Pro Tools 10 - plugins missing at first

[boxedin]

This is a word of warning about the need to install PT10 and other related software in the correct order. I just bought an Mbox Pro (3rd generation) bundled with PT9 with a free upgrade to PT10. I was to install it on a Mac Mini 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4Gb RAM (on which I had never installed any version of Pro Tools before) running Lion 10.7.2. I also own the Virtual Instruments set (bought years ago for my HD2 Accel system on a G5 ppc) and I made the mistake of buying the PTIEP and installing that on my Mac Mini in the week leading up to the Mbox/PT10 bundle being delivered.

As found by some other posters, this led to not being able to access any AAX or RTAS plugins or virtual instruments or Audiosuite plugins when I started up PT10. I then did a clean uninstall of PT10 and also deleted the PTIEP instruments and all Avid/Digidesign preferences and also any folders I could find in the Library that had Avid or Digidesign in the title - some items had been left despite the clean uninstall. I also deleted Pro Tools versions of a few third party plug ins which I will have to reinstall later.

Then I repaired permissions and started to reinstall - first the Mbox driver, then PT10. I started up PT10 and this time I could see the splash screen running through all the plug ins. I opened up the PT10 demo file so as not to confuse PT 10 with possible incompatibilities from old PT7 and PT8 files and it worked. I then quit and reinstalled the Avid Virtual Instruments 10 package. Relaunched PT10, opened the demo file again and it's all working fine.

I have run out of time today, so will install the PTIEP tomorrow.

I have to say that the 32 audio tracks and 20 instances of the new PT Channelstrip, plus a dozen or so other AIR plugins make my GUI slow and jerky and it felt like being back on Digital Performer in 2002, but the audio continued to playback just fine. This means I need to save up for a more powerful Mac next year.

AVID - you need to give clearer instructions on how to install PT10 as problems such as I have encountered in the last couple of days must be wasting a lot of people's time.