The Doghouse NYC answers questions about using Apple Logic and Digidesign Protools HD together.
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Configuring Apple Logic with Protools Hardware
NOTE!
When Apple took over Emagic some of the following changed. The principle is still the same, however. And although the Epic TDM package was discontinued, there are still a lot of users with Epic working reliably on their systems. We have, therefore, included the entire article which was written in October of 2003.Q:
What do I really need to be able to use Logic with both TDM and Logic's built in Plug-Ins simultaneously? ESB? HTDM? Both? I'd also like to be able to use all of my logic instruments. My guess is that I'll only need HTDM since I don't really need to have the TDM cards process the native plugs. That is what ESB does, right?
-Adam
A:
Hi Adam- You just said a mouthfull:) It is indeed confusing. You need:
HD extensions
these simply allow TDM (DAE to be technically correct) to work with the new PT HD.
Wen you select DAE as your audio driver, Logic routs the audio directly into the TDM mixer. This means you can ONLY use TDM plugins and the audio engine is effectively replaced by Digi's 48 bit mix engine.
ESB
If you want to use Audio Unit and Logic plugins you will need ESB. The ESB is activated as a second driver (DTDM) in logic. It behaves much more like your old native Logic system. It uses the native (32 bit floating) engine and does not use the TDM DSP chips).
To get the ESB and DAE to play together however you must use an aux. All the ESB (DTDM) tracks get sent to output ESB 1-2 (or whatever). You then create a DAE aux with its input set to "ESB 1-2" (or whatever) and its output to your main mix outs. The result is that you have your TDM and your ESB all ending up mixing down to the same place.
You may need to plan ahead a little when you create your songs because the ONLY place that DAE and DTDM tracks mix is on those busses so mixing the 2 engines and plugins (say you want to have a VST instrument with a TDM plugin) involves a lot of routing and you only get 8 (4 stereo) ESB channels.
As an aside, the ESB also allows you to use the EXS24 on DAE tracks.
Host Enabler
This allows the Emagic instruments to show up in TDM. I don't think they run or the DSP of your Digi hardware but I could be wrong. This means that your EVB3 or whatever will show up in Protools. It can also be used on DAE tracks in Logic which gives you a little more flexibility.
Epic TDM
is a set of Logic native plugins that have been ported to TDM. They will open in Protools and (I assume) in logic DAE tracks. I don't think you get all of the Logic plugs...space designer, for example, is not included to my knowledge. But if you love your Logic plugins and you want them in protocols this is what you need. It also would probably be useful in Logic too because without Epic, you would need to do a bit of ESB bussing to get Logic plugins on DAE tracks.
So to answer your question, what you will need to do what you want is the ESB (to use all your Logic instruments, etc.) and the HD extension (assuming you are getting a new HD system). The rest you can probably wait on.
Also, keep in mind that there are still latencies using TDM. They may be low but every time you add a plugin you add to that and there is no compensation to my knowledge. I noticed this right away when using both DTDM and DAE on drum tracks.
There are some other goodies that you will have to get used to. Auto input monitoring is actually a little less convenient in TDM and so on. But the HD system sounds AMAZING. You won't regret it. And as a whole the power and stability of TDM can't be beat.
Best, Nathan
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Nathan Rosenberg
Music Recording and Production
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