DigiDesign 003 Family User manual

Setup Guide
003 ™ Family
Version 8.0

Legal Notices
This guide is copyrighted ©2008 by Digidesign, a division of
Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights
reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be
duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of
Digidesign.
003, 96 I/O, 96i I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 192 I/O, 888|24 I/O,
882|20 I/O, 1622 I/O, 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O, AudioSuite,
Avid, Avid DNA, Avid Mojo, Avid Unity, Avid Unity ISIS,
Avid Xpress, AVoption, Axiom, Beat Detective, Bomb Factory,
Bruno, C|24, Command|8, Control|24, D-Command, D-Control,
D-Fi, D-fx, D-Show, D-Verb, DAE, Digi 002, DigiBase,
DigiDelivery, Digidesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign
Intelligent Noise Reduction, Digidesign TDM Bus, DigiDrive,
DigiRack, DigiTest, DigiTranslator, DINR, D-Show, DV Toolkit,
EditPack, Eleven, HD Core, HD Process, Hybrid, Impact,
Interplay, LoFi, M-Audio, MachineControl, Maxim, Mbox,
MediaComposer, MIDI I/O, MIX, MultiShell, Nitris, OMF,
OMF Interchange, PRE, ProControl, Pro Tools M-Powered,
Pro Tools, Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, QuickPunch, Recti-Fi,
Reel Tape, Reso, Reverb One, ReVibe, RTAS, Sibelius,
Smack!, SoundReplacer, Sound Designer II, Strike, Structure,
SYNC HD, SYNC I/O, Synchronic, TL Aggro, TL AutoPan, TL
Drum Rehab, TL Everyphase, TL Fauxlder, TL In Tune, TL
MasterMeter, TL Metro, TL Space, TL Utilities, Transfuser,
Trillium Lane Labs, Vari-Fi Velvet, X-Form, and XMON are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid
Technology, Inc. Xpand! is Registered in the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
Product features, specifications, system requirements, and
availability are subject to change without notice.
Guide Part Number 9106-59118-00 REV A 11/08
Documentation Feedback
At Digidesign, we're always looking for ways to improve our
documentation. If you have comments, corrections, or
suggestions regarding our documentation, email us at
[email protected] .

Communications & Safety Regulation Information
Compliance Statement
The model 003, 003 Rack, and 003 Rack+ comply with the
following standards regulating interference and EMC:
• FCC Part 15 Class B
• EN55022 Class B
• EN55024 Class B
• AS/NZS 3548 Class B
• CISPR 22 Class B
Radio and Television Interference
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the
FCC Rules.
Any modifications to the unit, unless expressly approved by
Digidesign, could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
Canadian Compliance Statement:
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-
003
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme
NMB-003 du Canada
Australian Compliance
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
We, Digidesign, 2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard
Daly City, CA 94014-3886, USA
650-731-6300
declare under our sole responsibility that the product
003, 003 Rack, 003 Rack+
complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this
device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this
device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
Communication Statement
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses,
and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try and correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures:
• Reorient or locate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and
receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit
different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician
for help.

CE Compliance Statement:
Digidesign is authorized to apply the CE (Conformité
Europénne) mark on this compliant equipment thereby
declaring conformity to EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and Low
Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC.
Safety Statement
This equipment has been tested to comply with USA and
Canadian safety certification in accordance with the
specifications of UL Standards: UL60065 7th /IEC 60065 7th
and Canadian CAN/CSA C22.2 60065:03. Digidesign Inc., has
been authorized to apply the appropriate UL & CUL mark on its
compliant equipment.
Warning
Important Safety Instructions
1) Read these instructions.
2) Keep these instructions.
3) Heed all warnings.
4) Follow all instructions.
5) Do not use this apparatus near water.
6) Clean only with dry cloth.
7) Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance
with the manufacturer’s instructions.
8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat
registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that
produce heat.
9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or
grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one
wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and
a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are
provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into
your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the
obsolete outlet.
10) Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched
particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point
where they exit from the apparatus.
11) Only use attachments/accessories specified by the
manufacturer.
12) Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when
unused for long periods of time.
13) Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing
is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way,
such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been
spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus
has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate
normally, or has been dropped.
14) The apparatus shall not be exposed to drippings or
splashing and no objects filled with liqukds (such as vases)
shall be placed on the apparatus.
Warning! To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not
expose this apparatus to rain or mositure.
15) The apparatus should be connected to a properly-grounded
(earthed) receptable.
16) The mains switch is located on the front of the 003 Rack
and on the back of the 003. It should remain accessiblwe after
installation.

Contents v
contents
Chapter 1. Welcome to the 003 Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
003 Family Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Pro Tools LE Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
System Requirements and Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Conventions Used in This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chapter 2. Installing Pro Tools on Mac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Launching Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Connecting FireWire Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Uninstalling Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 3. Installing Pro Tools LE on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your 003 Family Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Launching Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Connecting FireWire Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Connecting to Laptops with 4-Pin FireWire Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Uninstalling Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

003 Family Setup Guide vi
Chapter 4. Configuring Your Pro Tools System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Configuring Pro Tools LE Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Optimizing a Mac System for Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Chapter 5. 003 Top Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
003 Operating Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
003 Top Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Display Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Fader Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Console/Channel View Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Transport and Navigation Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Automation Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Modifiers Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Mic/DI Input Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Monitor Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Chapter 6. 003 Rack Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Mic/DI Input Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Monitor Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Status Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Chapter 7. 003 and 003 Rack Back Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Chapter 8. 003 Rack+ Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Mic and Line/DI Input Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Monitor Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Status Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Chapter 9. 003 Rack+ Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Contents vii
Chapter 10. Making Studio Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Connecting Headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Connecting a Sound System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Connecting Audio Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Connecting a Microphone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Connecting Instruments to 003 Family Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Connecting Equipment with Digital Ins and Outs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Word Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Using External Effects Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Monitoring and Recording from Alternate Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Recording from a Digital Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Connecting a Recorder for Mixdowns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
MIDI Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Using a Footswitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Chapter 11. Pro Tools Mode with 003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Saving a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Working in Console View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Working in Channel View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Display Options in Console and Channel View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Creating Custom Plug-In Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Navigating and Editing Values in Entry Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Working with Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Assigning Pro Tools Paths (Input, Output, Sends, Inserts) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Working with Output Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Navigating in the Edit Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
General Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Working With Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Controlling Track Display on the Control Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Working with Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
003 Top Panel Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

003 Family Setup Guide viii
Chapter 12. Using MIDI Mode with 003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Overview of MIDI Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Selecting MIDI Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Recalling MIDI Map Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Mapping Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Editing MIDI Map Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Naming MIDI Map Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Saving MIDI Map Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Factory Default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Factory Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Appendix A. Utility Mode (003 Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Accessing Utility Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Viewing Firmware Version Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
LCD Display Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
LED Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Switch Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Encoder Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Fader Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Vegas Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
MIDI Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Audio Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Appendix B. Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Audio MIDI Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Patch Name Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Appendix C. Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
MIDI Studio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
MIDI Patch Name Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Contents ix
Appendix D. Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Avoid Recording to the System Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Supported Drive Formats and Drive Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Formatting an Audio Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Partitioning Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Defragmenting an Audio Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Using Mac Drives on Windows Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Hard Disk Storage Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Appendix E. Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Backing Up Your Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Common Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Performance Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Before You Call Digidesign Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Appendix F. Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
About the Pro Tools Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
About www.digidesign.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

003 Family Setup Guidex

Chapter 1: Welcome to the 003 Family 1
chapter 1
Welcome to the 003 Family
Welcome to the 003®family of cross-platform
Pro Tools®workstations for music, sound de-
sign, and multimedia production from Digide-
sign. The 003 family includes 003, 003 Rack,
and 003 Rack+ devices.
003 Family Features
Each 003 family interface has unique features.
However, all 003 family units share the follow-
ing input and output capacity:
• Up to 18 channels of I/O.
• Eight analog audio inputs, with D/A convert-
ers supporting up to 24-bit, 96 kHz audio.
• Eight analog audio outputs, with D/A convert-
ers supporting up to 24-bit, 96 kHz audio.
• Main and Alternate Monitor Output pairs
(+4 dBU) with a single level control. These
outputs mirror Outputs 1–2 and provide di-
rect connection to a monitoring system (such
as a stereo power amp, powered speakers, or
another stereo destination).
• Aux Input pair (+4 dBu) for direct monitoring
of tape or CD input sources.
• Two 1/4-inch stereo headphone outputs
(Headphone 1 and 2) with level controls.
Headphone 2 can monitor Main Outputs 1–2
like Headphone 1, or be switched to monitor
Outputs 3–4 for a discrete cue mix.
• Optical connectors for eight channels of Opti-
cal (ADAT) I/O (supporting up to 48 kHz) or
two channels of Optical S/PDIF I/O.
• RCA connectors for two channels of S/PDIF
digital I/O supporting up to 24-bit, 96 kHz au-
dio.
• Word Clock In and Out ports, to receive or
send 1x Word clock.
• Footswitch jack for starting and stopping
playback or punching in and out while re-
cording.
• Monitor section with Mute switch and
switches for routing input and output signals.
Audio and MIDI Features
003 and 003 Rack
• Eight analog audio inputs.
• Inputs 1-4 feature:
• Support for microphone (XLR) and DI
(1/4”) inputs.
• 75 Hz high-pass filters (HPFs), switchable
per channel.
• 48V phantom power on mic inputs, swit-
chable in channel pairs.
• Line inputs 5–8 (1/4” TRS) switchable be-
tween +4 dBu (for pro-level gear) and –10 dBV
(for consumer-level gear).

003 Family Setup Guide2
• One MIDI In port and two MIDI Out ports,
providing up to 16 channels of MIDI input
and up to 32 channels of MIDI output.
003 Rack+
• Eight analog audio inputs.
• Each input channel features:
• Support for microphone (XLR) and Line/DI
(1/4” TRS) inputs.
• 75 Hz high-pass filter (HPF), switchable per
channel.
• 48V phantom power on mic inputs, swit-
chable per channel.
• –20 dB pad, switchable per channel.
• Front panel DI input.
• One MIDI In port and one MIDI Out port,
providing up to 16 channels of MIDI input
and up to 16 channels of MIDI output.
Control Surface Features
(003 Only)
003 provides an integrated control surface that
includes the following:
• Eight motorized touch-sensitive faders for
controlling track volume and other parame-
ters. Includes ability to disable faders during
playback of automated mixes.
• Dedicated Solo, Mute and Channel Se-
lect/Record Arm switches.
• Eight multifunction rotary encoders for oper-
ating pan, send, and plug-in controls.
• Fast and convenient access to sends, inserts,
plug-in pages, pan settings, and other track
functions.
• Automation Mode switches for selecting and
displaying Automation modes.
• Large, bright LCD for data display.
• Transport controls, plus Transport mode
switches for loop playback, loop record, and
QuickPunch.
• Dual-concentric Jog/Shuttle wheel.
• Save, Undo, and Enter switches. Memory Lo-
cation switch for recalling Memory Locations
or opening the Memory Location window.
• Windows switches for Pro Tools display of
plug-in, Mix, and Edit windows.
• Navigation and Zoom controls.
• MIDI mode switches for MIDI mapping.
• Utility mode switch for testing 003.
Pro Tools LE Capabilities
Pro Tools LE™on Mac or Windows provides the
following capabilities with Mbox 2 Pro:
• Playback of up to 48 mono or stereo digital
audio tracks, or a combination of playing
back and recording up to 48 mono or stereo
digital audio tracks, depending on your
computer’s capabilities.
• Up to 128 audio tracks (with up to 48 active
tracks), 128 Auxiliary Input tracks, 64 Mas-
ter Fader tracks, 256 MIDI tracks, and 32 In-
strument tracks per session.
• 16-bit or 24-bit audio resolution, at sample
rates up to 48 kHz.
• Non-destructive, random-access editing
and mix automation.
• Audio processing with up to 10 inserts per
track (RTAS plug-ins or hardware inserts).
• Up to 10 sends per track.
• Up to 32 internal mix busses.

Chapter 1: Welcome to the 003 Family 3
System Requirements and
Compatibility
003 family interfaces can be used with a Digide-
sign-qualified Mac or Windows computer run-
ning Pro Tools LE software.
A DVD drive is required to use the Pro Tools In-
staller disc.
Digidesign can only assure compatibility and
provide support for hardware and software it
has tested and approved.
For complete system requirements and a list of
Digidesign-qualified computers, operating sys-
tems, hard drives, and third-party devices, refer
to the latest information on the Digidesign web-
site:
www.digidesign.com/compatibility
MIDI Requirements
003 and 003 Rack include one MIDI In port and
two MIDI Out ports, providing 16 channels of
MIDI input and 32 channels of MIDI output. T
The 003 Rack+ includes one MIDI In port and
one MIDI Out port, providing 16 channels of
MIDI I/O.
003 family interfaces support any device that
supports MIDI continuous controller (CC) data.
Drivers are provided to use 003 as a MIDI con-
trol surface on any supported Mac or Windows
computer with virtually any compatible soft-
ware.
In MIDI mode, 003 family units send the same
MIDI control data over FireWire and the MIDI
Out 1 port. It responds to MIDI data received
over FireWire and from the MIDI In port. Be sure
that your MIDI cables are correctly connected to
any external MIDI device you want to control,
or to a MIDI router or MIDI interface (that is also
connected to your computer).
If you require additional MIDI ports, add a MIDI
interface to your system. USB MIDI interfaces
work effectively with Pro Tools systems on Win-
dows or Mac. Serial MIDI interfaces are sup-
ported on Windows systems only.
For a list of supported adapters, visit the Digi-
design website at:
www.digidesign.com/compatibility
Pro Tools LE uses your computer’s CPU to
mix and process audio tracks (host process-
ing). Computers with faster clock speeds
yield higher track counts and more plug-in
processing.
Only USB MIDI interfaces are compatible
with Pro Tools systems for Mac OS X.
Modem-to-serial port adapters and serial
MIDI devices are not supported.

003 Family Setup Guide4
Hard Drive Requirements
For optimal audio recording and playback, all
Pro Tools systems require one or more Digi-
design-qualified drives.
For a list of Digidesign-qualified hard drives,
visit the Digidesign website:
www.digidesign.com/compatibility
If you are using an ATA/IDE or FireWire hard
drive, initialize your drive with the Disk Utility
application included with Apple System soft-
ware (Mac) or Windows Disk Management
(Windows).
Avoid Recording to the System Drive
Recording to your system drive is not recom-
mended. Recording and playback on a system
drive may result in lower track counts and fewer
plug-ins.
Conventions Used in This
Guide
All Digidesign guides use the following conven-
tions to indicate menu choices and key com-
mands:
The names of Commands, Options, and Settings
that appear on-screen are in a different font.
The following symbols are used to highlight im-
portant information:
For more information, see Appendix D,
“Hard Drive Configuration and Mainte-
nance.”
Convention Action
File > Save Choose Save from the
File menu
Control+N Hold down the Control
key and press the N key
Control-click Hold down the Control
key and click the mouse
button
Right-click Click with the right
mouse button
User Tips are helpful hints for getting the
most from your Pro Tools system.
Important Notices include information that
could affect your Pro Tools session data or
the performance of your Pro Tools system.
Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or
mouse shortcuts.
Cross References point to related sections in
the Digidesign Guides.

Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 5
chapter 2
Installing Pro Tools on Mac
This chapter contains information for Mac sys-
tems only. If you are installing Pro Tools on a
Windows computer, see Chapter 3, “Installing
Pro Tools LE on Windows.”
Installation Overview
Installing your 003 family system on a Mac in-
cludes the following steps:
1 “Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your
Interface” on page 5.
2 “Launching Pro Tools LE” on page 7.
3 “Launching Pro Tools LE” on page 7.
4 Configuring your system for improved perfor-
mance (see Chapter 4, “Configuring Your
Pro Tools System”).
5 Making audio and MIDI connections to your
003 family interface (see Chapter 10, “Making
Studio Connections”).
Installing Pro Tools LE and
Connecting Your Interface
Before connecting your 003 family interface to
your computer, you need to install Pro Tools LE
software.
To install Pro Tools LE:
1 Make sure you are logged in as an Administra-
tor for the account where you want to install
Pro Tools.
2 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc in your
DVD drive.
3 On the Installer disc, locate and double-click
Install Pro Tools LE.mpkg.
Before installing this version of Pro Tools,
see the Read Me information included on
the Pro Tools Installer disc.
The Pro Tools Installer disc includes addi-
tional software for your system. For more in-
formation, see “Additional Software on the
Pro Tools Installer Disc” on page 8.
Do not connect your 003 family interface to
your computer until you have installed
Pro Tools LE software.
For details on Administrator privileges in
Mac OS X, see your Apple OS X documen-
tation.
Install Pro Tools LE.mpkg icon

003 Family Setup Guide6
4 Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed
with installation.
5 Click Continue each time you are prompted.
6 At the Installation Type page, do one of the
following:
• To install all Pro Tools application files and
free plug-in suites (and associated content),
leave the default Installation options se-
lected and click Continue.
– or –
• Select (or deselect) a custom configuration
of Installation options (see “Installation
Options” on page 7) and click Continue.
7 Click Install.
8 If prompted, enter your Administrator pass-
word and click OK to authenticate the installa-
tion.
9 Follow the remaining on-screen instructions.
10 When installation is complete, click Restart.
11 Before launching Pro Tools LE software, shut
down your computer and connect the 003 fam-
ily interface to your computer.
12 Plug the 003 family interface into a standard
AC outlet, using the AC power cable included
with the unit. AC power is required to operate
your 003 family interface.
13 Locate the FireWire cable that came with
your unit.
14 Plug one end of the FireWire cable into one
of the ports marked “1394” on the back panel of
your 003 family interface. Either port will work.
15 Do one of the following, depending on your
system configuration:
• Plug the other end of the FireWire cable
into an available FireWire port on your
computer.
– or –
• If your computer has only one FireWire
port, plug the other end of the FireWire ca-
ble into an available FireWire port on a
FireWire hard drive connected to your
computer.
Be sure to note the orientation of the
FireWire cable connector when you insert it
in your 003 family interface. It is possible
to damage the FireWire port if you force the
connector in upside down.
003 family FireWire ports (back panel)
Connecting your 003 family interface to
your computer through a FireWire hard drive
does may not provide the maximum track
count. To achieve the maximum track count,
install a Digidesign-qualified PCI/PCM-
CIA/ExpressCard to increase the number of
FireWire ports on your computer.
For information on supported PCI/PCM-
CIA/ExpressCard FireWire options, visit the
Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).
FireWire ports

Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 7
Installation Options
Pro Tools LE Options
To install a subset of Pro Tools software and
plug-ins (and associated content), click the re-
veal triangle for the Pro Tools LE 8.0 option in
the installer, and deselect any of the following
options that you do not want installed.
Application Files (Required for Pro Tools) In-
stalls the Pro Tools application and supporting
library files needed to run Pro Tools. This option
also installs the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver.
This option must be selected to install Pro Tools.
DigiRack Plug-Ins Installs free plug-ins including
DigiRack plug-ins, free Bomb Factory plug-ins,
Eleven Free, TL Utilities, and Digidesign D-Fi
and Maxim plug-ins.
Pro Tools Creative Collection Installs a set of free
RTAS effects plug-ins and virtual instrument
plug-ins (including 4.4 GB of associated sample
content). For more information, see the Creative
Collection Plug-ins Guide.
Additional Options
The Pro Tools installer provides the following
additional options to install along with
Pro Tools software and plug-ins.
Digidesign CoreAudio Driver This option installs
the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver, which lets
you use Digidesign-qualified audio interfaces
with third-party applications that support the
CoreAudio Driver standard.
Avid Video Engine This option lets you integrate
Avid®video peripherals (such as the Avid
Mojo®with your Pro Tools system).
MIDI I/O Driver The MIDI I/O™Driver is re-
quired if you are using the Digidesign MIDI I/O
interface.
Launching Pro Tools LE
When launching Pro Tools LE the first time, you
are prompted to enter an authorization code to
validate your software. (The code begins with
the letters DIGI.)
To authorize Pro Tools LE software:
1 Make sure your 003 family interface is con-
nected to your computer and powered on.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Pro Tools LE icon in the Dock.
– or –
• Locate and double-click the Pro Tools LE
application on your hard drive.
3 Enter the authorization code in the dialog
(making sure to type it exactly as printed, and
observing any spaces and capitalization), then
click Validate. (Your authorization code is lo-
cated on the inside front cover of this guide.)
If you get a warning dialog about updating
the firmware for your hardware, follow the
on-screen instructions to perform the
firmware update. See “Updating 003 Fam-
ily Firmware” on page 8.

003 Family Setup Guide8
4 Use the Quick Start dialog to do one of
the following:
• Create a new session from template.
• Create a new blank session.
• Open any other session on your system.
Updating 003 Family Firmware
When you launch Pro Tools software, it auto-
matically checks the version of the unit’s firm-
ware and prompts you to update it if a newer
version is available.
If you update your unit’s firmware, let the up-
date complete before disconnecting or turning
off your system.
When a firmware update completes, Pro Tools
quits, and you must relaunch Pro Tools.
If during the update process you get a message
that Pro Tools cannot communicate with your
003 family interface, wait up to 30 seconds for
the message to close. If the message does not go
away, power off 003 family interface and then
power it on again.
Additional Software on the
Pro Tools Installer Disc
The Pro Tools Installer disc provides additional
software for your system, including audio driv-
ers for playing other audio applications through
your Digidesign hardware and a Pro Tools demo
session.
Additional plug-in installers on the disc are paid
options. You can download trial activations of
these plug-ins from the Digidesign website
(www.digidesign.com) if you have an iLok USB
Smart Key and iLok.com account.
Third-Party Applications and
Plug-ins
Your Pro Tools package also includes several free
applications and plug-ins from selected
Digidesign Third Party developers. Once you've
completed your Pro Tools installation, you can
install these separately.
003 Factory Bundle Plug-ins
If you purchased a Factory version of 003, go to
the Additional Files/Factory Bundle Installers
folder on the Pro Tools LE Installer disc and run
the Install 003 Factory Bundle installer.
Digidesign CoreAudio Driver
The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver is a multi-cli-
ent, multichannel sound driver that allows
CoreAudio-compatible applications to record
and play back through Digidesign hardware.
Quick Start dialog
For more information on the Quick
Start dialog and session templates, see the
Pro Tools Reference Guide (Help >
Pro Tools Reference Guide).
The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver is
multi-client with third-party applications
only. It cannot be used with other applica-
tions when Pro Tools is launched with 003
family interfaces.

Chapter 2: Installing Pro Tools on Mac 9
The CoreAudio Driver is installed by default
when you install Pro Tools.
Standalone CoreAudio Driver
The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver can be in-
stalled as a standalone driver on Mac systems
that do not have Pro Tools software installed.
The standalone version of this driver is available
on the Pro Tools Installer disc (in the Additional
Files Folder).
Pro Tools Demo Session
The Pro Tools Installer disc includes a separate
demo session installer. You can use this session
to verify that your system is working.
The demo session for Pro Tool LE is named “Fil-
tered Dream.”
To install the demo session:
1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc into your
DVD drive.
2 On the Pro Tools LE Installer disc, locate and
open the Additional Files/Pro Tools Demo Ses-
sions Installer folder.
3 Double-click Install demo session.pkg.
4 Follow the on-screen instructions.
5 When prompted, select your audio drive as
the install location and click Next to begin the
installation. When installation is complete,
click Close.
Connecting FireWire Drives
Connect FireWire hard drives directly to any
available FireWire port on your computer.
The FireWire ports on 003 family interfaces do
not pass data when they are powered off. If you
daisy-chain FireWire devices from your com-
puter, it is best to connect FireWire hard drives
directly to your computer and not to the 003
family interface. This will prevent hard drive er-
rors and data loss in case the 003 family inter-
face is powered off.
For information on configuring the Digide-
sign CoreAudio Driver, see the Digidesign
CoreAudio Guide.
If Pro Tools was uninstalled, CoreAudio
Driver was automatically uninstalled at
that time.
For information on installing and configur-
ing the standalone version of the Digidesign
CoreAudio Driver, see the CoreAudio Driv-
ers Guide.
Before installing the demo session to your
audio drive, make sure the drive is config-
ured as described in “Formatting an Audio
Drive” on page 158.
The demo session can be opened by double-
clicking the Filtered Dream.ptf file (located
in the Filtered Dream Demo Session folder).
Do not connect a FireWire hard drive to the
second FireWire port on the back panel of
your 003 family interface.
To yield higher performance from audio
drives, enable journaling. See “Enabling
Journaling for Audio Drives” on page 30.

003 Family Setup Guide10
To connect a FireWire hard drive, do one of the
following:
If your computer has more than one FireWire
port, connect the FireWire hard drive to one
FireWire port on the computer, and connect
your 003 family interface to another FireWire
port on the computer.
– or –
If your computer has only one FireWire port,
connect the FireWire hard drive directly to your
computer and then connect your 003 family in-
terface to an available FireWire port on the
drive.
Connecting Other FireWire
Devices to 003 Family Interfaces
The second FireWire port on your 003 family in-
terface is available for daisy-chaining FireWire
devices such as digital cameras or digital video
recorders. Even when it is powered off,
003 family interfaces supply power from the
computer through its FireWire ports, letting you
recharge batteries in connected FireWire de-
vices.
Uninstalling Pro Tools
If you need to uninstall Pro Tools software from
your computer, use the Uninstaller application.
To uninstall Pro Tools from your computer:
1 Make sure you are logged in as an Administra-
tor for the account where Pro Tools is installed.
2 Go to Applications/Digidesign/Pro Tools/
Pro Tools Utilities and double-click
Uninstall Pro Tools.
3 Click Continue to proceed with the uninstall.
4 Choose the type of uninstall you want to per-
form:
Safe Uninstall Leaves certain plug-ins and sys-
tem files needed for compatibility with some
Avid products. Use Safe Uninstall if you are using
an Avid application or preparing to update to a
.cs release.
Clean Uninstall Removes all Pro Tools files, in-
cluding system files, Digidesign plug-ins, and
MIDI patch names. Use Clean Uninstall whenever
you are preparing to upgrade, or to troubleshoot
from a clean system.
5 Click Uninstall.
6 Enter your Administrator password and click
OK.
7 Click Finish to close the Installer window.
Connecting your 003 family interface to your
computer through a FireWire hard drive does
not support maximum track count. To
achieve the maximum track count, purchase
a PCI/PCMCIA/ExpressCard to increase the
number of FireWire ports on your computer.
For information on supported PCI/PCM-
CIA/ExpressCard FireWire options, visit the
Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).
For details on Administrator privileges in
Mac OS X, see your Apple OS X documen-
tation.