Pro Tools 8 and MP3 Upgrade

I have already searched the support knowledge base thoroughly.

I purchased and downloaded the MP3 option to my iLok device. When trying to bounce to disk using the MP3 option, Pro Tools tells me that it can't do this because the demo period has expired.

HOWEVER, there is no MP3 folder in C:\Program Files\Common Files
\Digidesign\DAE\Codecs. There is only a Windows Media folder that contains WMA codecs. So the proposed solution from Digidesign support is impossible to execute.

I never installed the demo from my original Pro Tools 7.4 installation, and I received no option to install it when I downloaded and installed my free upgrade to Pro Tools 8. If I try to run the MP3 option from the Pro Tools 7.4 disc, I'm sure it's going to wreak havoc. It probably won't be compatible with my Pro Tools 8 install anyway. Whatever the case, I cannot afford to risk overwriting anything or screwing up my current install.

Please don't tell me that I have to re-download and re-install Pro Tools 8, because I have already had to do that twice previously because of issues with Windows and M-Audio drivers. Every time I have to troubleshoot anything with Pro Tools, it is a monumental struggle, and nothing goes smoothly.

So please give me a reasonable way to get what I paid for and start bouncing to MP3 files with the license I have on my iLok. Otherwise I guess I'll be asking for a refund.

I finally found the solution, and I have no idea why this wasn't much easier to find through Digidesign support. I had to go into the web store, look at my purchase details again, and then click on one of the links to find a support page that took me to the right place.

Thankfully there is a separate installer available if you downloaded Pro Tools 8 as an upgrade and don't own the disc. But it certainly was not easy to find. Any searches for Pro Tools MP3 option bring up dozens of other support topics, and most have the same solution which is impossible if you downloaded Pro Tools 8. Some even tell you to run the downloaded installer again, which would require a 3.1 GB download.

Hopefully support can find a way to make the MP3 installer much easier to find for Pro Tools 8.

[Avid]

The MP3 Option installer for Pro Tools 8 is available in a couple of places on the Featured Downloads page under Quick Links in the Support section:
www.digidesign.com/downloads

Pro Tools Application & Related Updates
Pro Tools 8.0
Pro Tools M-Powered 8.0 Additional Downloads
* Pro Tools M-Powered 8.0 Options Installers (DigiTranslator, MP3 Option)
* MP3 Option Installation on Pro Tools 8 Systems

And under "Other Software Updates" farther down the page:
MP3 Option & MP3 Export
MP3 Option FAQ

And also in the Downloads section for each version of Pro Tools 8 on the main Support home page:
www.digidesign.com/support

[derekg]

i purchased pro tools le 8 do i need to purchase the mp3 option in order to bounce to disk in mp3 format?

[YoRugMan]

Just out of interest - does one still need to purchase it for HD?

.

[derekg]

thanks bro

[Jenk2k]

This is asinine. Really angers me that this wasn't handled in the upgrade and that I had to do so much searching to fix this.

[mhbmusic]

For those still looking for the download, it has now been changed to a new location. Here is a direct link.
http://akmedia.digidesign.com/suppor...2982e9f96585bc