Pro Tools defaulting to MBP mic

[daeron80]

One thing that drives me crazy about recent versions of Pro Tools is that it defaults to using the built-in mic instead of the built-in headphone jack. When on the go, I use PT without a USB interface, and it always launches with the MBP microphone as the Playback Engine. Seriously?! How could a laptop mic even be a playback engine?

It would save me half a minute every time I launch PT without an interface if it would default to External Headphones instead of the mic. I get that Mac OS doesn't want it to do that unless headphones are plugged in. That's fine. I can remember to plug my headphones in first, and I get it if it goes to mic when I forget. Just make it prefer headphones over mic when available if there's no other hardware interface hooked up. Please?

[its2loud]

It takes you half a minute to change the playback engine before opening a session?

Pro Tools grabs the next available device if your last device isn’t available. Since the MPB microphone and speakers are two different devices, it grabs the first one, which just happens to be the built in microphone.

[daeron80]

Originally Posted by its2loud

It takes you half a minute to change the playback engine before opening a session?

Pro Tools grabs the next available device if your last device isn’t available. Since the MPB microphone and speakers are two different devices, it grabs the first one, which just happens to be the built in microphone.

It often does take that long because it's my 28 year habit to launch PT using the desired session file rather than the app icon. I have to wait for the session to open, find that it doesn't play back (because it doesn't actually have a playback engine at that point, just a device that PT blindly treats as one), and then have to close the session, choose an actual playback engine, and re-open the session.

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by daeron80

it's my 28 year habit to launch PT using the desired session file rather than the app icon.

Time to break that old habit. Open Pro Tools and hold the N key to go straight to the audio engine setup window>select the HP out and then open your session. Or(not a Mac user here), is it possible to disable the mic so the HP out becomes the first available option?

[its2loud]

Originally Posted by daeron80

It often does take that long because it's my 28 year habit to launch PT using the desired session file rather than the app icon. I have to wait for the session to open, find that it doesn't play back (because it doesn't actually have a playback engine at that point, just a device that PT blindly treats as one), and then have to close the session, choose an actual playback engine, and re-open the session.

Your signature says HP Z440 but you mention Mac OS in your original post. Do you have the Pro Tools aggregate device in your Audio/Midi Setup in the Mac OS?

[daeron80]

Originally Posted by its2loud

Your signature says HP Z440 but you mention Mac OS in your original post. Do you have the Pro Tools aggregate device in your Audio/Midi Setup in the Mac OS?

My M1 MBP is my work laptop, owned by the company I work full-time for. I write music for fun on my Windows machine at home.


Could I solve this by using the aggregate device and checking only the set of devices I want it to use? I have used aggregate for convoluted live-streaming situations before the Pro Tools Audio Bridge function was added.

[its2loud]

There should already be a PT aggregate in the audio midi setup. If not, you could make one with the Mac Microohone as input and built in speakers as output.

However, be careful here. If you are unplugging and plugging in headphones, this changes the device in the Mac OS to external headphones which Pro Tools sees as a completely different device and won’t switch on its own if you remove your headphones.

So, what do you want Pro Tools to recognize when you’re not using an interface?

[daeron80]

When I'm on the move and have no external interface, I want to plug in my headphones, launch PT, and have it use the headphone out. It used to do that more or less automatically. I think a change to Core Audio happened somewhere around Monterey, and maybe there's nothing Avid can do about it. But if there's any way PT could signal the OS to not treat the internal mic as a playback device for its purposes, that would be a step in the right direction.

[K Roche]

Originally Posted by daeron80

When I'm on the move and have no external interface, I want to plug in my headphones, launch PT, and have it use the headphone out. It used to do that more or less automatically. I think a change to Core Audio happened somewhere around Monterey, and maybe there's nothing Avid can do about it. But if there's any way PT could signal the OS to not treat the internal mic as a playback device for its purposes, that would be a step in the right direction.

OK some thoughts . First no I do not think PT Aggregate is the solution
Because I just tested this with my M1 Pro MBP -OS 13 .2.1-- PT 2023.6 (don't know if PT version and or Mac OS makes a difference BUT)

Once I set up for External Headphones it defaults to that on launch either from the PT Icon >Dash Board, or directly from a PT session icon

Now to be clear what I did to get the External Headphones (because I had been running the MBP with my Carbon interface ) was::

#1 first Plug in the Headphones
#2 go into Mac OS > Sound and select "External HP for- Output
#3 open Audio Midi setup and select "External HP for - Output
#4 launch PT from dock icon (create blank session ) then Set Up > Playback Engine > External Headphones
#5 Close and save
#6 Quit Pro tools
#7 Shut down MBP

From then 0n I could launch either from directly from existing session or from PT icon -Dash Board and it is defaulted to External Headphones


So If that does not fix it for you then I would guess it is either something with your PT version or Mac OS or the combination
OR something got changed and or corrupted in you PT Preferences in which you might try trashing the PT Preferences

[daeron80]

Originally Posted by K Roche

Now to be clear what I did to get the External Headphones (because I had been running the MBP with my Carbon interface ) was::

#1 first Plug in the Headphones
#2 go into Mac OS > Sound and select "External HP for- Output
#3 open Audio Midi setup and select "External HP for - Output
#4 launch PT from dock icon (create blank session ) then Set Up > Playback Engine > External Headphones
#5 Close and save
#6 Quit Pro tools
#7 Shut down MBP

From then 0n I could launch either from directly from existing session or from PT icon -Dash Board and it is defaulted to External Headphones

Thanks so much for your work on that! I'll give it a shot. My aging father-in-law is needing more and more attention these days, so I'm probably going to be working on headphones at his house about half the time. It will be a great time saver if this protocol improves the situation.