations will not work on OS X. If you are upgrading to OS X and have any legacy Digidesign or Digidesign distributed plug-ins with floppy based copy protection registered with us that have not been updated, we would like to update these with new iLok USB Hardware Key* based copy protection developed for Pro Tools and OS X. We can accomplish this automatically by depositing these applicable authorizations for you at iLok.com, provided you have an account set up there and we have your account number logged in our customer database. You can then log onto iLok.com and move these authorizations from your account to your iLok USB Hardware Key. To set up an account, please go to www.iLok.com and register by creating your own unique User ID and password. Upon iLok.com registration you will have sign on privileges. Please provide your iLok.com User ID on your registration card in the space provided so we may add it to your Digidesign customer record.

*iLok USB Hardware Key sold separately, available from your Authorized Digidesign Dealer or the DigiStore.

For more information on iLok technology, see the iLok Information page and the iLok Usage Guide in the Digidesign Support section.

For any third-party key disk authorized software, please contact the manufacturer about upgrading.

OS 9 Authorization Keys and Installing OS X

Installing or upgrading OS X on your Macintosh may erase any currently installed OS 9 key disk authorizations (such as Reverb One for Pro Tools 5.1.1). Uninstall all key disk authorizations before installing or upgrading OS X. After installing OS X, or upgrading your OS X version, run the following from the OS X Disk Utilities: "Repair Disk Permissions".

Additional Technical Information for Pro Tools and Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther)

Macintosh Journaled File System Now Recommended for Pro Tools

Mac OS X 10.3 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. We have also found improved disk performance with Pro Tools with journaling enabled with Mac OS X 10.3.8.

Mac OS X 10.3 ships with journaling on by default. Digidesign now recommends that customers format their media drives with journaling turned on If you are using Apple"s Disk Utility program to format drives, Digidesign recommends choosing "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" format, instead of "Mac OS Extended."

To enable journaling on an existing drive:

  1. Run the Apple Disk Utility, located in Application/Utilities.
  2. Select the disk or volume in the left column of the Disk Utility windows.
  3. Click "Enable Journaling" in the toolbar, or choose "Enable Journaling" or Command+J from the File menu

If you want to turn journaling off for any reason, select the volume and choose "Disable Journaling" or Command +J in the File menu of Disk Utility. Note that disabling journaling will slow recovery if your system has to be rebooted to recover from a kernel panic or power failure.

Warning: Updating Pace-Wrapped Plug-Ins

Due to a recently discovered PACE copy protection bug, some users may experience instability and/or crashes when launching Pro Tools, opening a session, or dismissing a trial-period dialog if any Pace-wrapped third party plug-ins are installed. The fix for this bug is in the latest PACE drivers included and installed automatically within the Pro Tools software installer. Updates to all plug-ins are also necessary to prevent instability and/or crashes. All plug-ins supplied with the Pro Tools 6.2.3 installer have been fixed. To determine which plug-ins are affected, we have included a utility which will scan your Plug-Ins folder and list all plug-ins that need to be updated. To use this utility, just launch the "Digidesign Plug-In Validator" application located in your Pro Tools Utilities folder. If any of your non-Digidesign plug-ins have not been updated, they will be listed in the display window. Please visit the Web site for the manufacturer of any affected plug-ins and download the update (if available), or ask the manufacturer when one will be available. Even if you do not have updates for all your plug-ins, instability will only occur immediately after adding or removing a plug-in from your Pro Tools Plug-Ins folder. After the first crash and subsequent reboot, you should not see any further problems, unless you then add or remove plug-ins from the Plug-Ins folder.

Pro Tools Plug-In Updates for Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther)

Most Digidesign plug-in updates are included on the Pro Tools 6.x CDs included with upgrades and new purchases.

Pro Tools 6 and Migration to OS X — Dual-Boot Systems

To make the transition from OS 9 to OS X as painless as possible, here are some suggestions for configuring a dual-boot system that will support both Pro Tools 6 on OS X and previous versions of Pro Tools on OS 9:

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How to Get Mac OS X Upgrades & Updates

If you do not have Mac OS X Version 10.4, known as Tiger, you will need to Purchase Mac OS X Tiger from your local Apple dealer, the Apple Store, or another online vendor:

Update Tips

  • After updating either Pro Tools or your Mac OS, always run Disk Utility and "Repair Permissions" on the startup drive.
  • Processor Performance & Power Mac G5: For optimal Pro Tools performance, you must set Processor Performance (located in System Preferences > Energy Saver > Options) to "Highest". Updating your Mac OS may reset this to the default setting: "Automatic". After updating your Mac OS, check to make sure this is set to "Highest".

If you already have Mac OS X 10.4 or 10.3, the following Apple Support/Download pages and AppleCare KnowledgeBase Documents have information and the downloadable standalone update installers below.

Digidesign strongly advises downloading the Combined Update if you have a high speed connection, rather than using the smaller incremental update. Also, if you have used Software Update on your system, you may need to download the combined installer and use that to install all of the required components included in the combined update.

Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger) Updates

Combined Update Mac OS X 10.4, 10.4.1, 10.4.2, 10.4.3, 10.4.4, or 10.4.5 to version 10.4.6 for PPC

Update Mac OS X 10.4.5 to version 10.4.6 for PPC

Combined Update Mac OS X 10.4, 10.4.1, 10.4.2, 10.4.3, or 10.4.4 to version 10.4.5

Update Mac OS X 10.4.4 to version 10.4.5

Combined Update Mac OS X 10.4, 10.4.1, 10.4.2, or 10.4.3 to version 10.4.4

Update Mac OS X 10.4.3 to version 10.4.4

Combined Update Mac OS X 10.4, 10.4.1, or 10.4.2 to version 10.4.3

Update Mac OS X 10.4.2 to version 10.4.3

Combined Update Mac OS X 10.4 or 10.4.1 to version 10.4.2

Update Mac OS X 10.4.1 to version 10.4.2

Update Mac OS X 10.4 to version 10.4.1

Mac OS 10.3 (Panther) Updates

Combined Update Mac OS X 10.3, 10.3.1, 10.3.2, 10.3.3, 10.3.4, 10.3.4, 10.3.5, 10.3.6, or 10.3.7 to version 10.3.8

Update Mac OS X 10.3.7 to version 10.3.8

Combined Update Mac OS X 10.3, 10.3.1, 10.3.2, 10.3.3, 10.3.4, 10.3.4, or 10.3.6 to version 10.3.7

Update Mac OS X 10.3.5 to version 10.3.7

Combined Update Mac OS X 10.3, 10.3.1, 10.3.2, 10.3.3 or 10.3.4 to version 10.3.5

Update Mac OS X 10.3.4 to version 10.3.5

Combined Update Mac OS X 10.3, 10.3.1, 10.3.2 or 10.3.3 to version 10.3.4

Update Mac OS X 10.3.3 to version 10.3.4

Combined Update Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.3.1 to version 10.3.2

Update Mac OS X 10.3 to version 10.3.1

How to Get Mac OS X Jaguar Version 10.2.8

If you do not have Mac OS X Version 10.2, known as Jaguar, you will need to Purchase Mac OS X Version 10.2, Jaguar from your local Apple dealer, the Apple Store, or another online vendor.

If you already have Mac OS 10.2, 10.2.1, 10.2.2, 10.2.3, 10.2.4, 10.2.5, 10.2.6 or 10.2.7, the following AppleCare KnowledgeBase Documents have information and downloadable standalone update installers.

Mac OS 10.2.8 Standalone Updates

Non-G5 Models

This article contains the Mac OS X Update 10.2.8 information and a link to the Mac OS X Update 10.2.8 software.
Important: This update does not apply to G5 systems This update works only with PowerPC G3- and G4-based desktop and portable computers, including Power Macintosh G3, Power Mac G4, PowerBook G3, PowerBook G4, iMac, eMac, and iBook.

Update Mac OS X 10.2, 10.2.1, 10.2.2, 10.2.3, 10.2.4, 10.2.5, 10.2.6, or 10.2.7 to version 10.2.8

Update Mac OS X 10.2.6 to version 10.2.8

Power Mac G5 Models

Mac OS X Update (G5) v.10.2.8 (G5)

This article contains information about the Mac OS X Update (G5) v.10.2.8 (G5) and a link to the software download.

Update Mac OS X 10.2.7 to version 10.2.8 on G5 models only

How to Get Mac OS 10.2.6

If you do not have Mac OS X Version 10.2, known as Jaguar, you will need to Purchase Mac OS X Version 10.2, Jaguar from your local Apple dealer, the Apple Store, or another online vendor.

If you already have Mac OS 10.2, 10.2.1, 10.2.2, 10.2.3, 10.2.4 or 10.2.5, the following AppleCare KnowledgeBase Documents have information and downloadable standalone update installers.

Mac OS 10.2.6 Standalone Updates

Update Mac OS X 10.2, 10.2.1, 10.2.2, 10.2.3, 10.2.4 or 10.2.5 to version 10.2.6

Update Mac OS X 10.2.5 to version 10.2.6

Important: Please Read Before Installing OS X Updates

An Admin user password that does not contain spaces or Option-keyed characters is required to install. The password may not be blank. If your password must be changed, then follow these steps: Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu. Choose Accounts from the View menu. Select an Admin user and click Edit User. Type your current password, and press Return. Change the password, and click OK.

After installing OS X, or upgrading your OS X version, run "Repair Disk Permissions" from the following location: Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility/Disk First Aid tab.

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Digidesign Compatibility Documents Index