iconDigidesign CoreAudio Driver

Version 6.1.2 for Mac OS X 10.2.x "Jaguar"
October 9, 2003

What is the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver?

The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver v6.1.2 is a single-client, multichannel sound driver that allows CoreAudio-compatible applications to record and play back through the following Digidesign audio interfaces on Mac OS X 10.2.x:

  • Pro Tools|HD Accel
  • Pro Tools|HD
  • Pro Tools|24 MIX
  • Digi 002 and Digi 002 Rack
  • Digi 001
  • Mbox
  • Audiomedia III

Full-duplex recording and playback of 24-bit audio is supported at sample rates up to 96 kHz, depending on your Digidesign hardware and CoreAudio client application.

The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver will provide up to 18 channels of I/O depending on your Pro Tools System:

  • Up to 8 channels of I/O with Pro Tools|HD and HD Accel systems
  • Up to 16 channels of I/O with Pro Tools|24 MIX systems
  • Up to 18 channels of I/O with Digi 002 and Digi 002 Rack systems (or 18 in and 16 out with S/PDIF Mirroring enabled)
  • Up to 18 channels of I/O with Digi 001 systems (or 18 in and 16 out with S/PDIF Mirroring enabled)
  • Up to 2 channels of I/O with Mbox and Audiomedia III systems
  • For Pro Tools TDM systems with more than one card and multiple I/Os, only the primary I/O connected to the first (core) card can be used with CoreAudio

Digidesign CoreAudio Drivers for Mac OS X 10.3.x "Panther"

The standalone version 6.1.2 of the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver will NOT work on OS X 10.3.x. The standalone version on this page requires Mac OS X "Jaguar" version 10.2.6, 10.2.7, or 10.2.8 and will not work with Pro Tools 6.2.2 and higher for Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther)

Mac OS X 10.3.x (Panther) requires the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver version 6.2.2 or higher, which is included with Pro Tools installers on Pro Tools 6.2.2 and higher. Stand-alone Digidesign CoreAudio Drivers for Mac OS X 10.3.x are available for download here:

Version History — CoreAudio Driver for Mac OS X 10.2.x "Jaguar"

Version 6.1.2 of the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver adds the following:

  • Fix involving MIDI inputs on Digi 001, Digi 002, and Digi 002 Rack

Version 6.1.1 of the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver added the following:

  • Support for Digi 002 and Digi 002 Rack *
  • Ability to use the MIDI ports with Digi 001, Digi 002, and Digi 002 Rack *
  • Support for crossfades in iTunes and other iTunes fixes
  • An "opt in" mechanism to prevent unwanted applications from acquiring Digidesign hardware
  • Single installer for owners of supported Digidesign hardware that can be used with or without Pro Tools installed on Mac OS X

* Requires that Pro Tools LE 6.1.1 or 6.1.2 is installed, or that the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver is installed as standalone without Pro Tools installed. Will not work with Pro Tools LE 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.2 or 6.1 installed.

Download Updates:

Version 1.2 added the following:

  • Support for iTunes 4

Version 1.1 added the following:

  • Support for Reason 2.5
  • Stability improvements and bug fixes

System Requirements

The following Digidesign hardware systems are supported with this release of the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver 6.1.2:

  • Pro Tools|HD and HD Accel
  • Pro Tools|24 MIX
  • Digi 002 and Digi 002 Rack
  • Digi 001
  • Mbox
  • Audiomedia III

Mac OS X version 10.2.6, 10.2.7, or 10.2.8 software required to use the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver version 6.1.2.

Pro Tools Requirements:

  • Pro Tools TDM 6.1 or 6.2, or Pro Tools LE version 6.1, 6.1.1, or 6.1.2 is required if Pro Tools is installed (must be installed before installing the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver)
  • Digidesign CoreAudio Driver 6.1.2 will not work with Pro Tools 6.0.x installed

Or the following is now an option:

  • Digidesign CoreAudio Driver 6.1.2 can be installed as "standalone" without Pro Tools installed on Mac OS X "Jaguar" version 10.2.6, 10.2.7, or 10.2.8 only. There is currently no standalone version for Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther".

Hardware Systems Not Supported with the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver:

  • Pro Tools|24 (d24 card)

See the Q & A section below for more details.

For more information on installation, usage, compatibility and limitations, please review the version 6.1.1 Usage Guide and CoreAudio Read Me files provided with the Digidesign CoreAudio 6.1.2 installer. Also available for separate download here:

Digidesign CoreAudio Driver v6.1.2 Q & A

Q: Does the Digidesign CoreAudio driver support the multi-client feature?
A: No. The Digidesign CoreAudio driver can only work with one application at a time. For example, if you are running iTunes with the Digidesign CoreAudio driver, you will need to quit iTunes before using another CoreAudio client application with the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver.

Q: Why can't I hear my Mac system sounds through my Digidesign hardware using the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver?
A: The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver for Mac OS X does not support playback of system sounds. There is an issue with the OS X Sound Preference Panel that makes it appear the "Digidesign HW" can be selected under "Sound Effects" but this functionality is not supported by the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver. Your Mac system sounds will continue to be available through your Mac speaker and regular Mac line out.

Q: Why doesn't the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver for OS X allow the volume output or input to be adjusted in the OS X Sound Preference Panel? The volume sliders are greyed out.
A: This is correct behavior. The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver does not support this function. Gain adjustments can be made within the application utilizing the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver.

Q: Are Pro Tools|24 systems supported?
A: The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver has not been tested with the d24 card, and therefore that configuration is not supported.

Q: How do you configure Roxio Toast or Jam to use the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver?
A: In Roxio Toast 5.2 or Jam 5.01, set the Sound Out to Mac OS X Audio HAL

Q: What OS X applications work with the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver?
A: The following third-party CoreAudio-compatible client applications have been tested with the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver v6.1.2:

  • Ableton Live Digidesign Edition
  • Ableton Live 2.1.1
  • Apple iTunes 4.0.1
  • Apple QuickTime 6.2
  • Cycling 74 Max/MSP v4.2.1
  • Emagic Logic Audio Platinum 6.0 and 6.1
  • Mark of the Unicorn Digital Performer 4.0
  • Native Instruments Traktor v2.0
  • Propellerhead Reason Adapted
  • Propellerhead Reason v2.5
  • Steinberg Cubase SX v1.0.52 (512 sample buffers only)

Q: Why can't I access the Digidesign CoreAudio Setup?
A: Digidesign CoreAudio Setup cannot be accessed under the following circumstances:

  • When Pro Tools is running
  • When another CoreAudio-client application is using the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver

Use the new "Opt-in" function in Digidesign Core Audio 6.1.1 and higher:

  • Use Digidesign CoreAudio Setup to specify which third-party CoreAudio applications can use the CoreAudio Driver, change the CoreAudio Buffer Size setting, and access the Hardware Setup dialog for your Digidesign hardware. Digidesign CoreAudio Setup also identifies your Digidesign hardware and the supported number of Input and Output Channels.

For more information and instructions, see the included CoreAudio Usage Guide.

Q: What are the limitations of the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver?
A: As listed in the Digidesign Core Audio 6.1.2 Read Me:

  • Only one CoreAudio client application can use the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver at a time. For example, if you are running iTunes with the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver, you will need to quit iTunes before using another CoreAudio client application with the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver. This restriction does not apply to the Apple Sound Preferences or the Apple Audio MIDI Setup application.
  • The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver cannot be used to preview sound files from the Finder. When a sound file is located in the Macintosh OS X navigation window, a QuickTime transport bar is displayed next to it. The QuickTime transport bar lets you to audition the sound file. The sound will always play back though the Macintosh’s built-in audio controller (through the Macintosh’s speaker or headphone jack). However, if you double-click a sound file, the QuickTime application will launch, and can use the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver for playback. In this case, you will need to quit QuickTime before another application can use the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver.
  • The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver cannot be used for playback of System Sounds.

Installing the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver

The download includes a complete installer application. Double-click on the downloaded OS X Disk Image to mount it on your desktop, then double-click the installer.

Digidesign CoreAudio 6.1.2 can be installed when you install Pro Tools 6.1.2. The following installation steps are for computer systems where CoreAudio 6.1.2 was uninstalled or Pro Tools 6.1.2 was not installed.

The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver can be installed on Digidesign-qualified Macintosh systems running Mac OS X 10.2.6 or higher with Pro Tools 6.x installed, or it can be installed as a stand-alone driver on systems that do not have Pro Tools installed.

To install the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver:

  1. Verify your Pro Tools hardware is connected.
  2. Power on your system.
  3. If you intend to use Pro Tools on your system, verify that Pro Tools 6.x is correctly installed and operational.
  4. On the Pro Tools Installer CD, locate and double-click the Install CoreAudio file.
    — or —
    From the Digidesign Web site, download, locate, and double-click the Install CoreAudio file.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver.
  6. When the installation is complete, quit the installer and restart your computer.

The file, Digidesign CoreAudio.plugin is installed in the following directory: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL. The Digidesign CoreAudio Setup application is also installed on your hard drive in /Applications/Digidesign.

Removing the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver

To uninstall the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver:

  1. Power on your system.
  2. On the Pro Tools Installer CD, locate and double-click the Install CoreAudio file.
    Or...
    From the Digidesign Web site, download, expand, and double-click the Install CoreAudio file.
  3. In the Install CoreAudio window, select Uninstall from the Custom Install pop-up menu.
  4. When the uninstall is complete, quit the CoreAudio Installer.

To manually uninstall, remove the "Digidesign CoreAudio.plugin" file from the following location on your hard drive: Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL

Download the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver

 

for Digidesign Hardware on Mac OS X "Jaguar" v10.2.6, 10.2.7, and 10.2.8

3 MB MacBinary (.bin) format
Decodes to Mac OS X Disk Image (.dmg)

If you experience download or decoding problems, see Download Help

Additional Download Tips

  • Once the download is complete, double-click the downloaded file to decode if it does not expand automatically. You should then have a mounted disk image with the installer application.
  • If Stuffit Expander fails to do anything with the file and quits immediately, that is a sign that the downloaded file extension has been incorrectly named during the download. Change the extension on the end of the file name from .cfm or Bin to .dmg so that it is recognized as an OS X disk image.
  • If the download still fails to open, try dragging it onto the icon for Disk Copy located in your Applications/Utilities folder, or launch Disk Copy and drag the downloaded file into the Disk Copy window. This should mount the disk image.
  • To install, double-click on the installer application and follow the prompts.

Previous version for Pro Tools 6.1 TDM, 6.1 & 6.1.1 LE*

3 MB MacBinary (.bin) format, decodes to Mac OS X Disk Image (.dmg)

*Please note that the newer Digidesign CoreAudio Driver v6.1.2 on this page will also work with Pro Tools TDM 6.1 or 6.2, or Pro Tools LE version 6.1, 6.1.1, or 6.1.2

Previous version for Pro Tools 6.0.1 TDM & LE

1.5 MB MacBinary (.bin) format, decodes to Mac OS X Disk Image (.dmg)

Digidesign CoreAudio Driver Updates

Check back on the following pages for new versions of the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver:

Regards,
Digidesign OS X Team

DIGIDESIGN, AVID and PRO TOOLS are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology, Inc. CoreAudio is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

More Information:

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