Problems with Vocal and Key studio

[petert]

Yesterday, I purchased Avid Vocal Studio and Avid Key Studio. Both come with Avid Pro Tools SE 8.0.3

I've done my best to check through instructions, video guides, FAQs etc but I've been unable to resolve these two problems.

I have an i3 iMac, 3.2 G Intel process, 4G 1333 DDR3 RAM, 1Tb HDD, ATI Radeon HD 5670, OSX 10.6.5 plus a HP w2448hc secondary monitor. I've tested both of these problems with the secondary monitor attached and disconnected.

First problem

I installed Pro Tools SE and then Vocal Studio. I am able to record an audio file but I cannot get it to play back. The files exists and is quite playable in iTunes. I am at a loss to understand why it will not play-back. There is simply no sound at all.

Second problem
After installing Vocal Studio and testing the mic, I cannot work-out how to install the keyboard. The software with both products in the same and if I try to install the keyboard it simply tries to overwrite the current installation. How do I install a second device?

Thankyou in advance for your assistance.

Regards
Peter

[petert]

Problem 1 is SOLVED. I kept researching and I found the solution here:
http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?p=1720942
It seems that you cannot playback through the computer speakers. I am able to listen to audio records through headphones connected to the mic. The issue of not being able to use inbuilt computer speakers needs to be made clearer!

Problem 2 remains UNSOLVED. How do I add a second device?

[petert]

Problem 2 is now SOLVED. Quite unbelievably, Avid requires that you install the program a second time over the top of the existing program. This then takes you to the driver installation choice.

Avid, you might want to note that it is now 2010 ( in fact, a few days short of 2011) and that this is really not a very satisfactory method. Surely you could write the program in such as way that it checks to see if there is already a valid installation and then it jumps ahead to the driver choice.

So far, in three days, my experience with these Avid products has been poor; very poor!

[abnerd]

I just bought the Key Studio version that came with a Pro Tools SE install disc.
There is a folder on the install disc named "Additional Files".
Inside that folder is a folder named "Drivers".
There are individual installs for each supported device in there.
There is no specific driver for the keyboard itself... it should just plug in & work as long as you have one of the others installed (Fast Track, Micro or Producer)
I am not sure what would happen if you install multiple drivers though.

[petert]

abnerd, Thankyou for your response. I first installed Pro Tools and the driver for the mic. It worked, but whenever I plugged-in the keyboard, it would not work and showed an error (the error related to the software not detecting an Avid product attached). I then had to re-install the software over the top of the original installation and on the second occasion select the driver for the keyboard. After that, I was able to get both the keyboard and driver to work. There is nothing that I could do to get the keybosard to work without doing a second installation and chosing the correct driver - which is actually the driver for the dongle, not a specific keyboard driver. It would have to be the most half-arsed method of installing drivers and software that I have ever experienced! I've searched high and low and I cannot find any instructions about a better method. In fact, I could not find any instructions at all that relate to installing a second product. Avid support is pitiful and, as I've, said, I will NEVER recommend their products to another person!

[abnerd]

I feel your pain.
Glad you got it working.

I was only suggesting that you could have loaded the second driver directly from the "Drivers" folder on the disc instead of doing a second full install of the PE software to get to the drivers portion.

I installed the "micro" driver during my full install... then went back to the disc and installed the "fast-track" driver so I can either as my I/O.
Only took about 30 sec. to load the second driver.

[petert]

Ah, I now see what you meant. Perhaps you idea is better, but some INSTRUCTIONS from Avid would certain be bloody helpful! ;-)

[abnerd]

I agree.

[Ben H]

Further information can be found here:

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=...19c94636d7d4fa

[geraldallen]

OK i purchased AVID VOCAL STUDIO AND I INSTALLED IT AND ALL IT SAYS IS UNABLE TO LOCATE AVID HARDWARE, BUT I HAVE IT IN. IS THERE ANYTHING TO DO, I HAVE WINDOWS 8 AND ADOBE FLASH 11