Install DP, ProTools: same machine, but diff. Users? (OS X)

[paulk]

I'm not a new user, but I've been on a recording/editing hiatus. During this hiatus, I got rid of my "audio only" computer, and am starting with a new DP install on my general development/everything else computer.

One piece of advice I'd heard in the past was to install any/all DAW as its own user under OS X.

Do you do this?

Is this better? Worse?

I'm looking to find if this is just an old engineer's tale of some sort. (Due to wording, I couldn't find this information using search).

I'm also asking because I'll be running DP as well as Pro Tools (yes, because I have to) on the same system, and want to avoid ugly conflicts. Real world advice very much appreciated.

[bayswater]

I've heard this advice too. There seemed to be some rationale behind keeping your main user ID off the internet, or in not having admin rights on your working user account. I tried all this once too, but it was a PITA with permissions.

I have everything on one user account, and have never noticed any problems. I do avoid dodgy, experimental, weird stuff on my main Mac, just mainstream apps and plugins. (I put experimental and MS apps on a Macbook I can easily wipe).

It is good (IMHO) to have a separate startup partition or drive to try out new versions of the OS and apps to make sure they all work together well, rather than constantly updating your working partition, and running into incompatibilities. But separate user accounts -- no.

[Gabe S.]

Hi.

I've been running DP and PT LE for years on the same user without issue. Plus I have Final Cut Studio and Adobe CS5. I've done this over 4 different Macs (dual G4, Dual G5, 8core and now 2.93gHz 12core). I've done it over many versions of OS X. I've never had any issues with it.

My setup even gets worse because I have 4 different flavors of audio interfaces connected---an MBox2, two 2408mkIII's, a Mobile IO 2882+DSP and a ULN8. The way I monitor ProTools is kinda convoluted---I don't like the analog outs because they hiss too much for my taste so I use the SPDIF out from the MBox 2, go into the MobileIO, which then feeds the ULN8 since that's my main monitoring box (ULN8 has no SPDIF). Anyway, all this mess works fine.

What I would recommend against is using ProTools hardware as your default system monitoring computer audio interface. All that Digi Core Audio stuff always acted kinda funky when I tried it.

So, just use the Digi hardware when you're actually using Pro Tools, and use the other native audio interfaces, whatever they are, for everything else.

Cheers.
-gabe

[paulk]

Wow, I'm way overdue to respond. bayswater, Gabe S, thank you for your insightful responses. They helped tremendously. I did end up installing PT under the same user account. Besides feeling like a more sane way to manage updates, authorization, and other issues, I have had no problems so far.

@bayswater - I definitely agree re: partitions and software. I do sequester that stuff to another area on the off chance it would bork the res of the system.

@Gabe S - You're setup is definitely crazier than mine! My PT purchase/use is so far limited to mixing a project that was originally recorded in PT. That said, thanks for the tip! I wasn't going to use the PT audio for anything else anyway, but you've given me even more reason to not bother with it (for now).

Late response, but I didn't want to post and disappear. Thanks, you guys are great!

[stephentayler]

I've had PTLE and DP on the same machine/user account for years.... frequently had them running at the same time. Used to have PT output to the MBox2 monitored through SPDIF into the Traveler and Cuemix, but now with PT9 I can dispense with the MBox!

Cheers

Stephen

[amplidood]

I also have been running both on the same account for a long time, only rarely running into conflicts after flipping back and forth numerous times before logging out/restarting. Now with PT9 I can actually run both at the same time with no conflict whatsoever!! Pretty great for moving stuff back and forth depending on the need of the moment.

And as far as internet is concerned, there are no worries about having it all on the same account. With the OS X firewall active and perhaps scanning for viruses now and then, you are not going to run into any problems. I've been doing all this on my MacBook Pro and every system I've ever used for 10+ years and never have a single issue. The only thing that really made this necessary back in the day were slower processors that really had to work hard at processing network stuff in the background. This is just not the case anymore. If you want really want to be serious about it, just disable Airport or your Ethernet connection while working. No need to set up a separate account.

[Killahurts]

Hey guys, I have a related question..

I'm running PT9 and DP on the same machine/account as well. I noticed that I now have a "Digi CoreAudio Device" among my core audio drivers. I don't have any Digi hardware for audio I/O. Does that mean I could get rid of that driver? Would PT still work?

With all the Core Audio driver weirdness going on lately (started with OS 10.6.5 and the iTunes playback issue), I don't want things any more complicated than they have to be.

[paulk]

@Stephan — Yeah, that's awesome. PT9 is an upgrade that I'm planning to make soon so I can be free from that requirement. I chalk it up as my own fault for not following any PT9 rumors prior to its unveiling.

@amplidood — Thanks for the insight. Now I understand more of the impulse behind running as separate users. As for the internet, I agree with you. My concern was related to no longer having separate work/music computers. Mac OSX updates, browsers, software, etc, all move pretty quickly for web work, so waiting for things to be fully vetted isn't always an option. I'm not a foolish software installer. But web-speed seems to move faster than DAW-speed.

@Killahurts — Maybe unrelated or should be its own thread, but can you just leave the Digi Driver and not select it in DP's studio setup? I would be inclined to leave it unless you could prove it was causing an issue, rather than deleting it and causing an issue. My. $0.02.

[Killahurts]

@Killahurts — Maybe unrelated or should be its own thread, but can you just leave the Digi Driver and not select it in DP's studio setup? I would be inclined to leave it unless you could prove it was causing an issue, rather than deleting it and causing an issue. My. $0.02.

Yes you're right, of course. I didn't think it necessary to start a new thread, but I think I might- not about the digi driver per se, but of issues with Core Audio in general, and the way it has behaved since OS 10.6.5.

No wish to hijack, carry on!

[BillyH]

Hi guys,
I hope I'm not too late to get in on this. This is the closest thing I could find on here to my issue. I'm in a studio that is shared by two different people (companies), and that includes the computer. My company is the "sub-letter", and the owner would like us to have our own log-in as a different user. I use DP, he uses PT and both go through a Digi 002.
When we are logged in on his account, both work perfectly. When I go to log in on "My" account, I can't get the 002 to send signal out of it's S/pdif output. I send my mixes into an outboard piece of gear that way and then back into DP. Everything else works perfectly except for that. Any ideas why?
I would greatly appreciate any idea of how to fix this. PT 9, DP 7 and the newest OS on this mac.
Thanks!
Bill