Absolute Beginner general enquiry...

[Stonelaughter]

Could you please tell me:

Is it necessary to use external custom hardware in order to make Pro Tools First work? Will it not work at all with a built-in Windows sound card? The reason I ask is that I have finally got the software activated but it won't run; complaining it can't access "The Hardware".

Thanks

Windows 10 Professional fully up to date at time of writing
Lenovo Yoga 700-14ISK hybrid laptop
Conexant SmartAudio HD
Intel Display Audio
ProTools First (just downloaded and activated).

[Darryl Ramm]

While not absolutely required you are almost certainly better off with a dedicated interface...

Which begs the question... what are you trying to do. What mic preamps, line in/out, digital connections etc. do you need for what you are doing? that usual;y require you to have an interface. What audio monitors are you driving?

And your laptop may have more than the Intel audio driver mentioned. Where is your SiSoft Sandra report?... Start at the "help us help you" link up the top pf every DUC web page and follow the directions on how to do a Sandra report and look at other posted all over DUC to make sure you do the same. Copy and Paste those results here... Lenovo are terrible about providing clear specs for what that fondleslab has so Sandra will help.

[Darryl Ramm]

And what Playback engine are you trying to use in Pro Tools First? Hold down 'N' while Pro Tools First is starting and keep it held until the Playback Engine dialog panel appears. What are all the exact option listed in the Playback Engine pulldown?

[Stonelaughter]

OK answering your second question first... in the attachment :)

SiSoft report probably isn't relevant... but is also listed below.

All I want to do is record me playing a wooden flute, in a room I have which is suitable, using a USB microphone: and clean up the recording a little and add a bit of reverb.

I'm beginning to get the impression that ProTools (even the free one) is vastly more than I need... I don't have preamps or any of the other stuff you mentioned.

SiSoftware Sandra

ID
Host Name : LenoLap
Workgroup : WORKGROUP

Computer
Model : Lenovo 80QD IDEAPAD
Serial Number : PF0C****
Chassis : Lenovo Notebook
Mainboard : Lenovo Haydn-S
Serial Number : PF0C****
BIOS : Lenovo DBCN25WW 07/19/2016
TPM - Trusted Platform Module : INTC Intel 2.0 (PCR 24)
Total Memory : 8GB DDR3 SO-DIMM

Processors
Processor : Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6500U CPU @ 2.50GHz (2C 4T 3.09GHz, 3.1GHz IMC, 2x 256kB L2, 4MB L3)
Socket/Slot : FC BGA1356

Chipset
Memory Controller : Lenovo Core (Skylake-U) ULV Host Bridge/DRAM Registers 100MHz, 8GB DDR3 SO-DIMM 1.6GHz 64-bit, Integrated Graphics

Memory Module(s)
Memory Module : Ramaxel/Micron RMT3160ME68FAF1600 8GB DDR3 SO-DIMM PC3-12800SO DDR3-1600 (11-11-11-29 5-40-13-6)

Video System
Monitor/Panel : ChiMei Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1080, N140HCE-EBA
, 13.9")
Video Adapter : Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 (24CU 192SP SM5.2 1GHz, 768kB L2, 128MB DDR3 1.6GHz 64-bit, Integrated Graphics)

Graphics Processor
OpenCL : Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 (192SP 24C 1GHz, 512kB L2, 3.2GB DDR3 1.6GHz 64-bit, Integrated Graphics)
D3D 11 : Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 (192SP 24C 1GHz, 768kB L2, 128MB DDR3 1.6GHz 64-bit, Integrated Graphics)
OpenGL : Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 (192SP 24C 1GHz, 768kB L2, 128MB DDR3 1.6GHz 64-bit, Integrated Graphics)

Pen and Touch
Touch Digitiser : Integrated
Multi-Touch : Yes
Simultaneous Touches : 10
Pen Digitiser : External

Storage Devices
LITEON CV1-DB256 (256GB, SATA600, SSD) : 238GB (C:) (D:)

Logical Storage Devices
WINRE_DRV : 1000MB (NTFS, 4kB) @ LITEON CV1-DB256 (256GB, SATA600, SSD)
LENOVO_PART : 18GB (NTFS, 4kB) @ LITEON CV1-DB256 (256GB, SATA600, SSD)
SYSTEM_DRV : 256MB (FAT32, 4kB) @ LITEON CV1-DB256 (256GB, SATA600, SSD)
Windows (C:) : 213GB (NTFS, 4kB) @ LITEON CV1-DB256 (256GB, SATA600, SSD)
Lenovo (D:) : 5GB (NTFS, 4kB) @ 2x LITEON CV1-DB256 (256GB, SAS/SATA600, SSD)

Peripherals
LPC Hub Controller #1 : Lenovo Sunrise Point-LP LPC Controller
Audio Device : Lenovo Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio
Disk Controller : Lenovo Sunrise Point-LP SATA Controller [AHCI mode]
Disk Controller : Lenovo 9D2B
Disk Controller : Lenovo Sunrise Point-LP Secure Digital IO Controller
Disk Controller : Lenovo Sunrise Point-LP PMC
USB Controller #1 : Lenovo Sunrise Point-LP USB 3.0 xHCI Controller
SMBus/i2c Controller #1 : Intel ICH SMBus

Printers and Faxes
Printer : Send to Microsoft OneNote 16 Driver (1200x1200, Colour)
Printer : Microsoft XPS Document Writer v4 (600x600, Colour)
Printer : Microsoft Print To PDF (600x600, Colour)
Printer : HP ENVY 5530 series (600x600, Colour)
Fax : Microsoft Shared Fax Driver (200x200)

Scanners and Cameras
Scanner : Microsoft HP66401A (HP ENVY 5530 series) (Scanner, USB)
Scanner : Hewlett-Packard HP ENVY 5530 series (NET) (Scanner, USB)

Sensors
Unknown : Microsoft HID Sensor Class Device: Custom (Unknown, Unknown)
Motion : Microsoft HID Sensor Class Device: Gyroscope (Motion, Gyrometer)
Orientation : Microsoft HID Sensor Class Device: Orientation (Orientation, Unknown)
Orientation : Microsoft HID Sensor Class Device: Compass (Orientation, Compass)
Orientation : Microsoft HID Sensor Class Device: Inclinometer (Orientation, Inclinometer)
Motion : Microsoft HID Sensor Class Device: Accelerometer (Motion, Accelerometer)
Orientation : Microsoft Simple device orientation service - Simple device orientation (Orientation, Unknown)
Light : Microsoft HID Sensor Class Device: AmbientLight (Light, Light)

Network Services
Network Adapter : TunnelBear Adapter V9 (Ethernet)
Wireless Adapter : Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165 (802.11ac (VHT), AES-CCMP, 433.3Mbps)

Power Management
Battery #1 : SMP L14M4P72 45.00Wh/5.50Ah

Operating System
Windows System : Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 10.0.17134
Platform Compliance : x64

[Benoni]

Does your microphone have ASIO drivers?

[BScout]

Install ASIO4ALL
http://www.asio4all.org/

Make sure Windows isn't using that as an audio device for system sounds (all system sounds, windows media player, etc should be using something or nothing else -- otherwise Pro Tools won't be able to adjust sample rates, etc to match your projects)

Set Pro Tools to use Asio4All as the playback engine.

ASIO4All just makes the WDM audio interface (in your case, the on-board Conexant audio) appear as an ASIO audio interface.

I do this with my Thinkpad when I don't want to carry my separate usb audio interface.

[Stonelaughter]

Thank you I'll try that... but I've no idea if the mic has ASIO drivers since I've never heard of them :)

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Stonelaughter

OK answering your second question first... in the attachment :)

SiSoft report probably isn't relevant... but is also listed below.

All I want to do is record me playing a wooden flute, in a room I have which is suitable, using a USB microphone: and clean up the recording a little and add a bit of reverb.

Can you provide a little more detail? What exact make/model USB microphone. A USB Mic has the microphone/preamp and interface all built into one box and that built-in USB interface the Pro Tools playback engine needs to be set to. Either with a native ASIO driver or WASAPI or via ASIO4ALL.

ASIO4ALL should probably be the last option, but may be what you need... better vendors may provide instructions for using their products with Pro Tools First/Pro Tools, so worth checking their doc or help sites. Pro Tools and other higher-end DAWS have long required ASIO compatible interfaces and not standard old Windows audio interfaces. Pro Tools First and Pro Tools 12 added WASAPI audio device compatibility as well. ASIO4ALL is a way for wrapping standard Windows audio devices to make them look like an ASIO device, but best to avoid if there is native support. All a long way of saying Windows audio has historically been a mess.

The screenshot seems to shows you are trying to use the laptop's built in microphone and audio output not that of a USB Mic. What are *all* the options available in both pulldown menus on that dialog?

I has assumed you wanted to use the laptop built in audio, which is why I was asking for a Sandra report, you may still need that... depending on how you plan to monitor the audio...

Are you playing flute just live in the room or are you playing to a backing track? How are you intending to listen to audio either while recording or playing back later. And what exact output speakers etc. do you want to use. e.f. do you have a headphones to plug into the audio output on the USB Mic (assuming it has one) -- not the laptop?

[Stonelaughter]

Hi

Thanks for being so patient I really appreciate your advice.

I'm not playing to a backing track nor am I monitoring; I'm simply playing live in the room and then uploading to my website where I sell the flutes, so that potential customers can hear the flute before buying. Hence I have no clue as to the end-user output device. Personally I'll play it back to make sure of quality via my 3.5mm headphone jack and some high quality earbuds... but the important part is ensuring a nice clean recording with a little reverb for my customers to hear the flute at its best.

I've got it running using the ASIO for all; but I think that as I suspected, ProTools is more than I need by a very long way, and certainly will be more of a learning journey to use than I ever want to commit to.

[Stonelaughter]

Oh - and please don't Judge me.

This is my mic...

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/produc...?ie=UTF8&psc=1