Maximum Performance Guidelines for Pro Tools|24 Systems
With Pro Tools 6.1 on Windows XP
32-64 Track Performance
System Requirements
32-64 track performance with Pro Tools|24 MIX systems requires the following configuration:
- IBM IntelliStation M Pro - model 6889 (discontinued)
- Note: Other IntelliStation E Pro and M Pro models are not qualified (including the M Pro model 6868, which has been problematic)
- Two SCSI disk drives or 3 IDE/ATA, FireWire Pro Tools-qualified hard drives, with FAT32 or NTFS file systems
- HFS or HFS+ supported for transfer only when used with MacOpener v6.0.5
Compatible SCSI HBA card
Total System RAM:
- Minimum 512 MB
- 1 GB Recommended
Additional RAM Recommendations:
- Additional RAM is recommended for better video playback performance
- 1 GB recommended for sessions with large amounts of audio, high edit density, large DigiBase databases, or addition of options like DigiTranslator 2.0
Pro Tools-Qualified Hard Drives
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's DigiDrives. Performance with other drives may vary.
SCSI Drives—Approximate Track Counts:
|
SCSI Drives
|
44.1/48 kHz
|
|
2
|
64
|
|
1
|
32
|
32-48 Track Performance
The DigiDrive FireWire 80 has been qualified with the above Pro Tools|24 MIX systems for the following:
- Supported track count (per drive): 24 tracks per drive at 48 KHz/24-bit @ 500ms edit density
- Maximum 2 drives for a total of 48 tracks
For more information and specific requirements, see DigiDrive FireWire 80 Requirements
32 Track Performance
The following configurations with the IntelliStation M Pro's built in SCSI port also yield up to 32 track performance:
- Use of a combination of Pro Tools-qualified hard drives connected to the CPU's internal and external SCSI busses. Digidesign recommends that internally mounted drives are installed according to the drive manufacturer's guidelines
- Use of two or more Pro Tools-qualified hard drives connected to the CPU's internal Fast SCSI Bus
QuickTime Movies with Pro Tools TDM Systems
For reliable performance of 16 or more audio tracks, audio drives should be connected to a compatible SCSI HBA card, with video drives connected to a separate SCSI bus or IDE/ATA bus.
Apple QuickTime 6.0.2 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
Dual Monitor Systems
Pro Tools does not fully support true Windows "Separate Resolution" video modes for Windows systems with more than one VGA output. On systems with a dual port VGA card, the QuickTime Movie window displays an empty white box instead of the QuickTime Movie. However, Pro Tools fully supports dual monitor modes where Display Settings are routed to multiple monitors by the Windows operating system to create a single desktop. Consult your video card driver’s documentation on how to use dual monitor VGA cards without using "Separate Resolution" modes.