Pro Tools Not Loading, Stuck Scanning Plug-ins

A common problem with Pro Tools not loading and stuck at the "Scanning Plug-ins" level is a corrupted Plug-in or a stray 32bit plug-in.

Plug-ins are stored in System HD/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins, or in System HD/Library/Application Support/Digidesign/Plug-Ins.

I checked that no plug-in was 32 bit by showing the Kind column in the Finder window. Kind: Pro Tools Plug-In (32bit) will point at the culprit(s.) In my case all plug-ins were 64bit.

So I remove all plug-ins (I moved then to the Unused folder) and restarted Pro Tools, it automatically re-installed the default plug-ins. I then moved back the unused plug-ins one by one, actually manufacturer by manufacturer into the plug-ins folder and tried laughing Pro Tools for each batch until it froze again. In my case that was the WaveShell that caused the hang.

The fix was to update Waves Central, and in Settings select Clear Central cache. On Wave Central relaunch, I then selected Repair. The Wave Shell and plug-ins got fresh installs.

That's it, that fixed the problem for me, back to editing and mixing!

ProTools Playback Engine, ProTools Aggregate I/O "forgets" Inputs/outputs when disconnecting/re-connecting audio interface

This is happening all too often and it's driving me a bit nuts: when disconnecting and re-connecting the audio interface (same device, native to macOs Sierra) onto my Mac, ProTools Aggregate in the Audio Devices of the Midi Setup goes south.

The output/input gets duplicated and ProTools Aggregate gets confused, acting as if there is no device. On launching ProTools, cahoots ensues:

Duh!

In the picture below, the PT Aggregate I/O is configured normally, and everything works.

Now if I move the computer to another job location, by necessity disconnecting and re-connecting the audio interface, often there is a DUPLICATE and GREYED OUT input/output that ProTools Aggregate I/O is stubbornly set onto. Like an invisible, non-existent device. Hence it produces the Playback engine message above.

I wonder why this behavior? Is it PT? Is it Audio/Midi Setup? Is it the Mac? Anyone of you having this problem on your setup and can share some light?

9:00am March 7 2016 iLok is DOWN! - 10:44am it's back ON.

9:00am

iLok License Manager unable to connect!

 iLok website DOWN! What the ???

Just talked to an Avid Customer Service person, and they confirmed iLok is down, they apologize for the inconvenience, nothing else to do but wait. LOVELY!

How long? Why? What's going on? I cannot work!!!

10:44am it's back ON. Boy!

Fast, Zero Downtime. Hmm... Not quite.

How to adjust gain to multiple clips at once in ProTools

Now there is a clip gain feature in ProTools, but do you know how to adjust the gain of several clips at once? Easy! Select all clips you want to adjust, then hold Control+Shift (on Mac) and use the mouse scroll button up or down.

And do you know that you can keyframe the clip gain as well? Use the mouse right click on the clip, Clip Gain/Show Clip Gain Line. Then use the usual Command+Click and Option+Click to add or delete keyframes, and tweak the gain line. This is in total independence to the track volume and its automation.

How to Relink files with ProTools 12

Things have changed a bit with the new version of ProTools, what hasn't change is how picky ProTools is when it comes to reconnecting files.

When you open a session and PT does not find the files (they have changed folder, they've been copied onto another drive, etc.) a window pops up asking if you want to relink files automatically. Usually it goes on for a few minutes and FAILS.

I find that the only way that works is to reconnect files manually. Now the thing is the default settings for manual relink is too stringent, and ProTools will find no links by itself. Sure you can go on one file at a time and reconnect manually each file, but that's a waste of time, and not doable when you have thousands of files in your session.

In order to reconnect multiple files in one go, I have to select find files by name, and only that in the relink settings. ProTools will alert you that it's not a good thing to do, well that's the only thing that works. Obviously I do not have duplicates, and all my files are inside a unique folder that I can point ProTools to.

What's your experience with files Relink in ProTools 12?

ProTools 12.5.2 "The Video Engine had an unrecoverable error" - now fixed, (sort of.)

I got aggravated with ProTools 12.5.2 previously, so I will share this tip:

Do not use h264 or ProRes, or whatever codec for the video, use only DNxHD.

I repeat: forget anything but DNxHD. I assume any Avid codec might work just fine, but I have not tested.

- I got to work on  a new project, I received a h264 movie from the client, this time ProTools would not start the Video Engine no matter what. Click yes, click no, reopen the session, whatever, nothing worked.

- I transcoded the h264 to ProRes with AME, same thing, did not work.

- I transcoded the h264 to DNxHD (MXF OP1a) with AME, WHAM! ProTools opened, Video Engine started, movie was online instantly. Worked all week without any problem.

Obviously you end up with a file that's 20 times bigger than the meager h264, but it works!

ProTools is still a pretty good and solid piece of software, didn't crash once. The weak link is the Avid Video Engine.

Thanks Avid, so instead of waisting our time why don't you specify: Avid Video Engine only works with DNx? That would make for less aggravation. Thank you.

IBC 2016 Avid feel the b(md)urn!

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/release/20160909-02

So now BMD has the whole apps deal:
- A NLE (which need more work for sure) and a robust image finishing solution in an all-in-one platform: Resolve,
- A robust GFX solution: Fusion,
- The seeds for a robust audio finishing solution: Fairlight.

Are you feeling the burn Avid? Yes obviously you are! Good!
http://www.avid.com/pro-tools-hd/pricing

Get ready to lower your prices though, because I don't think BMD will offer Fairlight "Studio" software-only at $999, no, no, I think more like $450ish, but I might be wrong.

Think for a second, we''ll get a free version as well, just so it matches the rest of BMD software offering. Eh, eh, and I bet it will have 5.1 capabilities. Maybe if it does not, you can kill this sorry ProTools FirstFree of yours Avid.

Difference between Fairlight "Studio" and free? More than 48 I/O, beyond 256 tracks, 256 busses, 256 inserts; beyond 5.1 (7.1, Dolby Atmos, etc.)

Then you'll be able to buy some crazy modular Fairlight hardware: tactile mixer, I/O boxes, DSP galore, and more starting at a few thousand $.

If I were BMD, I would split Resolve and the NLE. Ala FCP "legacy" + Apple Color. But FCPX, Premiere and Avid are still big players and competitors. And after all, Apple Color got killed eventually, so... What do I know.

What to make of all this? Well, I expect Avid to do the right move and up its offering all the while lowering their prices. It won't take long for BMD to set foot into the ProTools sandbox, and if PT is not significantly more attractive it will perish. As I said you can forget ProTools First, and ProTools vanilla will quickly start to look pretty limited.

Avid has really made huge progresses with Media Composer, thanks to the pressure exercised by Adobe and Apple, maybe they will continue to push ProTools to keep competing.  I say it's good news for us users in the long run. Of course all manufacturers keep their promises more or less loosely... Right?

OK, who's next? Apple, something to announce maybe?

Avid Application Manager - Pro Tools Plugins installers location Mac OsX

FYI, Avid Application Manager downloads Pro Tools Plugins installers into the following folder:

Mac HD/Library/Caches/Avid/AppManager/Downloads

After a particular installation is complete, the Avid installer removes itself from the Download folder.

So if you want to save the installers in order to avoid downloading again, make a copy prior to installing.

Pro Tools 12.5.2.511 "The Video Engine had an unrecoverable error."

Avid!  Why do Pro Tools QuickTime Server [2679] and QuickTime_OPServer [2690] are freaking NOT RESPONDING?

And likely this is causing all the stupid Video Engine errors that are constantly plaguing the system:

By the way, the Avid Video Engine is opened TWICE in the Activity Monitor, and each instance is eating 3GB of memory!  That's 6GB to (NOT) play a video file? What?

Do something already!

Duh!?  What do you think?

And no it' not BMD or AJA drivers, they are both UNINSTALLED on this system.
ProTools Avid Video Engine is way too temperamental, guess what, it's 2016 Avid!  People are running their soft on all kinds of machines, with all kinds of codecs THERE IS NO EXCUSE, make the thing WORK!

Really? Plain ProRes 422, no it's certainly NOT MISSING.

Once the Session opens fine, once it doesn't because of the finicky Video Engine, this is crap!  Why did you have to fudge with the working video function as it was?  We just want to put a damn film in the video track and play it in sync with the audio.  That's IT!  Is this difficult or what?

Are you too busy taking basic functionality out of the low-end systems to give a shit?  For what I can see online, even the HD systems are plagued by errors:
http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=383387
http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=383114
http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=381573

Why would film and TV pros want to spend any money on you?  Here is a tip for you: drop PT First, drop PT/PTHD segregation. Just make ONE piece of amazing software: "PRO TOOLS" that does it ALL and WORKS on anything, with or without hardware. Sell it for $40/mo, sell the hardware separately, sell the plugins separately, and then focus on customer service = fixing bugs and making enhancements as fast as you can. You cannot sell any hardware nor plugins if the core app is not working.
Put your shit together and fix it now because confidence in your brand continues to erode and you will soon be left with nothing.