As part of their Jump Start series of video tutorial Avid have recently released this latest video tutorial covering the Pro Tools 12 I/O Setup window.

Although the I/O Setup window is one small part of the Pro Tools experience it can have consequences way beyond its size in even getting any sound out of a session that has come from another studio with different I/O settings.  

Over the years Avid have refined this window, including adding the option for the session I/O settings not to overwrite the system I/O requirements, but even then it can still cause problems to the unsuspecting Pro Tools user. In Pro Tools 12, Avid has made some more refinements that definitely help to make it easier to move sessions around. 

Changes in Pro Tools 12

• Improved predictability and flexibility of session interchange
• Playback Engine specific IO
• Unlimited busses
• Automatic downmixing
• Software based AFL/PFL
• Importing I/O Settings from a session
• Bussing to multiple hardware outputs
• Improved error reporting and troubleshooting tools
• Ability to prep a larger system from a smaller system.
• Output menu organisation by width
• Bug fixing

Avid's core design aim for the I/O Setup changes was to offer separation between session (software) and hardware.  Typically the hardware is a static device that often has physical connections to other audio devices.  Whereas sessions can be more transient and have virtual connections.  

Busses now live with the session.  All the other tabs in the I/O Setup window now relate to the hardware.  If a new session comes along, it brings with it, its own set of busses that will patch into the hardware.