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How to Hook up a Digidesign Digi 003 Rack Pro Tools LE System

Pro Tools is the world's most popular recording software, according to a 2010 press release by Avid. With a Pro Tools LE Setup, the home recording enthusiast can create audio sessions in a format compatible with many commercial and home studios around the world. Avid’s Digi 003 is an audio interface that works with Pro Tools LE Software. It features eight analog inputs and outputs, four microphone preamps and multiple monitor outs. It also offers full MIDI capabilities, allowing Pro Tools to communicate with keyboards and other control surfaces.

Things You'll Need

  • Mac- or Windows-based computer with an available FireWire port
  • FireWire 400 cable
  • 1/4-inch TRS cables
  • XLR cables
  • 1/4-inch instrument cables
  • MIDI cables
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Instructions

    • 1

      Install Pro Tools LE on your computer before connecting the 003 Rack. When the installation finishes, connect the FireWire cable into one of your computer's FireWire ports. Plug the other end of the cable into one the the "1394" ports on the rear panel of the Digi 003. If you are using an external FireWire hard disk for recording, connect it to the other "1394" port on the Digi 003.

    • 2
      Studio monitors connect to the Digi using a 1/4-inch TRS jack.

      Use two 1/4-inch TRS cables to hook up your studio monitors to the monitor outputs on the rear panel marked “MAIN.” If you have an auxiliary pair of monitors, use a second set of 1/4-inch TRS cables to connect them to the “ALT” monitor outputs. Connect up to two sets of headphones to the headphone jacks on the front panel of your Digi 003.

    • 3
      Many studio vocal microphones require phantom power for operation.

      Connect microphones any of the four female XLR jacks on the rear panel labelled 1 to 4. If your microphone requires phantom power, switch in the "48V" button next to the corresponding XLR jack on the Digi 003.

    • 4
      Connect microphone preamps like these to the 003 Rack through inputs 5-8.

      Connect any line-level input to inputs 5-8 on the rear panel. For each device, select the correct operating level using the button to the right of the input; this setting is +4 for most professional recording gear -- like external preamps and compressors -- and -10 for semiprofessional keyboards and drum machines. Use 1/4-inch TRS cables for +4 gear, and 1/4-inch instrument cables for -10 devices. If you are unsure at which level your equipment operates, consult the corresponding owner’s manual.

    • 5
      You can record bass guitar directly into the 003 Rack using inputs 1-4.

      Patch instrument level inputs, such as acoustic, electric and bass guitars into the “DI” inputs to the right of each XLR input for channels 1-4 using a 1/4-inch instrument cable. To activate the DI input, use the “MIC/DI” selectors on the front of the unit.

    • 6
      You can control Pro Tools' many virtual instruments by connecting MIDI keyboard to your Digi 003.

      Connect a MIDI controller to the 003 Rack using MIDI cables. Connect the MIDI “out 1” jack on the 003 Rack to the MIDI “in” jack on your external MIDI device. Likewise, hook up the MIDI “out” jack on the device to the MIDI “in” jack on the Digi 003. This allows Pro Tools to record MIDI data from your controller and play MIDI through the controller.

Recording Music

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