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06-25-2004, 12:50 PM
Pro Tools 6.4 Non-Admin Read Me

The following information is available as a downloadable PDF in the Technical Document Library (http://www.digidesign.com/support/docs/) in the Digidesign Support section of the website under Pro Tools 6.4 Read Me Documents. This document was created after the release of Pro Tools 6.4 and is not included with the 6.4 installers.

Using Pro Tools with a Standard (Non-Administrator) Account on Mac OS X

Pro Tools 6.4 on Mac OS X supports both administrator and standard accounts. Allowing Pro Tools to work with a standard account gives schools and other facilities with multiple Pro Tools users greater flexibility. It enables multiple engineers or students to work with Pro Tools while limiting their ability to install software or access local disk and server locations that should remain restricted.

Installation and Operation

Installation and operation of Pro Tools with a standard user account follows the same procedures that are covered in the Pro Tools Reference Guide, and other documentation. Keep in mind the following:
Pro Tools requires an Administrator for installation.
Pro Tools lets users save their Pro Tools User Preferences individually. Separate versions of Pro Tools Preferences will be stored in each individual’s Home directory if they alter the existing Pro Tools Preferences.
As with previous Pro Tools releases, users still have global Read/Write privileges on all Pro Tools related files and settings other than the Pro Tools user Preferences referenced above. However, users of standard accounts will have their file Read/Write privileges limited by Mac OS X.

Saving Files With a Standard Account on Mac OS X

Users of standard accounts on Mac OS X with Pro Tools will be limited to saving sessions and audio files to folders within
their Home directory. Existing folders in a User’s Home directory include:
Documents
Music
Pictures
Desktop

A typical workflow for standard account users is to write their Pro Tools files to their Documents folder.

A standard account user working with Pro Tools who tries to Save a Session, Save an audio file, or Save Session Copy In will encounter a gray Save button unless they choose to write the file or files to one of the locations listed above.

Saving files and recording on an internal drive will work well for small to medium-sized sessions. For larger sessions requiring many tracks and higher sample rates, external Firewire or SCSI drives may be required. Users requiring external drive access will need to ensure they have Read/Write permissions set to use these drives if logged in using a standard account.

Configuring a Standard Account for Pro Tools Users

When setting up standard accounts for Pro Tools users, it is suggested that System Administrators set the Limits for the nonadmin account to “No Limits.” If the account is restricted, users will encounter further restrictions than those covered above when they try to:
Create a new session
Record audio or MIDI
Process AudioSuite
Export MIDI
Save session
Save session as
Bounce to disk
Create fades
Change playback engines
Change disk allocation
Use “AutoSave”

Known Issues

Usage Limitations with Third-Party Plug-Ins

Digidesign has become aware of some third-party RTAS plug-ins that do not allow users to be logged in with standard accounts on OS X due to issues with their copy protection. Several plug-ins by Native Instruments have this limitation. Native is working to solve this issue and has workarounds for some of their virtual instrument plug-ins.

Opening a Session with a QuickTime Movie as a Standard Account (Non-Admin) User Can Prevent the Movie from Playing Back (Item #47053)

If you open a session as a standard account (non-admin) user and you do not have permissions for the QuickTime movie file, Pro Tools will tell you that the movie file cannot be found and prompt you to relink. In the relink window, the movie can be found and Pro Tools will appear to relink to it but it will still not play back. For correct playback, make sure you have permission to use the QuickTime movie file.