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  #1  
Old 09-01-2021, 08:20 PM
js_nyc js_nyc is offline
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Default PT 2021.7- iMac Catalina- Thunderbolt HD Native grayed out as Playback Engine Option

Strangest thing... At my college Pro Tools lab (as in the title: iMac/Catalina/HD Native Card via Thunderbolt/AVID Omni) there are students logged in to their individual User accounts trying to access the Thunderbolt HD Native Card in Pro Tools 2021.7. In the Playback Engine window, this option is grayed out. Now here's the weird part- in System Preferences>Sound, the HD Native Thunderbolt Option output can be accessed and other apps (any browser, "music"i.e. iTunes, etc.) will play sound through the Native Card and Omni hardware. And other User accounts (Admin as well as non-Admin) on the same computer will access the Native Thunderbolt card in Pro Tools with no problem. Tried installing the 2021.7 driver then the App on these User's accounts (using Admin install authorization) with no resolution. Swapped iLoks, restarted computers, etc. Tried every troubleshoot imaginable with the same result. Please let me know if anyone has experienced this strange incidence, and/or if someone has a workable solution.
Thanks.
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  #2  
Old 09-05-2021, 08:34 PM
js_nyc js_nyc is offline
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Default Re: PT 2021.7- iMac Catalina- Thunderbolt HD Native grayed out as Playback Engine Opt

Hello. Moderators? Anyone at AVID? Please let me know. Thanks.
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  #3  
Old 09-05-2021, 11:13 PM
Obsidian Dragon Obsidian Dragon is offline
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Default Re: PT 2021.7- iMac Catalina- Thunderbolt HD Native grayed out as Playback Engine Opt

My first guess is that since the HD Native Card via Thunderbolt/AVID Omni uses a single client driver, when the iMac user profile has it selected as the preference for system sounds "(any browser, "music"i.e. iTunes, etc.)," Protools is not able to get exclusive access to establish it as the selected audio device. Protools doesn't like to share audio devices. Therefore I suggest you ensure that the profile for those students having this problem is set for using the built-in speakers or headphones for audio on the iMac so it is not using the HD Native Card via Thunderbolt/AVID Omni. This should free up the HD Native Card via Thunderbolt/AVID Omni for exclusive use buy Protools. Each user has a profile for the audio settings, so everyone with this problem needs to change their audio inout and output settings accordingly.
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  #4  
Old 09-06-2021, 06:46 AM
js_nyc js_nyc is offline
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Default Re: PT 2021.7- iMac Catalina- Thunderbolt HD Native grayed out as Playback Engine Opt

Thanks for your reply, OD. I do understand your thinking and the principles of "sharing audio core" (even on a Mac), but I only went to System Preferences after Pro Tools had shown a grayed out Thunderbolt Native Ultimate display under the Playback Engine options. Just wanted to check if the Thunderbolt Native card-to-interface even showed up as an option for Sound Output. Did Not have Thunderbolt set to Output initially- it was on either Built-in speaker or Headphone out. But it did show up as an option, so then I tried it to see if any other App would play through (which they did). So thanks again, but this is not the solution.
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  #5  
Old 09-06-2021, 07:54 AM
Obsidian Dragon Obsidian Dragon is offline
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Default Re: PT 2021.7- iMac Catalina- Thunderbolt HD Native grayed out as Playback Engine Opt

Thanks for checking for shared driver usage by user accounts on the system. Is it possible some other application or utility is grabbing the driver? Perhaps QuickTime, GarageBand, MainStage, 3rd-party MP3 Players, Zoom, Spotify, etc.? I'm just reaching for straws now. The fact that audio does go through the interface would indicate the hardware is not the issue. When starting Protools, holding the "N" key usually allows you to choose the audio device for the playback engine again (overriding the default settings). Give that a try, although I suspect you've already done that. Hopefully someone else can chime in with more helpful suggestions. It's Labor Day so many people may be not on the forum--or perhaps many people are free to be on the forum. You never know.
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  #6  
Old 09-06-2021, 08:12 AM
its2loud its2loud is offline
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Default Re: PT 2021.7- iMac Catalina- Thunderbolt HD Native grayed out as Playback Engine Opt

Here are some resources.

https://avid.secure.force.com/pkb/ar...All&popup=true

The Avid HD Driver needs to be installed and allowed for all user profiles. Particularly if the other profiles do not have admin privileges.
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  #7  
Old 09-06-2021, 08:28 AM
js_nyc js_nyc is offline
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Default Re: PT 2021.7- iMac Catalina- Thunderbolt HD Native grayed out as Playback Engine Opt

Thanks again, OD. Will check more of these when I return to the lab at school and keep everyone posted.
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  #8  
Old 09-06-2021, 08:29 AM
js_nyc js_nyc is offline
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Default Re: PT 2021.7- iMac Catalina- Thunderbolt HD Native grayed out as Playback Engine Opt

Thanks its2loud. I will try some of these solutions when i return to the school lab this week, and keep you posted.
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  #9  
Old 11-20-2021, 08:16 PM
js_nyc js_nyc is offline
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Default Re: PT 2021.7- iMac Catalina- Thunderbolt HD Native grayed out as Playback Engine Opt

So... sorry for the delay. I actually found the problem ahead of the AVID ticket I submitted. The college (and everyone else in the ALP world) was offered a "COVID-19" license special- discounted licenses for a limited time. Okay...thanks. We purchased 25 at the time. When it came time to arm the iLoks, AVID said these "special" licenses had to be manually armed one at a time (unlike regular licenses). So I spent a summer afternoon going through this laborious process. Got to school this fall and worked in these new iLoks. After going through all of the above troubleshooting (and then some), I finally noticed on my ALP account, that these "COVID-Special" licenses were labelled "Student" or "Limited" (hard to remember after seeing red). They only had 30 overall licenses instead of the 60 with Ultimate Digilink. I went to the "top of the Educational mountain" here in the US, and was finally told that even though I am a 210M certified ACI, since these were the "COVID special discounted" licenses, I would not be able to get the additional Digilink licenses to enable Ultimate access...
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