Maximum Performance Guidelines for Digi 002 Rack Systems

With Pro Tools LE 6.4 for Windows XP

The Digi 002 Rack will work best with faster PC computers equipped with at least 512 MB of RAM (more RAM is required when using sample rates of 88.2 KHz or 96 KHz, or when using a DAE buffer setting larger than the default).

Faster CPUs result in more tracks, more plug-ins, and a more responsive Graphical User Interface (GUI) -- snappy meters, screen redrawing, etc. In addition, the fastest computers allow Pro Tools to run with smaller hardware buffers for the lowest audio I/O latency. Note that the lowest hardware buffer settings may not be usable on some computers that otherwise meet all requirements.

The Digi 002 Rack is compatible with many different types of PC laptop/notebook & desktop computers. However, in general, desktop computers are faster than laptop/notebook computers, so the best performance will be found with desktop computers.

The Digi 002 Rack and Pro Tools LE require one or more supported disk drives for recording and playing audio. ATA/EIDE, SCSI, and 1394 disk drives are compatible with the Digi 002 Rack. Best performance will be achieved with 7200 RPM (or faster) speed drives. In some cases, you may need to split audio tracks across more than one disk drive (especially when using 88.2 KHz or 96 KHz sessions with many tracks and dense edits). Also, when using 1394 drives with the 002 Rack, some computer configurations may require a separate/dedicated 1394 interface for 1394-based disk drives in order to achieve maximum performance. See: Digi 002 Qualified 1394 Interface Cards for more information.

Supported CPU Models & Requirements

The following CPUs are required for best performance with the Digi 002 Rack:

  • Intel Pentium 4 or Xeon CPUs running at 2.0 GHz (or faster)
  • AMD AthlonXP 2000+ CPUs (or faster)

The AMD Athlon 64 has not been fully qualified by Digidesign, however, there have been no reported problems.

Turnkey & Audio Optimized Systems

Recommended Laptops:

  • Dell Inspiron 8500 (Pentium 4-M) and 600m (Centrino) models
  • Gateway 400 series (with Pentium 4 or 4-M)
  • Toshiba Satellite 1900 series
  • IBM A series and T series

The following CPUs are compatible with the Digi 002 Rack, but may not provide the best performance:

  • AMD AthlonXP 1500+ CPU (or faster)
  • AMD Athlon "Thunderbird" CPUs running at 800 MHz (or faster)

The following CPUs have not been fully tested and therefore are not recommended for the Digi 002 Rack, as they may not provide the best performance:

  • Intel Pentium III CPUs running at 600 MHz (or faster)

Chipset Requirements

The following chipsets are recommended for best performance with Intel P4 processors:

  • Intel 850/850e
  • Intel 845/845e/845pe
  • Intel 865pe/875p

Not tested:

  • Intel 9.x series

The following chipsets are recommended for best performance with AMD Athlon and AthlonXP processors:

  • VIA KT266A
  • NVIDIA nForce

Note: The VIA KT333A and KT400A chipsets were not tested with the Digi 002.

The following chipsets will work with Athlon and AthlonXP processors, but may not provide the best performance:

  • AMD 760
  • VIA KT266
  • VIA KT133A

System Software

  • Windows XP Professional or Home Edition
  • Service Pack 1 or 2 Required
  • Windows XP Settings & Requirements
  • Pro Tools LE 6.4 can NOT be installed or used on systems running Windows 98, Me, 2000, NT, 95, or 3.1

About Windows XP Service Pack 2

Windows XP SP2, Microsoft DEP and PACE InterLok Drivers Update

  • if you encounter unexplained blue screens, freezes or spontaneous reboots when launching Pro Tools with Windows XP Service Pack 2, please update your PACE InterLok drivers:
  • The current InterLok drivers solve the described problems without having to disable Microsoft's DEP (Data Execution Prevention) feature introduced with Windows XP Service Pack 2.

Total System RAM

  • 384 MB minimum
  • 512 MB (or higher) highly recommended

Additional RAM may be required for for:

  • High edit density sessions
  • Sample rates above 48 KHz
  • DAE buffer setting larger than the default
  • Extensive use of plug-ins
  • Simultaneous use of MIDI sequencers or software options such as DigiTranslator
  • Additional RAM is recommended for better video playback performance

Display card:

  • AGP card minimum

Audio Storage

SCSI Host Adapter

FireWire Connections & Qualified 1394/FireWire PCI & CardBus Cards

  • A 1394 ("FireWire") controller/interface is required to connect the Digi 002 to your computer. Some computers have built-in 1394/FireWire controllers, while other computers require add-in 1394/FireWire PCI or PCMCIA controller cards (purchased separately)
  • Some built-in 1394/FireWire ports may be incompatible with Pro Tools. if you experience FireWire-related issues or errors when using the built-in 1394/FireWire ports on your computer, Digidesign recommends installing a Digidesign-approved 1394/FireWire card.
  • When using FireWire storage with a Digi 002 systems, connect the Digi 002 and the drives to separate FireWire ports if possible
  • If only one FirWire port is available, connect the drives to the CPU, then connect the Digi 002 to the drives
  • Do not connect a DV video camera to the same FireWire bus as a Digi 002. Most CPUs with two FireWire ports still have only one FireWire bus. If you need to add an additional FireWire bus to your CPU, please see the list of qualified cards.

Performance Guidelines

  • Recording to the system startup drive is not recommended or supported
  • For desktop models, a separate internal or external dedicated audio hard drive is highly recommended for maximum performance and track count (see Hard Drive Minimum Requirements)
  • Although limited recording and playback of audio tracks may be possible using the internal drive in laptop models, a separate external dedicated audio hard drive is highly recommended for maximum performance and track count. Digidesign recommends the use of FireWire drives for use with these computers. (see FireWire Drive Requirements)
  • When using FireWire storage with a Digi 002 Rack systems, connect the Digi 002 Rack and the drives to separate FireWire ports if possible
  • If only one port is available, connect the drives to the CPU, then connect the Digi 002 Rack to the drives

Monitor

  • Color required; 14" minimum; 17" or larger recommended at 1024x768
  • For best performance, it is suggested that you set your monitor to 256 colors on laptop models

Video

Apple QuickTime 6.5 or Higher Recommended

  • Required only on systems using video
  • AGP graphics card with 16 MB or more video RAM required for movie playback
  • Available at www.apple.com/quicktime

How can I tell if my PC is compatible?

Find out how much RAM and which processor, chipset, and Windows XP Service Pack you have:

Known Incompatibilities

Anti-Virus Software

Anti-Virus software such as PC-cillin and Norton Anti-Virus typically cause problems with real-time software like Pro Tools LE. It's best to disable & possibly remove anti-virus software from your system before running Pro Tools LE. If you are using drives that meet the Hard Drive Minimum Requirements and you are experiencing "disk too slow" errors, this may be the cause.

Network Devices

Some Network Interface Controllers (NICs) cause problems for real-time software like Pro Tools LE. If you are experiencing DAE errors while running Pro Tools LE, try disabling all network devices via the Device Manager in the Windows "System" control panel.

Power Management

Be sure to disable the "hibernate" feature in the Windows "Power Options" control panel.

Video Display Settings

If you are experiencing DAE errors while clicking on GUI elements (such as dragging windows, resizing windows, maximizing windows, etc.) try adjusting the "Hardware Acceleration" setting in the Windows "Display" control panel. This setting is located in the "Advanced" section of the "Settings" tab. Some systems work best with "full acceleration," while others work best with acceleration set to "none."

Another possible work-around for systems experiencing video-related compatibility problems is to run in 256-color mode.

It is best to disable screen savers while running Pro Tools LE.

PCI-to-DRAM Pre-fetch BIOS Setting

Some PC compatibility problems with certain 1394 controller cards may be resolved by disabling the "PCI-to-DRAM Pre-fetch" setting in your computer's BIOS.

Other Applications/Processes

Running some applications ("processes") at the same time as Pro Tools LE may cause DAE errors. To avoid such performance problems, be sure to close/terminate all unnecessary applications/processes prior to running Pro Tools LE. Uninstall unnecessary applications from your computer, or use "End Process" in the Windows Task Manager.

Other Known Incompatibilities

  • Digi 002 will not function if any other Digidesign PCI cards are installed in the CPU (Digi 001, Audiomedia III, TDM cards)

  • Avid XPress DV: Pro Tools will crash when pressing play if Avid XPress DV 4.1.1 is installed after PT. The workaround is to install Avid XPress DV before installing Pro Tools. (Item #47816)

  • Do not connect a DV video camera to the same FireWire bus as a Digi 002. Most CPUs with two FireWire ports still have only one FireWire bus. If you need to add an additional FireWire bus to your CPU, see the list of Digidesign-Qualified FireWire PCI Cards

  • Computers with motherboards containing SiS (Silicon Integrated Systems) chipsets cause system failures with Pro Tools systems

  • AMD K6, K6-2 or K6-III, K7 processor based computers

  • Older Dell Inspiron & Latitude notebooks that run under 1ghz are not compatible with the 002 Rack. Please see recommended laptops section

  • Some notebook computers (such as the Gateway 600L) have loud fans that run often while using Pro Tools LE

  • Some notebook computers (such as the Gateway 600L) generate noise on the 002's unbalanced analog audio outputs when using the notebook's power supply

  • Pentium 4 systems with HyperThreading technology must have "Intel HyperThreading" in the system BIOS disabled

  • Laptops users need to disable integrated wireless networking

  • Pro Tools does not support RAID technology. Please do not activate this feature.

  • The Digidesign WaveDriver does not support Avid Xpress DV or certain other DirectSound applications that require advanced DirectSound capabilities

  • Compaq EVO W8000 models are currently not qualified with Digi 002 or Digi 002 Rack systems. Although qualified with Pro Tools TDM systems, problems such as frequent 6085 and 9093 DAE Errors with these models and 002 systems may occur.

  • Some HP Pavilion models do not meet the minimum requirements as listed in these compatibilitiy documents. Before purchasing these or any computer, please carefully go over these documents and the exact specifications of the computer to make certain that all of the compatibility guidelines have been met.

Building Your Own Computer

Digidesign recognizes that some customers will want to build their own computer for use with Pro Tools. To help increase the potential for success, we are providing the above known system requirements.

However customers should be very aware of the following:

Digidesign can not provide full customer support as to the potential loss of performance for such systems. If a loss in performance is encountered Digidesign will assist customers by verifying the components of the system, to look for incompatibilities. If it is determined that the problem is inherent to a system component, a substitution to a different component may be necessary. Digidesign can not guarantee that all performance issues on these computers will be solved; however incorporating components from this compatibility document can help customers avoid problems.

Systems adhering to this specification are in no way certified by Digidesign to provide full Pro Tools functionality or track performance. While they may be able to operate perfectly well and provide full track count performance, they cannot be guaranteed to do so.

It is impossible for this list to comprehensively cover all possible options. We are providing details of known requirements and known failures based on our experience to date.

Need Additional Advice on a Computer Purchase?

Be sure to check out the Pro Tools LE Windows section of the Digidesign User Conference for computer recommendations from other Digi 002 Rack Windows users.

Disclaimer: Digidesign can not verify that the information in this forum will provide full functionality or performance. Please refer to these Compatibility Documents for Digidesign's official system requirements.

Digidesign Compatibility Documents Index