Digi 003 Driver For Mac

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ONLY For Owners of Supported Digidesign Hardware on Mac OS X 10.5.3 'Leopard' That Do Not Have Pro Tools Installed The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver is an option (checked by default) during the. A: The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver for Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' has not been tested with Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.2. We recommend that you use the correct version of the driver for your version of Mac OS X. The Digidesign CoreAudio driver version 6.9 for Mac OS X 10.3.x can be downloaded here: Digidesign CoreAudio Driver 6.9 for Panther.

Digidesign CoreAudio Driver

Version 7.0 for Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger'

Now Available — Standalone Digidesign CoreAudio Driver Version 7.0

If you already have Pro Tools TDM 6.9.2 or higher or Pro Tools LE 6.9.2 or higher installed on your system, you should not use the Standalone Digidesign CoreAudio Driver installer. Please install the CoreAudio Driver for your system using the Pro Tools installers listed here:

If You Have Pro Tools 6.9.2/6.9.3 or Pro Tools 7 Installed on Mac OS X 10.4

Pro Tools HD 7 and Pro Tools LE 7 include the option to install the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver for systems supported by Pro Tools 7. See the Digidesign CoreAudio Q & A section below for a listed of third-party applications tested with the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver version 7.0.

Pro Tools TDM 6.9.2, Pro Tools TDM 6.9.3, and Pro Tools LE 6.9.2 include the option to install the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver version 6.9.2 for Pro Tools|HD Accel, Pro Tools|HD, Digi 002, Digi 002 Rack, and Mbox systems on Mac OS X 10.4. If you are using Pro Tools TDM 6.9.2 or 6.9.3, or Pro Tools LE 6.9.2, you should download the latest CS update for those versions, which include fixes for Coreaudio:

Mbox 2 systems with Pro Tools LE 6.8.1 include a version of the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver specifically for the Mbox 2. Other Pro Tools LE 6.x versions will not work with Mbox 2.

What is the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver?

The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver is a multi-client, multichannel sound driver that allows CoreAudio-compatible applications to record and play back through the following Digidesign audio interfaces:

  • Pro Tools|HD Accel
  • Pro Tools|HD
  • Digi 002
  • Digi 002 Rack
  • Mbox 2
  • Mbox

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

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

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

Not Tested with Digidesign CoreAudio Driver for Mac OS X 10.4

Driver
  • Pro Tools|24 MIX systems
  • Pro Tools|24 (d24 card) systems
  • Digi 001
  • Audiomedia III systems

See the Digidesign CoreAudio Q & A section below for more details.

Standalone Digidesign CoreAudio Driver 7.0 for Mac OS X 10.4

For Owners of Supported Digidesign Hardware on Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' That Do Not Have Pro Tools Installed

December 20, 2005

This download is for owners of supported Digidesign hardware on Mac OS X 10.4.x 'Tiger' that wish to install the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver without installing Pro Tools.

If you already have Pro Tools TDM 6.9.2 or higher or Pro Tools LE 6.9.2 or higher installed on your system, you should not use the Standalone Digidesign CoreAudio Driver installer. Please install the CoreAudio Driver for your system using your Pro Tools installer listed at the top of this page. The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver version 7.0 wil NOT work with Pro Tools 6.x, and installs files that may make Pro Tools 6.x unusable.

If you have either Pro Tools TDM 6.9 or lower or Pro Tools LE 6.9 or lower (which will not run on Tiger) installed on your system, you should uninstall Pro Tools from your Tiger startup system before using the Standalone Digidesign CoreAudio Driver installer. To uninstall Pro Tools, insert your Pro Tools CD, run the 'Install Pro Tools' application, and choose Uninstall from the menu instead of Custom Install or Easy Install. Pro Tools application web updaters (except for CS versions) also have the Install/Uninstall menu.

System Requirements — Standalone Digidesign CoreAudio Driver 7.0

The Standalone Digidesign CoreAudio Driver 7.0 can be installed on systems that do not have Pro Tools installed on Mac OS X 10.4.x 'Tiger'. (instructions below)

The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver is a multi-client, multichannel sound driver that allows CoreAudio-compatible applications to record and play back through the following Digidesign audio interfaces:

  • Pro Tools|HD Accel
  • Pro Tools|HD
  • Digi 002
  • Digi 002 Rack
  • Mbox

Not Tested with Digidesign CoreAudio Driver Version 7.0

  • Pro Tools|24 MIX systems
  • Pro Tools|24 (d24 card) systems
  • Digi 001
  • Audiomedia III systems

See the Digidesign CoreAudio Q & A section below for more details.

Documentation:

For more information on installation, usage, compatibility and limitations, please review the CoreAudio Usage Guide and CoreAudio Read Me files provided with the Digidesign CoreAudio 7.0 installer. The CoreAudio Usage Guide and CoreAudio Read Me are installed here:

  • Applications/Digidesign/Documentation/Drivers/

Also available for separate download here:

  • CoreAudio Usage Guide (472 k)
  • CoreAudio Read Me (42 k)

Digidesign CoreAudio Driver Q & A

Q: Does the Digidesign CoreAudio driver support simultaneous use of multiple client applications?
A: Yes. Beginning with version 6.5 and higher, the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver supports multiple CoreAudio clients. You no longer have to quit a CoreAudio application before working with another.

Q: Can I use Pro Tools in tandem with other CoreAudio applications?
A: No. Pro Tools requires exclusive access to Digidesign hardware and thus it cannot be used simultaneously with other CoreAudio applications. You will have to quit Pro Tools before using other CoreAudio programs, or vice versa.

Q: Why can't I hear my Mac system sounds through my Digidesign hardware using the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver?
A: The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver for Mac OS X does not support playback of system sounds. Your Mac system sounds will continue to be available through your Mac speaker and regular Mac line out.

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

Q: Will Pro Tools|24 MIX, Pro Tools|24, Digi 001, or Audiomedia III hardware work? I can't find them listed under supported systems.
A: Pro Tools|24 MIX, Pro Tools|24 (d24 card), Digi 001, and Audiomedia III hardware have not been tested with Mac OS X 10.4, and there is no version of Pro Tools for Mac OS X 10.4 that supports this hardware. While you can try the Digidesign CoreAudo Driver with these discontinued systems, they may not work.

Q: What about compatibility with Mac OS X 10.3 'Panther' and 10.2.x 'Jaguar', with or without Pro Tools installed?
A: The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver for Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' has not been tested with Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.2. We recommend that you use the correct version of the driver for your version of Mac OS X.

The Digidesign CoreAudio driver version 6.9 for Mac OS X 10.3.x can be downloaded here:

Digi

The Digidesign CoreAudio driver version 6.1.2 for Mac OS X 10.2.x can be downloaded here:

Digi 003 Drivers For Mac

Q: What OS X applications work with the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver v7.0?
A: With a few possible exceptions, any CoreAudio-compatible application will work with the Digidesign CoreAudio driver. The following third-party CoreAudio-compatible client applications have been tested with the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver v7.0:

  • Ignition Pack
  • Ableton Live 4.1x
  • Reason 3.04
  • Cubase SX3
  • Apple GarageBand 2.0.2
  • Apple iLife v5
  • Apple Quicktime 7.x
  • RealOne 10.x
  • Roxio Toast with Jam 6.x

See the CoreAudio Read Me (42 included with download) for additional information and known issues.

Q: How can you avoid distortion and audio sync errors when using Logic Audio with the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver?
A: In our testing, we found that Logic will not play audio properly through the CoreAudio driver until you go into the driver preferences, and manually reset the buffer size to another setting (it defaults to 512, and it can be switched back to 512, but it needs to be set to another value first). if you don't do this, Logic plays the file back with distortion and you will eventually get an audio sync error. Once you've manually changed the buffer size, this problem goes away.

Q: How do you configure Roxio Toast or Jam to use the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver?
A: In Roxio Toast 5.2 or Jam 5.01, set the Sound Out to Mac OS X Audio HAL. Jam v6 allows either Mac OS X Audio HAL or Digidesign HW. Toast v6 will automatically default to whichever hardware is selected in the Sound control panel.

Q: Is there still an 'opt-in' list?
A: No. Because of its ability to work with multiple clients, the Digidesign CoreAudio driver no longer requires an 'opt-in' list. To exclude applications from access to the Digidesign CoreAudio driver, press and hold down the Shift key when lanching an application. Please see the Digidesign CoreAudio usage guide for more information.

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

  • The multi-client CoreAudio Driver cannot be used to preview sound files in Macintosh Finder. When you view a sound file Mac OS X Finder window with files displayed by columns, a preview bar is displayed next to it. This preview bar lets you audition the sound file. The sound will always play back though the Macintosh’s built-in audio controller (through the Macintosh’s speaker or headphone jack). However, if you double-click a sound file, the QuickTime application will launch, and can use the multi-client Digidesign CoreAudio Driver for playback.
  • The multi-client Digidesign CoreAudio Driver cannot be used for playback of System Sounds.

Installing the Standalone Digidesign CoreAudio Driver v7.0

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

The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver can be installed as a stand-alone driver on systems that do not have Pro Tools installed.

To install the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver 7.0 Without Pro Tools:

  1. From the link below, download and expand the Digidesign CoreAudio 7.0 installer
  2. Double-click on the Install CoreAudio file.
  3. From the pop-up menu, choose the default Easy Install
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver.
  5. When the installation is complete, quit the installer and restart your computer.

The installer places the file named Digidesign CoreAudio.plugin in this location:

  • /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL

The Digi CoreAudio Manager application is installed on your hard drive here:

  • /Applications/Digidesign

Previous versions of the Digidesign CoreAudio.plugin and the Digidesign CoreAudio Setup application are removed by the installer. The CoreAudio Usage Guide and CoreAudio Read Me are installed here:

  • Applications/Digidesign/Documentation/Drivers/

Removing the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver v7.0

To uninstall the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver:

  1. From the link below, download and expand the Digidesign CoreAudio 7.0 installer
  2. Double-click on the Install CoreAudio file.
  3. From the pop-up menu, change Easy Install to Uninstall
  4. Click the uninstall button to remove Digidesign CoreAudio files from your computer

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

Download Standalone Digidesign CoreAudio Driver 7.0 Installer

for Digidesign Hardware on Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)

11.7 MB Mac OS X Disk Image (.dmg)

Previous Version

  • Only for Digidesign hardware on Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) without Pro Tools installed
  • 10.6 MB MacBinary (.bin) encoded format, decodes to Mac OS X Disk Image (.dmg)
003

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

More Information:

Digidesign Downloads | Digidesign Customer Service | Digidesign Technical Support

(click thumbnail)In our industry’s evolution to in-the-box audio production, Digidesign has been there pretty much every step of the way. The company has taken some hits for not selling its hardware and software separately, but, from where I sit, that has prevented many technical support nightmares. And even that is changing, as the Digidesign Core Audio driver supports Apple’s Soundtrack Pro, Boom Recorder and other software; Digi’s Wave and ASIO drivers suppot Windows software.

Digidesign’s latest hardware gem for Pro Tools|LE users is the 003 Factory, a $2,495 FireWire-based control surface with an accompanying software bundle (it includes Pro Tools LE 7.3, will soon include 7.4. and requires Mac OS X 10.4.9 or Windows XP; 7.4 will support Windows Vista).

Features

With eight motorized faders, transport controls and many (but not all) software controls existing as hardware, the 003’s slender 28-inch-deep surface is comprehensive, yet sleek. The 003 offers everything made available on its predecessor — the well-received 002 — and much more. According to Digidesign, the 003’s redesigned pre-amplifiers and A/D converters are most notable, while other new highlights include automation selection controls and the ability to open plug-ins on its control surface.

The 003 features four mic preamps, phantom powered in pairs, and each input has a balanced 1/4-inch DI. Analog inputs five through eight are balanced 1/4-inch TRS with -10/+4 input level switches per channel, while eight analog busses are provided via balanced 1/4-inch TRS outputs (stereo aux in). Other I/O includes MIDI In/Out 1/Out 2; RCA S/PDIF; optical jacks for S/PDIF or ADAT; and two 400 FireWire ports.

Hardware updates for the 003 include a larger 55 x 2 LCD display, BNC Word Clock I/O and Jog/Shuttle wheel. Further, there are also dedicated automation controls with user-assignable automation modes; five-segment LEDs for volume/gain meters or automation mode status indicators; dual headphone outputs; discrete outputs with separate source; and level controls and alternate control room monitor outputs for another pair of monitors.

You can buy the 003 Factory (which includes all of the Factory plug-ins), the $1,295 003 Rack (a rack-mounted version with no Factory plug-ins), or opt for the best of both worlds, the $1,695 003 Rack with Factory plug-ins. This plug-in bundle includes the Digidesign Bomb Factory BF-3A, Cosmonaut Voice, D-Fi bundle, JOEMEEK SC2T Photo Optical Compressor, JOEMEEK VC5T Meequalizer, Maxim, Moogerfooger Analog Delay, Moogerfooger Ring Modulator, SansAmp PSA-1, Tel-Ray, Variable Delay, Voce Spin, Voce Chorus/Vibrato and an accompanying iLok USB Smart Key. Loop-friendly producers take note: while running Pro Tools|LE 7.3 on my laptop, I was able to access Acid loops and REX2 files from a CD, and I auditioned them from Digidesign’s Digibase Workspace window. A 003 hardware/software combo makes for thoughtful and extremely powerful junk in the trunk.

Digidesign has heard the cry for better MIDI; press the MIDI Mode button and you’re in a new standalone MIDI Mode. The 003 control surface sends out MIDI data and will control Ableton Live, as well as any other application that supports MIDI controller messages (such as Reason, for example).

Free Digi 003 Driver For Mac

Further, users can assign I/Os; in the software, MIDI regions are now created on bar boundaries. You can click on the keyboard in MIDI and Instrument tracks to quickly select all of the same-pitched notes of your performance. The new RTAS Engine error suppression keeps things moving. Sibelius users can export Pro Tools MIDI and instrument tracks, complete with key changes. Also, the new Key Signature ruler allows you to add, edit, move, and delete key signatures in your sessions. Add a key signature to define the key of a composition; edit it to change sessions or passages to another key. You can specify the mode (major or minor), transpose MIDI pitches diatonically or chromatically, and even constrain pitches to a key.

There is a passel of other little niceties, too. Pro Tools|LE used to require you to stop playback before adding and reordering tracks; creating, moving or copying inserts and sends; and adjusting the I/O. Now you can do it on the fly, even while recording. You can drag and drop plug-in settings from the DigiBase browser onto empty insert slots or active plug-ins for instant plug-in opening and setting recall. There are a lot of right-click contextual menus that provide quick access to commonly accessed parameters, so visit www.digidesign.com to see what other user requests have been built into Pro Tools|LE 7.3.

In Use

Even though this is a major upgrade, Digidesign didn’t change or move many features. I did lose my old Digi EQ, compressor and limiter plug-ins as a result of the upgrade, but I copied them from an older system to the new folder, restarted, and they were back. [According to Digidesign, the 003 features “much better EQ 3 and Dynamics 3 plugs, which are much better quality than old ones.” — Ed.]

Incorporating some of the new 7.3 features took a little time, because I had to remind myself that they are there. Even little OS system hooks like “Open Recent Sessions” that seem inconsequential are valuable time savers.

An aside: I used to be a knob and fader guy. I know it’s stylish again to strut your stuff with hardware, but I’m very comfortable without a hunk of metal and plastic bristling with knobs in front of me. So, for me, learning the 003 hardware interface — while not that difficult — presented a moderate learning curve. Even though you can assign inserts and sends from the 003 control surface, I found myself resorting to more familiar mouse, cursor and keyboard commands when convenient.

My first session was tracking acoustic guitar using an 800 MHz Mac Titanium G4 laptop. [According to Digidesign, its older Mac is not supported for use with the 7.3 software … so you have been warned. — Ed.] All connections are on the back of the 003 except the twin headphone jacks on the front edge of the chassis (each with its own volume control). I tracked acoustic guitar (using K&K Pure Western mini pickups) and went straight to the DI on the 003. The 003 recordings were a little brighter and slightly edgier than a Millennia Media STT-1 instrument input or Groove Tubes Brick (I usually feed those to an RME A/D converter and go into my Digi 002 via Lightpipe, bypassing the analog front-end of my Digi 002). A new session automatically instantiated click track selected in the MIDI Preferences assisted.

My next session was tracking two songs for Karyn Oliver and associates, again with an 800 MHz G4 TiBook lashed to the 003 and my main monitoring system. I used a pair of Schoeps CMC641 into the 003 mic preamps as close stereo overheads for Laura Cerulli’s congas. Karyn’s Simon and Patrick acoustic guitar, meanwhile, has a good-sounding internal pickup, so I used a TRUE P-SOLO preamp for that, coming out line level to one of the 003 TRS line level inputs.

Fast FactsApplications
Project studio, studio, audio-for-broadcast/video

Key Features
More dedicated controls that its Digi 002 predecessor; improved MIDI, looping, and overall integration with the latest Mac OS; the Factory bundle; Sibelius support

Price
$2,495 (003 Factory); $1,295 (003 Rack); $1,695 (003 Rack Factory)

Contact
Digidesign | 800-333-2137 | www.digidesign.com

PRODUCT POINTS

Plus

  • 003 is a notable improvement on the well-received Digi 002
  • The available Factory bundle is a bargain

Minus

  • Other mic amps and A/D converters may sometimes be needed for desired aural results

Score
The 003 offers everything that the Digi 002 did, and much more.For Karyn’s scratch vocal track, I used a Crowley & Tripp Naked Eye ribbon mic with TRUE P-SOLO Ribbon preamp. Bill Patrick’s acoustic bass got an AKG C414 BULS in a figure-eight pattern through a GML preamp and line-in to the 003. I had to put Bill and the bass in my foam and diffusion-treated bathroom (“ISO Booth Number One”) to get it away from the congas. I created a headphone mix and we tracked (I will say, it’s nice having two separate headphone jacks, each with its own volume control). We were done in two takes, and as we listened back everyone was pleased. I was initially concerned about the sound of the preamps and A/D conversion, but, although we had only used the 003 preamps on the drum overheads, I liked what I heard.

The next tune called for Cerulli’s complete drum kit: a minimal kick, snare, and three cymbals. She uses unusual positioning (drummer’s perspective): kick far right, snare to the left (slightly right of center) and cymbals from the center to the left. We put an Audix D6 on kick and Audix D1 on snare, which, with the Schoeps overheads, filled the 003 four mic pres.

Then it was time for a vocal keeper. I usually record vocals with a Neumann U89 oriented horizontally and in figure-eight down at one end of the room so the backside hears the diffusion from the rest of the room. I also usually track vocals with a GML or Millennia Media STT-1. This time, I used the DIGI 003 preamp; admittedly, it makes for a far more affordable chain than one using GML or Millennia amplification. The new 003 preamps use discrete, bi-polar, low-noise transistors with increased dynamic range relative to the Digi 002 preamps. Karyn’s voice hardens when she leans on it past a certain point; any harshness in the sound chain will only make things worse.

During tracking, her voice sounded a little edgy. I normally pull out some 6 kHz, wide but fairly shallow to begin with, and use Pro Tools|LE’s automation to pull down an extra dB or two during the harder moments. I had to reduce a bit more of each than I usually do and found later that the U89/DIGI 003 preamp combo was harder and brighter than my usual U89/GML/RME ADI-8 DS chain … and enough for me to want to retrack the vocals with my preferred preamps and A/D conversion.

Adding my usual plug-ins was easier because I didn’t have to stop the transport. A Voce plug-in (part of Factory) was just right to add a little interest to Karyn’s acoustic guitar. I also added not one, but two convincing tracks (B3 and piano) from Xpand! (Digidesign’s free RTAS soft synth plug-in). Xpand! should not be overlooked. I’ve started a CD of trance music made entirely using Xpand! And remember, I did this on my 800 G4 laptop while running the word processor for writing this article. There were one or two burps during renders and the poor thing was running a little slow, but I did it just to see if the G4 could handle it without melting down. It did.

Digi 003 Driver Download

003

Summary

The 003 Factory is more than an excellent “starter kit,” especially with the plug-in deal. The more I talk to Pro Tools|LE users, the more amazed I am by the number of different ways in which people are using the software. That says a lot about the openness of the company to listen to all of their users. And, after all, Digidesign may wind up with many LE users becoming TDM-based users later. You may also find, as I did, that while computers get faster and storage gets cheaper, a custom front end of preamps and A/D converters puts Pro Tools|LE almost right up there with the bigger boys in terms of quality and functionality.

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Digidesign Drivers For Mac

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