# Optimizing your Pro Tools HD/LE system pt. 2



## immortalgropher (Feb 16, 2010)

In part one of this optimization guide, we focused solely on optimizing for your _recording_ session only. 
In part two we will focus on optimizing for _mixing_ and _mastering_, so sit back, relax and learn!

 *Optimizing for Mixing and Mastering: *If you recall in the last article, the H/W buffer settings and everything 
under the "Settings" frame in your Pro Tools "Playback Engine" options, you remember that you wanted the lowest 
possible size for recording, now can you guess what you want for mixing and mastering? Did you guess high? 
If you did, give yourself a pat on the shoulder!

 When you're getting ready to mix a song or an entire album, go ahead and set the H/W Buffer Size to 2048. 
Recording latency is not our focus with mixing, plug-in latency is. So we need to make sure your Pro Tools system 
won't buckle if you happen to use a lot of plug ins when mixing. Otherwise, leave the other two options as they were 
set from the first part of this optimization guide.

 The brunt of the settings you will be adjusting will be under the "DAE Playback Buffer" pane in your Playback Engine window.
 You will want to change your size to level 1 or level 2 this time, no more, no less, either of those options will keep the 
streaming and playback of audio and processing from doing anything weird and crashing. For the Cache Size, leave this on 
"Normal" or "Large" (Large will typically allow you to use more plug-ins on an LE system).

 Now we get to a section I did not mention in part one of this guide which is the "Plug-In Streaming Buffer" pane and the last of 
the options in this screen. What this setting does, is allow for even time between using Audiosuite plug-ins to make a 
change to one specific point in any particular track as opposed to using a send to add an effect. There is a small latency 
from when you click the "Preview" button on an Audiosuite plug-in to hear what the effect settings will sound like before you 
commit to the decision of adding it on in that particular section.

 I included mastering in this section as well because plug-ins are also used on mastering sessions in Pro Tools, usually 
multiple EQs and compressors and a limiter, possibly a master reverb as well. However more people are beginning to 
use Izotope Ozone or T-racks for their mastering purposes which are an all-in-one plug-in that does all your EQ, limiting,
multi-band compression and other fun functions, they add more latency but allow for one to use more inserts if necessary.

 This concludes part two of the "Optimizing Your PTHD/LE System"! I hope you have learned a lot from these articles and have had your questions answered!


----------



## Kirill (Apr 14, 2010)

AstralPlaneStudios said:


> Audiosuite plug-ins to make a change to one specific point in any particular track as opposed to using a send to add an effect. There is a small latency from when you click the "Preview" button on an Audiosuite plug-in to hear what the effect settings will sound like before you commit to the decision of adding it on in that particular section.


Hi AstralPlaneStudios. So what are you saying is that you'll use an Audiosuite plug-in instead of Insert FX? Why? I don't see much point here. Can you explain please a reasoning? Cause Audiosuite processes information offline and it replaces the audio file to a new one once you do that. I.e. destructively. Of course you can "Appl-Z" it back. Why instead don't create automation on a plug-in controls? Maybe I'm missing something. And I don't perform mastering so maybe I got a bit confused here? 

Thanks.

Kirill :T


----------



## immortalgropher (Feb 16, 2010)

All I did was describe what it does. I didn't tell anyone to use it.

How someone uses Audiosuite is up to them. Sometimes you only want an effect on a small particular section, so if you'e going to commit to the decision, why waste time with automation?


----------



## Kirill (Apr 14, 2010)

Ok makes sense. That's why I've asked. I wasn't exactly sure. Thank you.

Kirill


----------

