I/O export settings location

[izthewiz]

- iMac (2021) M1/16 GB
- macOS 14.6.1
- Pro Tools Studio v2024.6.0

Hi all,

Whenever I need to tweak my I/O and export the settings, Pro Tools asks for the location to save the settings file. Is there a way to configure Pro Tools or macOS to remember this location?

[_JJ_]

I think if you save your IO settings as a template PT should know where to put them (Users >> [your name] >> Documents >> ProTools >> IO Settings). If you want to keep this altered version AND the previous version then rename it.

But if you choose "export" then you can save your template anywhere so PT will ask where you want it.

[izthewiz]

Originally Posted by _JJ_

I think if you save your IO settings as a template PT should know where to put them (Users >> [your name] >> Documents >> ProTools >> IO Settings). If you want to keep this altered version AND the previous version then rename it.

But if you choose "export" then you can save your template anywhere so PT will ask where you want it.

Thanks for your reply. I'm not seeing an option to save I/O settings as a template from Pro Tools. I would assume it would either be an option in the I/O settings page, or an option in the macOS save window (finder screen). Is this option buried somewhere else?

[Darryl Ramm]

The default location for Pro Tools .pio export files is the "IO Settings" folder in whatever folder you specify in Operation > User Media and Settings Location > Documentation and Settings in Pro Tools Preferences.

If this is not working correctly then check file path permissions, ownership etc. There are some folks who see strange behavior with other files that should be saved under this location. You may need to create IO Settings manually.

[_JJ_]

Yeah, sorry it's "Export Settings", not "Save". I see what you're asking now.

But clicking Export Settings should bring up a dialog box that defaults to the IO Settings subfolder (Users >> [you] >> Documents >> Pro Tools >> IO Settings).

As Darryl says you can check or change default file locations under the Pro Tools menu, Settings >> Operation (tab) >> and under "User Media and Settings Location" - "Documents and Settings", clicking on "Change" should just point to your Documents folder (Users >> [you] >> Documents). If that points anywhere else then you are using a non-standard setup - but it shouldn't matter because Export Settings should find that IO Settings folder wherever you've put your Pro Tools subfolder.

Clicking "Import Settings" should also point directly to that IO Settings folder, wherever you've got it. You shouldn't ever need to redirect the path when exporting or importing. Export Settings, (name it), return... Import Settings, (select your choice), return.

[izthewiz]

Originally Posted by _JJ_

Yeah, sorry it's "Export Settings", not "Save". I see what you're asking now.

But clicking Export Settings should bring up a dialog box that defaults to the IO Settings subfolder (Users >> [you] >> Documents >> Pro Tools >> IO Settings).

As Darryl says you can check or change default file locations under the Pro Tools menu, Settings >> Operation (tab) >> and under "User Media and Settings Location" - "Documents and Settings", clicking on "Change" should just point to your Documents folder (Users >> [you] >> Documents). If that points anywhere else then you are using a non-standard setup - but it shouldn't matter because Export Settings should find that IO Settings folder wherever you've put your Pro Tools subfolder.

Clicking "Import Settings" should also point directly to that IO Settings folder, wherever you've got it. You shouldn't ever need to redirect the path when exporting or importing. Export Settings, (name it), return... Import Settings, (select your choice), return.

Thanks for your advice here. So Pro Tools preferences already had the correct folder location for 'Documentation and Settings', I have manually selected the same folder again for testing purposes but again the I/O export settings still requires manual configuration to save/export I/O to the destination folder. Import settings automatically reveals the correct folder. macOS folder location has no permission restrictions.

Worth noting that clicking export settings in the I/O page takes me to a macOS finder save window, with 'Save I/O Settings As:'. I'm assuming this is what should be displayed instead of Export I/O Settings As. And just to clarify, when prompted for a save location, the Pro Tools / macOS finder save window only displays Macintosh HD, not the Pro Tools I/O folder.

Any thoughts on this?

[Darryl Ramm]

I suspect this may be related to other issues folks are reporting with plugin settings. https://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=426877

As I've said in that thread, this is very likely related to something specific to your system. If it was a general problem lots (and lots >> few) of folks would likely be screaming online about these problems.

Nobody else is likely to be able to guess a specific cause here, I've suggested multiple things to look at in that other thread. That's just some starting guesses, there are lots of potential things to look at and it is likely to take you some time to work though stuff. I'd sure be checking the Pro Tools Logs and and I've offered to help anybody who is more technical who wants to grab a systems call trace of Pro Tools with dtrace. That can be one way of getting clues about the sorts of things likely to cause this. You can also try a clean test install of macOS on a spare volume and confirm that Pro Tools installed there behaves as expected/as most of us see it behave. Sometimes doing that and comparing differences in permissions or names etc. helps with these kind of problems.

And the other big thing is open a support case, might help to post the incident number here if you do.