Just got Protools LE working and need help

[simplyjonny]

Okay, so I just set up Protools LE 7.4.1 on my MacBook Pro using a MBox 2 (not Pro or the Mini, just the regular). I don't have issues plugging in instruments into the MBox and having the signal picked up by Protools. That's all gravy. I can record and listen back just fine.
HOWEVER, when I use plug-ings (for this example, I'm going to use D-Verb mono), as I am messing with the settings to get the sound I want, the audio that comes through the monitors (Rokit KRK5's connected directly to the MBox monitor outs) does not have the sound that is recorded. What I mean is, I play while I am setting up the sound and there is barely any effect "wetness". I record, playback and the file is quite "wet" (so many puns available here). Is there something I need to change in the settings?
Also, I have Guitar Rig 2.2.1 installed and when I start it up as a standalone, I try sending the audio signal OUT through the MBox monitors (the only speakers I have other than the laptop speakers). Alas, no sound comes out. There is not even an output signal through Guitar Rig.
When I run Guitar Rig as a plug-in, the system IMMEDIATELY slows down tremendously and even when I strum my guitar, the output sound from Guitar Rig is sporadic. The mouse will hang for several seconds, etc, etc, etc, you get the idea. It's not pleasant.
Is there something I need to do in my System Preferences to help with this situation? Is there some little update that I haven't seen that I need to get (Protools LE CS???)?
Any assistance is appreciated.

[flommer]

Not sure exactly what you mean about the plug-in not sounding the same, but there are different ways you can configure your tracks and effects that give you more control.

A common thing to do with reverb is to create a stereo aux and insert your reverb plugin there. The reverb should be set to full wet. You then set it's input to accept audio via a stereo bus.

Next, on whatever tracks you want to have reverb you add a send going to the bus you assigned the reverb to. You then use the send level to control how much reverb is added to the final mix.

The advantage of this is that you can have a single reverb and send multiple sounds through it. This saves processing power and also "glues" these sounds together by putting them in the same reverb space. You can also automate the send level(s).

Different effects won't always take advantage of this ( a crazy flanger effect is probably only going to be applied to a single track ), but it is one way of having some more control..

It sounds like you need to learn some more about where effects are added and the different ways to monitor their outputs.. Watch the Protools Accelerated Videos on the Digidesign site, especially the ones about creating a template.

http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?...0&itemid=27606

As far as GuitarRig goes I have no idea, but I would point out the obvious: You should be using an external FW drive and if you have Leopard, you should be using OSX 10.5.4, and Protools LE 7.4.2 and ALL your plugins need to be up to date and compatible with Leopard...

Make sure you post all your system specs or put them in your signature, especially when talking about performance/error problems...

[simplyjonny]

I'll try to describe the occurrence in steps, because reading over my post, it is a bit confusing.
***THIS WHOLE SESSION WAS A TEST RUN, NOT A REAL DEAL***
1) I made a new mono track (for guitar)
2) I opened up D-Verb in the effects chain and began to mess with the settings to find a setting that I liked. I played the guitar in real time to hear the differences in the settings I was adjusting.
3) I noticed that I could barely hear the "wet" effect on my guitar. It seemed almost as if the mix (not on the MBox, just the term) was about 90% guitar, 10% effect.
4) I shrugged, hit record and noodled around for a minute or two.
5) I went to the beginning of the track and hit play.
6) The very same guitar track that I had just recorded was now SATURATED in reverb. It was the complete opposite of step 3 above. The reverb was so intense, it was almost like a pad instead of a guitar.

Now, that is the order in which I did everything. Nothing else was done, nothing else was changed.

As for the order of effects, that is something that I have trained myself on many times, mainly due to reorganizing my live pedalboard several times to get the best sound and tone.

The idea of sending the guitar track to an Aux reverb channel is something I have done before many times. I was just noodling around because I thought that I had finally gotten everything working. Therefore, I wasn't taking this session too seriously.

[therecordinghouse]

read up on the "mix" knob on the front of the mbox 2. my guess is you are hearing some dry signal from that while recording creating a less "saturated" sound.

[Holly73]

What therecordinghouse said! If you don't care about a little latency while tracking, just turn the Mix knob on your Mbox completely to the right. Like this, you only hear what's coming from PT. From there, the more you turn the knob counterclockwise the more of your Mbox input (your guitar) is audible.

[flommer]

Sorry, didn't know about the mix knob on the mbox. That's there for zero latency monitoring during recording, I guess..

If your Dverb is inserted on the track and the mix setting within Dverb is very high (90-100%), then yes, a fully saturated effect is what you'll get.

Plus I didn't really mean the order that the effects are in (like your pedal-board), but where they are inserted and how that affects what you are monitoring.. Hopefully the mix knob thing fixes you up..

[simplyjonny]

Thanks for the replies everyone.