Does Playback Engine and interface need to be the same?

[Alexlimbert]

If I don't choose my interface as the playback engine, it seems like I can't use inputs from that interface. Can't I choose the inputs from an interface and choose a totally different playback engine (e.g. HDMI)?

[amagras]

No

[panamajack]

Depends on your interface and depends on your operating system.

[Alexlimbert]

Good, but how can I get my interface inputs to show as inputs if I choose another playback engine? Whenever I choose a playback engine that's not my interface out, it says something like some inputs have been disabled and my interface doesn't show up as an input source anymore.

[Darryl Ramm]

The playback engine *is* the interface Pro Tools is using.

You normally select the interface you want to use as the Playback engine and then what IO you want to use on that interface for input and output. Pro Tool itself usually has no ability to span across interface boxes (see exceptions below).

The extra bonus points details are...

On Macintosh is is possible to aggregate some CoreAudio interfaces, using Audio MIDI Setup but how well that works depends on the drivers for the interfaces and potentially the ability to sync different interfaces clock sources.

ASIO4ALL provides some aggregation capability on Windows, but you want to avoid ASIO4ALL to start with and instead use native ASIO interface driver support wherever possible.

Some interfaces, mostly Thunderbolt ones, are capable of daisy chaining similar units (I'd say aggregating, but they don't rely on CoreAudio or ASIO4ALL aggregation).

Pro Tools HD with Digilink/TDM interfaces naturally spans IO across connected Digilink interfaces.

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With no details at all about you system, OS, interface or drivers, folks here can't give you any direct help.

[john1192]

Originally Posted by Alexlimbert

Good, but how can I get my interface inputs to show as inputs if I choose another playback engine? Whenever I choose a playback engine that's not my interface out, it says something like some inputs have been disabled and my interface doesn't show up as an input source anymore.

we could use some system info .. please ..

if MAC, you can create an Aggregate Device in Audio Midi Setup and then choose different in's and out's from two different sources ..

if PC, i have no idea ..