PRO TOOLS 201 STUDYS CORRECT QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔What does FPGA stand for? What are some of the benefits of floating-point
processing? (P7-8) - ✔✔FPGA stands for Field programmable gate array (This
technology allows for high speed data paths).
Floating-point representation allows for an uncompromised dynamic range and pristine
audio quality.
✔✔What are some of the parameters that you can configure from the main page of the
Hardware Setup dialog box? (P9-10) - ✔✔The Main page shows the input and output
routing for the selected audio interface.
This page enables you to select input and output connections on an HD-series interface
(in pairs) and route them to the available channel pairs to and from Pro Tools.
You can assign the physical connections on the audio interface to any of the available
channel pairs to/from Pro Tools by choosing the desired connections from the pop up
menus from the center of the page.
✔✔What pages are available in the Hardware Setup dialog box for the HD OMNI and
HD I/O audio interfaces, in addition to the Main Page? What are some options available
in these pages? (P10-14) - ✔✔HD OMNI: Monitor Page, Configuring Output Options,
Mixer Page access.
HD I/O: Digital page access.
✔✔What does the current Engine setting in the Playback Engine dialog box determine?
(P15) - ✔✔The current playback engine specifies the selected audio engine to be used
with the audio interface(s). Options depend on the currently installed or connected
hardware.
,✔✔What impact does the H/W Buffer Size setting have on performance in Pro Tools?
Under what conditions are plug-ins affected by the H/W Buffer Size? (P15-16) - ✔✔The
Hardware Buffer size sets the number of samples processed at once during a processor
cycle. This setting affects native plug-ins only.
Low latency processing includes plug-ins on:
- Aux inputs (receiving live input)
- Virtual instrument plug-ins
- Audio tracks in record or input monitoring mode
- Side chain processing
(All other operations not mentioned run on high-latency mode.)
(Pro Tools fixed values for high-latency buffer = 1024 @ 44.1 & 48 kHz, 2048 @88.2 &
96 kHz, and 4096 @176.4 and 192 kHz).
✔✔What does the disk playback cache size determine? When is it useful to increase
the cache size setting? (P17-18) - ✔✔The disk playback cache determines the amount
of RAM used by the AAE (avid audio engine) to manage disk buffers
Increasing the cache size allows storing session audio files in the RAM for faster
responsiveness and decreasing the real-time demand on the CPU
✔✔What window allows you to monitor the allocation of processing power and system
resources in your session? (P18) - ✔✔Monitor system usage in real time using
menu>window>system usage
✔✔What adjustments might you make on a Pro Tools HD Native system based on the
meter graph displays in this window? (P18-20) - ✔✔Following steps can reduce CPU
usage:
- Increasing the H/W Buffer Size
- Change Elastic Audio to rendered mode (or X-Form)
- Commit Elastic Audio changes on tracks
- Render clip gain changes
- Use the commit tracks command (render plug-in processing)
, - Default thru instrument can impact CPU usage
✔✔What is a signal path in Pro Tools? (See page 30.) - ✔✔A signal path is a logical
grouping of multiple inputs, outputs, or busses that has a single name and channel
format.
✔✔What tabs (pages) are available from the I/O Setup dialog box path type tabs? (See
page 31.) - ✔✔I/O path type tabs include:
- Inputs
- Outputs
- Inserts
- Busses
- Mic Preamps (if available)
✔✔Describe some ways to make a path inactive. (See page 32.) - ✔✔To
activate/deactivate a track path:
- Press control+command and click on the I/O path selector in the mix or edit window
- Right click on the input or output path selector for a track and choose make
active/inactive from the pop-up menu
- Globally deactivate/activate paths via menu>setup>I/O then choose the path type and
toggle the activate/deactivate check boxes
✔✔What are some ways in which signal paths can be customized? (See page 32.) -
✔✔In the I/O setup dialog box (menu>setup>I/O) you can:
- Create new paths
- Rename existing paths
- Remap paths
- Activate/deactivate paths
- Delete paths
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔What does FPGA stand for? What are some of the benefits of floating-point
processing? (P7-8) - ✔✔FPGA stands for Field programmable gate array (This
technology allows for high speed data paths).
Floating-point representation allows for an uncompromised dynamic range and pristine
audio quality.
✔✔What are some of the parameters that you can configure from the main page of the
Hardware Setup dialog box? (P9-10) - ✔✔The Main page shows the input and output
routing for the selected audio interface.
This page enables you to select input and output connections on an HD-series interface
(in pairs) and route them to the available channel pairs to and from Pro Tools.
You can assign the physical connections on the audio interface to any of the available
channel pairs to/from Pro Tools by choosing the desired connections from the pop up
menus from the center of the page.
✔✔What pages are available in the Hardware Setup dialog box for the HD OMNI and
HD I/O audio interfaces, in addition to the Main Page? What are some options available
in these pages? (P10-14) - ✔✔HD OMNI: Monitor Page, Configuring Output Options,
Mixer Page access.
HD I/O: Digital page access.
✔✔What does the current Engine setting in the Playback Engine dialog box determine?
(P15) - ✔✔The current playback engine specifies the selected audio engine to be used
with the audio interface(s). Options depend on the currently installed or connected
hardware.
,✔✔What impact does the H/W Buffer Size setting have on performance in Pro Tools?
Under what conditions are plug-ins affected by the H/W Buffer Size? (P15-16) - ✔✔The
Hardware Buffer size sets the number of samples processed at once during a processor
cycle. This setting affects native plug-ins only.
Low latency processing includes plug-ins on:
- Aux inputs (receiving live input)
- Virtual instrument plug-ins
- Audio tracks in record or input monitoring mode
- Side chain processing
(All other operations not mentioned run on high-latency mode.)
(Pro Tools fixed values for high-latency buffer = 1024 @ 44.1 & 48 kHz, 2048 @88.2 &
96 kHz, and 4096 @176.4 and 192 kHz).
✔✔What does the disk playback cache size determine? When is it useful to increase
the cache size setting? (P17-18) - ✔✔The disk playback cache determines the amount
of RAM used by the AAE (avid audio engine) to manage disk buffers
Increasing the cache size allows storing session audio files in the RAM for faster
responsiveness and decreasing the real-time demand on the CPU
✔✔What window allows you to monitor the allocation of processing power and system
resources in your session? (P18) - ✔✔Monitor system usage in real time using
menu>window>system usage
✔✔What adjustments might you make on a Pro Tools HD Native system based on the
meter graph displays in this window? (P18-20) - ✔✔Following steps can reduce CPU
usage:
- Increasing the H/W Buffer Size
- Change Elastic Audio to rendered mode (or X-Form)
- Commit Elastic Audio changes on tracks
- Render clip gain changes
- Use the commit tracks command (render plug-in processing)
, - Default thru instrument can impact CPU usage
✔✔What is a signal path in Pro Tools? (See page 30.) - ✔✔A signal path is a logical
grouping of multiple inputs, outputs, or busses that has a single name and channel
format.
✔✔What tabs (pages) are available from the I/O Setup dialog box path type tabs? (See
page 31.) - ✔✔I/O path type tabs include:
- Inputs
- Outputs
- Inserts
- Busses
- Mic Preamps (if available)
✔✔Describe some ways to make a path inactive. (See page 32.) - ✔✔To
activate/deactivate a track path:
- Press control+command and click on the I/O path selector in the mix or edit window
- Right click on the input or output path selector for a track and choose make
active/inactive from the pop-up menu
- Globally deactivate/activate paths via menu>setup>I/O then choose the path type and
toggle the activate/deactivate check boxes
✔✔What are some ways in which signal paths can be customized? (See page 32.) -
✔✔In the I/O setup dialog box (menu>setup>I/O) you can:
- Create new paths
- Rename existing paths
- Remap paths
- Activate/deactivate paths
- Delete paths
