Pro Tools won't detect my mic or save my playback engine settings.

[DontBullyMe]

A few days ago I got the Pro Tools free trial. I'm not an experienced music producer and I don't have a long history of using DAWs so I'm pretty new to this. I tried recording some vocals to test the software out and when I played what I had just recorded it was very quite and wasn't playing through my earbuds. Ok? I had watched a beginners intro video before playing around with the software and figured I should go to the playback engine settings to change the i/o stuff after I couldn't set them in the audio tracks. The first problem I noticed right off the bat was that when I clicked the drop down for inputs my usb microphone wasn't there, it only displayed the built in mic on my computer as an option. It did however detect my earbuds as an output option. I changed the settings and tried to save them, it restarted the session but the playback engine settings wouldn't save. I tried this a couple other times but it just won't work. Does anyone have a solution to my problem(s)?

[Darryl Ramm]

Hi Welcome to DUC.

I hope a mod can delete the duplicate post to avoid folks replying to both threads. [edit: looks like they already merged both posts here]

You don't give any useful info about your setup. Mac? Windows? Computer details? Operating system version? Audio Interface - or in this case exact make/model USB mic. Start by reading "help us help you" up the top of each DUC web page for an idea of the type of info normally expected.

What exactly version of Pro Tools?

What exactly is the Playback Engine that's selected?

I am going to guess that you are running Windows. Pro Tools on Windows really needs ASIO audio devices to perform best, and while you can sometimes get other stuff working, it's often a waste of time. You can google ASIO to learn what it is. You need an Audio interface where the vendor provides a device driver that supports ASIO. Not all low-end audio gear does. Your USB microphone likely does not support ASIO and your earbuds won't work because they also don't support ASIO, and more you need both the input and output to be part of the same ASIO device, here they are separate devices.

And I'll add while they might be convenient to get started many USB podcaster type mics are just not great and certainly not flexible in away you can scale up when you say want to do a two mic interview, or if doing muxi say record vocals and a guitar at the same time.

If you want to set up a podcast type thing with what you have many audio products are likely better for you. If you want to use Pro Tools and say are focused more on music, then you really should get an ASIO audio interface. The canonical getting started interface is a Focusrite 2i2, you would use that with conventional analog microphone(s) and wired headphones. There are many other great interfaces from companies like Presonus, Motu, UAD, RME, etc.

edit: Mmm on second thought maybe you are on a mac, with built-in mic? I'm going to stop guessing and let you provide some useful info.

As for "very quiet" you need to explain your whole signal chain, what/how you are recording etc. exact microphone and technique etc. (how close to the mic are you, some idea how loud are you talking/singing), do you accidently have a pad enabled (does the mic have a pad button? Or any gain adjustment?). What is the input level into Pro Tools in dbFS. Anything peaking roughly in the -18 to -12 dBFS range is a good place to start... put track in pre-fader metering and use classic meters (if you don't' know how to do that, google for instructions or look in the Pro Tools Reference Guide PDF) you normally don't need to record "hot" and risk clipping the signal, since you have oodles of digital gain inside Pro Tools. ... but what exact speakers/monitors are you listening to. You normally want the *volume* of those adjusted to where you would listen to normal commercial audio stuff, and then you adjust the output level of what you recorded with the mix faders, clip gain and plugins. You don't adjust the *volume* of what you are producing with mic input gain (if you have that) or the volume knob on the monitors, you do that in the mix. And you have accurate meters in pro Tools which you need to work out how to use, so you can say what levels are.

[DontBullyMe]

My apologies for the repeat post. I'll delete it shortly. So I'm out of luck then when it comes to resolving this. Well thanks for the help.

[DontBullyMe]

I'm on windows and the speakers are the realtek ones built into the computer.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by DontBullyMe

I'm on windows and the speakers are the realtek ones built into the computer.

..and you installed ASIO4ALL as a work around to get this non-ASIO stuff to work?

You are unfortunately likely wasting your time without an ASIO interface, even with hacks like ASIOALL or supposed support for windows audio... Pro Tools really really really only works best on a real ASIO device, with ASIO device driver from the manufacturer. Again if you are just getting started the Focusrite 2i2 is a great low-cost place to start. If you have specific connectivity needs, need more than 2 inputs and 2 outputs etc. describe what you need and folks here can provide advice. Likewise with microphones, describe needs and budget. And that interface will use it's own audio monitors (warning: likely to cost much more than an interface like a 2i2) and/or wired headphones and be exclusively used by Pro Tools (or at least not simultaneously shared with Windows or other apps), and your computer will keep using it's own sound card for Windows audio.

edit: Or backup and describe what you are trying to do, big picture. Does it need Pro Tools? You are doing this because you want to learn Pro Tools? You want to track your own music/demos etc at home? The more info you provide the more useful help you will get.

[DontBullyMe]

Yeah I kinda figured out that I'm wasting my time. But it's whatever. The DAW does detect the earbuds but the problem with that is it wont save my playback settings. I don't have the money to buy any hardware and I downloaded the trial only to see if production is something I'd like to get into before I invest money in the hobby. But very well you're probably right.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by DontBullyMe

Yeah I kinda figured out that I'm wasting my time. But it's whatever. The DAW does detect the earbuds but the problem with that is it wont save my playback settings. I don't have the money to buy any hardware and I downloaded the trial only to see if production is something I'd like to get into before I invest money in the hobby. But very well you're probably right.

Take a look at Reaper it's a lower cost very good DAW with easier IO support for Windows. But even there after a while you will be wanting a real external interface with mic preamps, more IO, etc.

I love my AirPod Pros but many bluetooth earbuds can give problems on different computers with different DAWs for multiple reasons. Can be just a PITA, so wired headphones are just a good thing anyhow.