DigiDesign 003 Family User manual

Getting Started
003 ™ & 003 Rack
Version 7.3

Copyright
© 2007 Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc. All rights
reserved. This guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part
without the express written consent of Digidesign.
Avid, Digidesign, 003, and Pro Tools are either trademarks or
registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the US and
other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the
property of their respective owners.
Product features, specifications, system requirements, and
availability are subject to change without notice.
PN 9320-55964-00 REV A 1/07

Communications & Safety Regulation Information
Compliance Statement
The model 003 and 003 Rack comply with the following
standards regulating interference and EMC:
• FCC Part 15 Class B
• EN55022
• EN55024
• 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.
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
We, Digidesign,2001 Jumipero Serra Boulevard
Daly City, CA 94014-3886, USA
650-731-6300
declare under our sole responsibility that the product
003 and 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.
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.
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
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.

Contents v
contents
Chapter 1. Installation QuickStart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Windows Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Mac Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 2. Welcome to 003 and 003 Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
003 and 003 Rack Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
003 and 003 Rack Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Pro Tools LE Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Digidesign Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
About the Pro Tools Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
About www.digidesign.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter 3. Windows Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Windows System Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Connecting 003 or 003 Rack to the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Connecting FireWire Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Installing Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Removing Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Chapter 4. Mac Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Mac System Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Installing Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Connecting 003 or 003 Rack to the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Connecting FireWire Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Removing Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

003 & 003 Rack Getting Started Guide vi
Chapter 5. Launching and Configuring Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Launching Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Configuring Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Chapter 6. 003 Top Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
003 Operating Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
003 Top Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Display Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Fader Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Console/Channel View Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Transport and Navigation Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Automation Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Modifiers Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Mic/DI Input Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Monitor Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Chapter 7. 003 Rack Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Mic/DI Input Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Monitor Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Status Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Chapter 8. 003 and 003 Rack Back Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Chapter 9. Making Studio Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Getting Sound In and Out of Your 003 or 003 Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Connecting a Microphone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Connecting Instruments to 003 or 003 Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Connecting Equipment with Digital Ins and Outs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Word Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Using External Effects Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Monitoring and Recording from Alternate Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Recording from a Digital Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Connecting a Recorder for Mixdowns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
MIDI Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Contents vii
Chapter 10. Common Tasks with Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Recording a Pro Tools Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Importing Audio from a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Creating an Audio CD from a Pro Tools Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Recording MIDI in a Pro Tools Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Chapter 11. Pro Tools Mode with 003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Saving a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Working in Console View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Working in Channel View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Display Options in Console and Channel View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Navigating and Editing Values in Entry Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Working with Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Assigning Pro Tools Paths (Input, Output, Sends, Inserts) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Working with Output Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Navigating in the Edit Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
General Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Working With Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Controlling Track Display on the Control Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Working with Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
003 Top Panel Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Appendix A. Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
MIDI Studio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
MIDI Patch Name Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Appendix B. Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Audio MIDI Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Patch Name Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

003 & 003 Rack Getting Started Guide viii
Appendix C. Utility Mode (003 Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Accessing Utility Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Viewing Firmware Version Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
LCD Display Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
LED Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Switch Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Encoder Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Fader Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Vegas Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
MIDI Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Audio Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Appendix D. Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Avoid Recording to the System Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Supported Drive Formats and Drive Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Formatting an Audio Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Partitioning Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Defragmenting an Audio Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Using Mac Drives on Windows Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Hard Disk Storage Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Appendix E. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Backing Up Your Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Common Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Performance Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Before You Call Digidesign Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Chapter 1: Installation QuickStart 1
chapter 1
Installation QuickStart
Windows Installation
Overview
(Windows Systems Only)
Installing 003™ or 003 Rack on a Windows
computer includes the following steps:
1 “Windows System Optimization” on page 9.
2 “Connecting 003 or 003 Rack to the Com-
puter” on page 12.
3 “Installing Pro Tools LE” on page 14.
4 Launching Pro Tools LE. (See Chapter 5,
“Launching and Configuring Pro Tools LE.”)
5 Making audio and MIDI connections to 003 or
003 Rack. (See Chapter 9, “Making Studio Con-
nections.”)
Mac Installation Overview
(Mac OS X Systems Only)
Installing 003 or 003 Rack on a Mac includes the
following steps:
1 “Mac System Optimization” on page 17.
2 “Installing Pro Tools LE” on page 19.
3 “Connecting 003 or 003 Rack to the Com-
puter” on page 21.
4 Launching Pro Tools LE. (See Chapter 5,
“Launching and Configuring Pro Tools LE.”)
5 Making audio and MIDI connections to 003 or
003 Rack. (See Chapter 9, “Making Studio Con-
nections.”)
When connecting 003 or 003 Rack to your
computer the first time, your computer
should be off. If your computer is on, power
it down.
Your authorization code is located on the in-
side cover of this guide.
When connecting 003 or 003 Rack to your
computer the first time, your computer
should be off. If your computer is on, power
it down.
Your authorization code is located on the in-
side cover of this guide.

003 & 003 Rack Getting Started Guide2

Chapter 2: Welcome to 003 and 003 Rack 3
chapter 2
Welcome to 003 and 003 Rack
Welcome to 003™ and 003 Rack, Digidesign’s
cross-platform Pro Tools®workstations for mu-
sic, sound design, and multimedia production.
003 and 003 Rack Packages
The 003 and 003 Rack packages include the fol-
lowing:
• 003 or 003 Rack unit
• Pro Tools Installer disc containing
Pro Tools LE™ software and included Digi-
Rack RTAS®(Real-Time AudioSuite™) and Au-
dioSuite plug-ins, optional plug-ins which can
be purchased, and electronic PDF guides
• This Getting Started Guide, covering installa-
tion, configuration, and common tasks for
your Pro Tools system
• FireWire cable, 6-pin to 6-pin, for connecting
003 or 003 Rack to a computer
• AC power cable
• Digidesign Registration Information Card
003 and 003 Rack Features
Audio and MIDI Features
The 003 and 003 Rack units provide the follow-
ing input and output capacity:
• Up to 18 channels of I/O
• 8 analog audio inputs (4 with mic preamps),
with A/D converters supporting up to 24-bit,
96 kHz audio:
• 48V phantom power on mic preamps, swit-
chable in channel pairs.
• HPF (High-Pass Filter) switches for filtering
out rumbles or AC hum below 75 Hz on In-
puts 1–4.
• Inputs 5–8 switchable between +4 dBu (for
pro-level gear) and –10 dBV (for con-
sumer-level gear).
• 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).

003 & 003 Rack Getting Started Guide4
• 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 8 channels of Optical
(ADAT) I/O (supporting up to 48 kHz) or 2
channels of Optical S/PDIF I/O.
• RCA connectors for 2 channels of S/PDIF dig-
ital I/O supporting up to 24-bit, 96 kHz audio.
• Word Clock In and Out ports, to receive or
send 1x Word clock.
• 1 MIDI In port and 2 MIDI Out ports, provid-
ing up to 16 channels of MIDI input and up to
32 channels of MIDI output.
• Footswitch jack for punching in and out while
recording.
• Monitor section with Mute switch and
switches for routing input and output signals.
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.

Chapter 2: Welcome to 003 and 003 Rack 5
Pro Tools LE Capabilities
Pro Tools LE™ on Windows or Mac provides the
following capabilities with 003 and 003 Rack:
• Playback of up to 32 mono (or 16 stereo)
digital audio tracks, or a combination of
playback and recording up to 32 mono (or
16 stereo) digital audio tracks, depending
on your computer’s capabilities
• Up to 128 audio tracks (with 32 voiceable
tracks maximum), 128 Auxiliary Input
tracks, 64 Master Fader tracks, 256 MIDI
tracks, and 32 Instrument tracks per session
• 16-bit or 24-bit audio resolution, at sample
rates up to 96 kHz
• Non-destructive, random-access editing
and mix automation
• Audio processing with up to 5 RTAS plug-in
inserts per track, depending on your com-
puter’s capabilities
• Up to 5 hardware inserts per track
• Up to 10 sends per track
• Up to 32 internal mix busses
System Requirements
003 and 003 Rack can be used with a Digide-
sign-qualified Windows or Mac computer run-
ning Pro Tools LE software.
For complete system requirements, visit the
Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).
Compatibility Information
Digidesign can only assure compatibility and
provide support for hardware and software it has
tested and approved.
For a list of Digidesign-qualified computers, op-
erating systems, MIDI interfaces, hard drives,
and third-party devices, visit the Digidesign
website (www.digidesign.com).
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.
If you require additional MIDI ports, add a MIDI
interface (such as a Digidesign MIDI I/O) to your
system.
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.

003 & 003 Rack Getting Started Guide6
Hard Drive Requirements
For optimal audio recording and playback, all
Pro Tools systems require one or more Digide-
sign-qualified drives. This is a separate physical
drive from your internal system drive, and needs
to meet the specifications listed on our website.
For a list of qualified hard drives, visit the
Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).
If you are using an ATA/IDE or FireWire hard
drive, initialize your drive with Windows Disk
Management (Windows) or the Disk Utility ap-
plication included with Apple System software
(Mac).
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.
Digidesign Registration
Review the enclosed Digidesign Registration In-
formation Card and follow the instructions on it
to quickly register your purchase online. Regis-
tering your purchase is the only way you can be
eligible to receive complimentary technical sup-
port and future upgrade offers. It is one of the
most important steps you can take as a new user.
About the Pro Tools Guides
This Getting Started guide explains how to in-
stall Pro Tools LE software, make basic connec-
tions to your 003 or 003 Rack interface (to get
sound in and out of your interface), and do com-
mon tasks (such as recording in Pro Tools).
In addition to any printed guides or documenta-
tion included with your system, PDF versions of
Pro Tools guides and read mes are installed auto-
matically with Pro Tools.
The main guides (such as the Pro Tools Reference
Guide and the Pro Tools Menus Guide) are accessi-
ble from the Pro Tools Help menu.
•Pro Tools Reference Guide explains Pro Tools
software in detail.
•Pro Tools Menus Guide covers all the Pro Tools
on-screen menus.
•DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide explains how to use
the RTAS and AudioSuite plug-ins included
with Pro Tools.
•Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide explains how to use
optional Digidesign plug-ins.
•Pro Tools Shortcuts lists keyboard and
Right-click shortcuts for Pro Tools.
These guides and other guides are installed on
your startup drive during installation. To view
or print PDF guides, you can use Adobe Reader
or Apple Preview (Mac only).
For more information, see Appendix D,
“Hard Drive Configuration and Mainte-
nance.”
Digidesign does not recommend recording
to the system drive. Record to a system drive
only when necessary.
Printed copies of the Pro Tools Reference
Guide and other guides in the Pro Tools
guide set can be purchased separately from
the DigiStore (www.digidesign.com).

Chapter 2: Welcome to 003 and 003 Rack 7
Conventions Used in This Guide
Digidesign guides use the following conven-
tions to indicate menu choices and key com-
mands:
:
The following symbols are used to highlight im-
portant information:
About www.digidesign.com
The Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com) is
your best source for information to help you get
the most out of your Pro Tools system. The fol-
lowing are just a few of the services and features
available.
Registration Register your purchase online. See
the enclosed Digidesign Registration Informa-
tion Card for instructions.
Support Contact Digidesign Technical Support
or Customer Service; download software up-
dates and the latest online manuals; browse the
Compatibility documents for system require-
ments; search the online Answerbase; join the
worldwide Pro Tools community on the Digide-
sign User Conference.
Training and Education Become a certified
Pro Tools Operator or Expert; study on your
own using courses available online, or find out
how you can learn in a classroom setting at a
certified Pro Tools Training Center.
Products and Developers Learn about Digidesign
products; download demo software; learn about
our Development Partners and their plug-ins,
applications, and hardware.
News and Events Get the latest news from
Digidesign; sign up for a Pro Tools demo.
To learn more about these and other resources
available from Digidesign, visit the Digidesign
website (www.digidesign.com).
Convention Action
File > Save Choose Save from the File
menu
Control+N Hold down the Control key
and press the Nkey
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 system.
Important Notices include information that
could affect your data or the performance of
your system.
Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or
mouse shortcuts.
Cross References point to related sections in
this guide and other Digidesign guides.

003 & 003 Rack Getting Started Guide8

Chapter 3: Windows Configuration 9
chapter 3
Windows Configuration
This chapter contains information for Windows
systems only. If you are installing Pro Tools on a
Mac computer, see Chapter 4, “Mac Configura-
tion.”
Installation Overview
Installing 003 or 003 Rack on a Windows com-
puter includes the following steps:
1 “Windows System Optimization” on page 9.
2 “Connecting 003 or 003 Rack to the Com-
puter” on page 12.
3 “Installing Pro Tools LE” on page 14.
4 Launching Pro Tools LE. (See Chapter 5,
“Launching and Configuring Pro Tools LE.”)
5 Making audio and MIDI connections to 003 or
003 Rack. (See Chapter 9, “Making Studio Con-
nections.”)
Windows System Optimization
Before configuring your computer, make sure
you are logged in as an Administrator for the ac-
count where you want to install Pro Tools. For
details on Administrator privileges, see your
Windows documentation.
Required Optimizations
To ensure optimum performance with
Pro Tools LE, configure the following settings
before you install Pro Tools hardware and soft-
ware.
Enabling DMA
Enabling your computer's DMA (Direct Memory
Access) frees up CPU bandwidth so your com-
puter can do other Pro Tools tasks.
In most cases the DMA option will already be set
correctly, as Windows XP detects and activates
DMA mode by default.
To enable DMA for any IDE hard drives:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 In Classic View, launch System.
3 Click the Hardware tab.
Before installing this version of Pro Tools,
see the Read Me information included on
the Pro Tools Installer disc.
When connecting 003 or 003 Rack to your
computer the first time, your computer
should be off. If your computer is on, power
it down.
When you are finished changing Windows
system settings, restart your computer.

003 & 003 Rack Getting Started Guide10
4 Under Device Manager, choose Device Man-
ager.
5 In the Device Manager window, double-click
IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, then double-click
the Primary IDE Channel for your IDE hard
drive.
6 Click the Advanced Settings tab.
7 For each device, set the Transfer Mode to
“DMA if available,” and click OK.
8 Repeat steps 5–7 for any additional IDE Chan-
nels.
9 Close the Computer Management window.
Disabling System Standby and Power
Management
When using Pro Tools, the Windows System
Standby power scheme must be set to Always
On. This helps prevent long record or playback
passes from stopping due to system resources
powering down.
To configure Windows Power Management:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 Double-click Power Options.
3 Click the Power Schemes tab.
4 From the Power Schemes pop-up menu, select
Always On.
5 Click OK.
This sets System Standby, System Hibernate,
and “Turn off hard disks” to Never.
Disabling ClearType Font Smoothing
When using Pro Tools, the Effects “Clear Type”
setting must be disabled.
To disable ClearType font smoothing:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 Double-click Display.
3 Click the Appearance tab.
4 Click Effects.
5 Deselect “Use the following method to
smooth edges of screen fonts.”
6 Click OK to save your settings and close the Ef-
fects dialog.
7 Click OK.
8 Restart the computer.
Recommended Optimizations
Pro Tools can also be affected by other software
and hardware drivers installed on your com-
puter. For best possible performance, it is recom-
mended (but not required) that you do the fol-
lowing:
• Avoid running any unneeded programs at
the same time as Pro Tools.
• Turn off any software utilities that run in
the background, such as Windows Messen-
ger, calendars, and disk maintenance pro-
grams.
• Turn off any non-essential USB devices
while running Pro Tools.
• If your video display card supports it, en-
able Bus Mastering in the manufacturer’s
Control Panel. See the manufacturer’s in-
structions for details.
On AMD processors, be sure to check and
disable Cool N’Quiet in the System BIOS (in
the Cool & Quiet Configuration section). See
the manufacturer’s documentation for in-
structions on disabling this power option, if
necessary.

Chapter 3: Windows Configuration 11
Optional Optimizations
The following system optimizations may help
Pro Tools perform better on some systems. It is
recommended that you only try these optimiza-
tions if necessary, as they may disable or ad-
versely affect the functionality of other pro-
grams on your system.
Disabling Network Cards
If applicable, disable any networking cards
(other than a FireWire card, if you are using one
to connect 003 or 003 Rack or any FireWire
drives to your system).
To disable a network card:
1 Right-click My Computer and choose Manage.
2 Under System Tools, select Device Manager.
3 In the Device Manager window, double-click
Network adapters, then double-click the Net-
work Adapter card you want to disable.
4 Under the General tab, choose “Do not use
this device (disable)” from the Device Usage
pop-up menu, and click OK.
5 Close the Computer Management window.
Adjusting Processor Scheduling
To adjust Processor Scheduling performance:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 In Classic View, double-click System.
3 Click the Advanced tab.
4 Under the Performance section, click the Set-
tings button.
5 In the Performance Options window, click the
Advanced tab.
6 Under the Processor Scheduling section, select
the Background Services option.
7 Under the Memory Usage section, select the
System cache option.
8 Click OK to close the Performance Options
window.
9 Click OK to close the System Properties win-
dow.
10 Restart the computer for the changes to take
effect.
Disabling Hyper-Threading
When working with RTAS plug-ins, Pro Tools
takes advantage of the added processing power
of computers that have multiple processors, or
that feature multi-core processing or Hyper-
Threading.
However, if you set the number of processors
available for RTAS processing to 1 (in the
Pro Tools Playback Engine dialog), some com-
puters with Hyper-Threading capability may ex-
perience decreased performance.
If this occurs, you can increase the number of
RTAS processors in the Playback Engine dialog,
or you can disable Hyper-Threading on the com-
puter.
See your computer’s documentation for steps on
how to enter the computer’s BIOS and disable
Hyper-Threading.

003 & 003 Rack Getting Started Guide12
Disabling System Startup Items
The fewer items in use by your computer, the
more resources are available for Pro Tools. Some
startup applications may be consuming unnec-
essary CPU resources, and can be turned off.
If you disable any of the following startup items,
do so carefully:
• Portable media serial number (required for
some applications that utilize a copy pro-
tection key)
• The Plug and Play service
• Event log
• Cryptographic services
To Disable System Startup Items:
1 From the Start menu, choose Run.
2 Type “msconfig” and click OK. The System
Configuration Utility opens.
3 Under the General tab, choose Selective Star-
tup.
4 Deselect Load Startup Items and click OK.
5 Click Restart to restart the computer.
6 After restarting, the computer displays a Sys-
tem Configuration message. Check to see if
Pro Tools performance has increased before you
deselect the “Don't show this message again”
option. If performance has not changed, run
“msconfig” and return your computer Selective
Startup back to Normal Startup. Alternatively,
try disabling Startup items and non-essential
processes individually.
Connecting 003 or 003 Rack
to the Computer
Before installing Pro Tools LE software, you
need to connect 003 or 003 Rack to the com-
puter.
To connect 003 or 003 Rack to your computer:
1 Plug 003 or 003 Rack into a standard AC recep-
tacle, using the AC power cable included with
the unit. AC power is required to operate 003
and 003 Rack.
2 Locate the FireWire cable that came with your
unit.
3 Plug one end of the FireWire cable into one of
the ports marked “1394” on the back panel of
the 003 or 003 Rack. Either port will work.
When connecting 003 or 003 Rack to your
computer the first time, your computer
should be off. If your computer is on, power
it down.
Be sure to note the orientation of the
FireWire cable connector when you insert it
in your 003 or 003 Rack. It is possible to
damage the FireWire port if you force the
connector in upside down.
If you are using a Windows laptop that has
a 4-pin FireWire port (commonly labeled
“1394”), see “4-Pin FireWire Cable” on
page 13 for FireWire cable information.
003 and 003 Rack FireWire ports (back panel)
FireWire ports