ProTools Intro - Motu MicroBook II - No output sound

[Acilbibabrab]

Hi all,

i'm new to ProTools and i'm struggling in getting sound out from the software using my MOTU - MicroBook II audio interface.

I'm not having issues using Ableton Live, if i set the same proper output (aux 1-2) i can hear from my headphone as i'm expected to do.

These are the steps i followed so far:

- updated audio interface to the last firmware
- installed "latest" driver for my audio interface (it's a pretty old model so i'm wondering if is not supported anymore by some daw)
- set up the playback engine like this:
playback_engine.PNG
- set up as default input/output and bus:
input_output_bus.jpg

- imported an audio file into the PT session setting up the output as aux 7-8 (the same i use in ableton and that works there):
playback_track.jpg

As you can see from the last picture the meters are working and the track is actually sending the signal somewhere.

The MOTU software (CueMix) seems set in a correct way, all the channels are unmuted. Is not intuitive but the Aux 1-2 is the one used to send all the sounds from PC (daw's sound included) through the audio interface outputs.

cuemix_mixes.jpg
cuemix_outputs.png

I can hear Youtube, etc and also Ableton live (assigning the tracks output to aux) with this configuration of cuemix, so i guess it's correct.
But i can't hear any sound from PT if i assign the same output to my tracks.

Am i missing something?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Here are my audio interface and system infos:

MOTU MicroBook II
Firmware 1.04
Serial MB20684250
Driver 4.0 66814

Computer
Model : GigaByte Z370N WIFI Default string
Serial Number : Default*******
Chassis : OEM Desktop
Mainboard : GigaByte Z370N WIFI-CF
Serial Number : Default*******
BIOS : AMI (OEM) F14 11/13/2021
Intel Management Engine (ME) : 11.8.81.3807
TPM - Trusted Platform Module : Intel 2.0 2016 (24PCR 64Ses 7Obj 16Ctr)

System Memory
Total Memory : 16GB DIMM DDR4

Processors
Processor : Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz (6C 4.1GHz, 3.8GHz/4GHz IMC, 6x 256kB L2, 9MB L3)
Socket/Slot : FC LGA1151

Chipset
Memory Controller : Gigabyte Core8S (CofeeLake-S 6C) Host Bridge/DRAM Registers 100MHz, 2x 8GB DIMM DDR4 2.13GHz 128-bit

Memory Module(s)
Memory Module : G Skill Intl/SK Hynix F4-3200C16-8GTZR 8GB DIMM DDR4 1Rx8 PC4-25600U DDR4-3200 XMP (15-15-15-36 4-51-16-3)
Memory Module : G Skill Intl/SK Hynix F4-3200C16-8GTZR 8GB DIMM DDR4 1Rx8 PC4-25600U DDR4-3200 XMP (15-15-15-36 4-51-16-3)

Video System
Monitor/Panel : BNQ ZOWIE RL LCD
(1920x1080, 24.0")
Video Adapter : NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB (1280S 10C SM5.2 1.5GHz/1.71GHz, 1.5MB L2, 6GB 8GHz 192-bit, PCIe 3.0 x16)

Graphics Processor
CUDA : NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB (1280S 10C SM6.1 1.5GHz/1.71GHz, 1.5MB L2, 6GB 7.6GHz/8GHz 192-bit)
OpenCL : NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB (1280S 10C SM3.0 1.5GHz/1.71GHz, 1.5MB L2, 6GB 7.6GHz/8GHz 192-bit)
D3D 11 : NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB (1280S 10C SM11.5 1.5GHz/1.71GHz, 1.5MB L2, 6GB 7.6GHz/8GHz 192-bit)
OpenGL : NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB/PCIe/SSE2 (1280S 10C SM4.60 1.5GHz/1.71GHz, 1.5MB L2, 6GB 7.6GHz/8GHz 192-bit)

Storage Devices
Disk : Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB (500.1GB, SATA600, 2.5", SSD, SED)

Logical Storage Devices
Hard Disk : 499MB (NTFS, 4kB) @ Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB (500.1GB, SATA600, 2.5", SSD, SED)
Hard Disk (C:) : 465GB (NTFS, 4kB) @ Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB (500.1GB, SATA600, 2.5", SSD, SED)
Hard Disk : 95MB (FAT32, 1kB) @ Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB (500.1GB, SATA600, 2.5", SSD, SED)

Storage System
Storage Pool : Primordial (465.76GB)

Peripherals
LPC Hub Controller : Gigabyte Z370 (Union Point) LPC/eSPI Controller
LPC Hub Controller : ITE IT8686E
Audio Device : Gigabyte ICH200 (Union Point) HD Audio
Audio Device : ASUS GP106 High Definition Audio Controller
Audio Codec : nVidia nForce MCP2S PCI System Management
Disk Controller : Gigabyte ICH200 (Union Point) SATA controller [AHCI mode]
Disk Controller : Gigabyte ICH200 (Union Point) PMC
USB Controller : Gigabyte ICH200 (Union Point) USB 3.0 xHCI Controller
SMBus/i2c Controller : Intel ICH SMBus

Printers and Faxes
Printer : Microsoft Software Printer Driver (300x300, Colour)
Printer : Microsoft XPS Document Writer v4 (600x600, Colour)
Printer : Microsoft Print To PDF (600x600, Colour)
Fax : Microsoft Shared Fax Driver (200x200)
Printer : Brother PC-FAX v.3.2 (200x200)
Printer : Brother MFC-L2700DW series (600x600)

Scanners & Cameras
Scanner : Brother MFC-L2700DW LAN (Scanner, 600x2400, USB)

Biometrics
Voice : Analog NUI Voice Virtual Sensor (Voice)

Network Services
Network Adapter : Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network) #2 (Ethernet)
Network Adapter : Intel(R) I211 Gigabit Network Connection (Ethernet)
Network Adapter : Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (2) I219-V (Ethernet, 100Mbps)
Wireless Adapter : Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265

Operating System
Windows System : Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 10.0.19045
Platform Compliance : x64

[albee1952]

Very often, Pro Tools doesn't like to share hardware with Windows. As an experiment, go into Windows Settings>Sound and set the playback device to the on-board sound card(Realtek?) and try again.

[Darryl Ramm]

I can't follow what you are doing exactly. And I've not looked at the Motu hardware mixer settings. But that Mp3 audio track is not outputting directly to your headphone, or at least not the obvious headphone output you show listed in IO>Setup>Output.

What is the master fader (for the headphone or whatever you re listening to) set to? What does it's meter show?

Start with a simple, trivial session. One audio track, one corresponding master fader, no aux inputs, no inserts, no plugins,

Is low latency monitoring enabled? Disable it if you are not tracking and using Motu hardware monitoring.

[Acilbibabrab]

Thanks for your reply,

i tried in setting the playback device to the onboard card but still no sound out from Protools.

[Acilbibabrab]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I can't follow what you are doing exactly. And I've not looked at the Motu hardware mixer settings. But that Mp3 audio track is not outputting directly to your headphone, or at least not the obvious headphone output you show listed in IO>Setup>Output.

What is the master fader (for the headphone or whatever you re listening to) set to? What does it's meter show?

Start with a simple, trivial session. One audio track, one corresponding master fader, no aux inputs, no inserts, no plugins,

Is low latency monitoring enabled? Disable it if you are not tracking and using Motu hardware monitoring.

As i said how the mix works on that Motu is not that intuitive.
Aux and phones output lead both sound on my headphones, this happen in Ableton and in Windows system too.
For example, if i'm on Youtube i can hear stuff switching my windows output from Phones to Aux, same happen if i switch the outputs on the tracks of an Ableton session.

I tried a trivial session on Protools, one single track with an mp3 audio loaded and a master fader. I can see the meters pumping during the playback on both the faders...but again..no sound out..regardless the output i set on the tracks...aux or phones.

[Acilbibabrab]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I can't follow what you are doing exactly. And I've not looked at the Motu hardware mixer settings. But that Mp3 audio track is not outputting directly to your headphone, or at least not the obvious headphone output you show listed in IO>Setup>Output.

What is the master fader (for the headphone or whatever you re listening to) set to? What does it's meter show?

Start with a simple, trivial session. One audio track, one corresponding master fader, no aux inputs, no inserts, no plugins,

Is low latency monitoring enabled? Disable it if you are not tracking and using Motu hardware monitoring.

Sorry, i forgot to mentioned that Low Latency Monitor is disabled.

[Top Jimmy]

What I don’t get is why you expect to monitor via aux 7-8. Main is your output monitoring path in Pro Tools.

In the MOTU app, you would only choose Mix 1 as the output source if using the low-latency monitoring function part of the MOTU interface. Otherwise the source should be set to the Pro Tools main output path.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Acilbibabrab

As i said how the mix works on that Motu is not that intuitive.
Aux and phones output lead both sound on my headphones, this happen in Ableton and in Windows system too.
For example, if i'm on Youtube i can hear stuff switching my windows output from Phones to Aux, same happen if i switch the outputs on the tracks of an Ableton session.

I tried a trivial session on Protools, one single track with an mp3 audio loaded and a master fader. I can see the meters pumping during the playback on both the faders...but again..no sound out..regardless the output i set on the tracks...aux or phones.

You are likely tripping over yourself here. You need to simplify this, and get a better understanding of CueMix. Maybe you did simplify stuff but what exact physical output (not the aux) are you trying to drive and is the master fader showing that correct output? And what does CueMix show for the output levels?

As both Top Jimmy and I have pointed out you should be using the direct I/O ports for your phones and other outputs. The only reason the Aux output produces headphone output is that aux goes back into the CueMix mixer and then hopefully mixed from there out the headphones. For a basic simple setup you should not be doing this, and certainly when troubleshooting you should not be doing this. Drive the outputs directly from the DAW, work out how to disable/defeat all the CueMix stuff for now, and just don't use it... unless you *need* to, i.e. for hardware monitoring, where it can be great. Check the output names and I/O port numbering shown in Pro Tools is what you expect. Check the master faders output level... make sure you are looking at the master fader for the correct physical output. Look in CueMix to see if the output meter is moving, I assume it's supposed to even for a direct signal. Follow the signal from the beginning to the end (headphones or monitors) and work out where it is not getting through.

[Darryl Ramm]

Ah... but the real problem here, is Pro Tools *Intro* seems limited to four physical I/O output, i.e. two stereo channels.

This does not seem described anywhere amongst the already limited, buggy, and confusing Pro Tools Intro product documentation... I've reported other Intro product info errors and Avid seems unable to fix simple web content. I assume there is just nobody competent at Avid actually responsible for Intro. What a fantastic company.

And as with the four input limit there is no clues/hints in the UI that a user is hitting a limit, stuff appears to be working, a bad product decision to waste new users time, and just piss them off. Just brilliant, contemptible disregard for users. What a fantastic company.

So Intro will drive the first four physical output ports on the MicroBook, which will be Main Out 1/2 and Line 1 3/4 on your MicroBook.

Allow me to suggest some excellent industry leading DAWs: Logic Pro and Reaper.

[unkJE]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Very often, Pro Tools doesn't like to share hardware with Windows. As an experiment, go into Windows Settings>Sound and set the playback device to the on-board sound card(Realtek?) and try again.

Worth trying again, followed by a computer restart, for the new on-board sound card setting to "kick in"