Pro Tools 12 System Requirements
| Avid Knowledge Base |
| Pro Tools 12 System Requirements |
Last Updated : July 27, 2015 Products Affected : Pro_Tools_1_6
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Pro Tools 12 System RequirementsSystem Requirements and Compatibility with Pro Tools 12 Software |
Mac:
- Intel® Mac with Mac OS X 10.8.5, 10.9.0 - 10.9.5 or 10.10.0 - 10.10.4
- Intel® Core i5 processor
- 4GB RAM (8GB or more required for video playback)
- Internet connection for installation
- 15GB disk space for installation
- USB-port for iLok 2 authorization
- USB-port, FireWire-port or Thunderbolt-port for CoreAudio-supported audio device
- Supports 64-bit AAX plug-ins in Pro Tools
Windows:
- Intel® PC with Windows 7 64-bit (Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate Editions) or Windows 8/8.1 (Standard and Pro Editions)
- Intel® Core i5 processor
- 4GB RAM (8GB or more required for video playback)
- Internet connection for installation
- 15GB disk space for installation
- USB-port for iLok 2 authorization
- USB-port or FireWire-port for ASIO-supported audio device
- Supports 64-bit AAX plug-ins in Pro Tools
Computer Optimization
Optimizing your system will simplify software installation and maximize the performance of Pro Tools. It is recommended that you follow our Computer Optimizations Guides for Mac and Windows before installing Pro Tools.
Note
Avid dedicates a significant amount of engineering resources and time to test and qualify specific platform configurations. While such systems may operate without problems, please understand we can provide better support, if you choose to use a tested and qualified system. Below you will find detailed information about these configurations.
Supported Computers:
Qualified Models |
Supported Software |
Notes |
| Mac Pro | ||
|---|---|---|
| Late 2013 MacPro6,1 12-core 'Ivy Bridge' 2.7 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Late 2013 MacPro6,1 8-core 'Ivy Bridge' 3.0 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Late 2013 MacPro6,1 6-core 'Ivy Bridge' 3.5 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Late 2013 MacPro6,1 4-core 'Ivy Bridge' 3.7 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Mid 2012 MacPro5,1 12-core 'Westmere' 2.66 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Mid 2012 MacPro5,1 6-core 'Westmere' 3.33 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Mid 2012 MacPro5,1 8-core 'Westmere' 2.4 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| iMac | ||
| Mid 2015 Retina 5K 27" iMac15,1 Core i7 'Haswell' 4.0 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | Qualified with OS X 10.10.x. OS X 10.9.x and earlier not tested. |
| Mid 2015 Retina 5K 27" iMac15,1 Core i5 'Haswell' 3.5 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | Qualified with OS X 10.10.x. OS X 10.9.x and earlier not tested. |
| Late 2014 27" iMac15,1 Core i7 'Haswell' 4.0 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | Qualified with OS X 10.10.x. OS X 10.9.x and earlier not tested. |
| Late 2014 27" iMac15,1 Core i5 'Haswell' 3.5 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | Qualified with OS X 10.10.x. OS X 10.9.x and earlier not tested. |
| Late 2013 27" iMac14,2 Core i7 'Haswell' 3.5 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | OS X 10.9.5 or later is required for the use of 'Fusion Drives'. |
| Late 2013 21.5" iMac14,1 Core i7 'Haswell' 3.1 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | OS X 10.9.5 or later is required for the use of 'Fusion Drives'. |
| Late 2013 21.5" iMac14,1 Core i5 'Haswell' 2.7 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | OS X 10.9.5 or later is required for the use of 'Fusion Drives'. |
| Late 2012 27" iMac13,2 Core i5 'Haswell' 3.2 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | OS X 10.9.5 or later is required for the use of 'Fusion Drives'. |
| Late 2012 21.5" iMac13,1 Core i5 'Haswell' 2.9 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | OS X 10.9.5 or later is required for the use of 'Fusion Drives'. |
| Mid 2010 27" iMac11,3 Core i7 'Haswell' 2.93 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Late 2009 27" iMac11,1 Core i5 'Haswell' 2.66 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Mac Mini | ||
| Late 2014 MacMini7,1 Core i7 'Haswell' 3.0 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | Qualified with OS X 10.10.x. OS X 10.9.x and earlier not tested. |
| Late 2014 MacMini7,1 Core i5 'Haswell' 2.6 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | Qualified with OS X 10.10.x. OS X 10.9.x and earlier not tested. |
| Late 2012 MacMini6,2 Core i7 'Ivy Bridge' 2.3 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| MacBook Pro | ||
| Mid 2014 15" MacBookPro11,3 4-Core i7 'Crystal Well' 2.5 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | Qualified with OS X 10.10.x. OS X 10.9.x and earlier not tested. |
| Mid 2014 13" MacBookPro11,1 4-Core i7 'Haswell' 3.0 or 2.8 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | Qualified with OS X 10.10.x. OS X 10.9.x and earlier not tested. |
| Late 2013 15" MacBookPro11,3 (Dual Graphics) 4-Core i7 'Crystal Well' 2.6 or 2.3 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Late 2013 15" MacBookPro11,2 (Integrated Graphics) 4-Core i7 'Crystal Well' 2.6, 2.3 or 2.0 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Late 2013 13" MacBookPro11,1 2-Core i7 'Haswell' 2.8 GHz or 2-Core i5 'Haswell' 2.6 or 2.4 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | Not recommended for Pro Tools with FireWire interfaces. |
| Mid 2012 13" MacBookPro10,2 2-Core i5 'Ivy Bridge' 2.5 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | Not recommended for Pro Tools with FireWire interfaces. |
| Mid 2012 15" MacBookPro10,1 4-Core i7 'Ivy Bridge' 2.6 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Mid 2012 13" MacBookPro9,2 4-Core i7 'Ivy Bridge' 2.6 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | Not recommended for Pro Tools with FireWire interfaces. |
| Mid 2012 15" MacBookPro9,1 Core i7 'Ivy Bridge' 2.9 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| MacBook Air | ||
| Mid 2013 13" MacBookAir6,2 2-Core i7 'Haswell' 1.7 GHz or 2-Core i5 'Haswell' 1.3 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Mid 2013 11" MacBookAir6,1 2-Core i7 'Haswell' 1.7 GHz or 2-Core i5 'Haswell' 1.3 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Mid 2012 13" MacBookAir5,2 2-Core i7 'Ivy Bridge' 2.0 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Mid 2011 13" MacBookAir4,2 2-Core i7 'Ivy Bridge' 1.8 GHz | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | Qualified for Pro Tools without Avid Video Engine functionality. |
| Notes | ||
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• USB audio interfaces (Fast Track Solo, Fast Track Duo, Avid MBox, Eleven Rack) on 2013 'Haswell' Macs with Mac OS versions earlier than 10.9.3 can be hindered by random AAE -6101 and -6104 errors. To avoid this issue please use later supported versions of Mac OS X on these systems.
• MacPro3,1 (and earlier models) are not qualified or recommended for use with Pro Tools 12.
• MacBook Pro models with Core2Duo processors (and earlier) are not qualified or recommended for use with Pro Tools 12.
• MacBookAir4,2 (and earlier models) are not qualified or recommended for use with Pro Tools 12.
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Supported Operating Systems:
Pro Tools Software Version |
Mac OS X Release |
Pro Tools 10 Co-install Notes |
| Current Release: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pro Tools 12.1 | Yosemite 10.10 - 10.10.4 Mavericks 10.9.5 Mountain Lion 10.8.5 |
Pro Tools HD 10.3.10 co-install supported (Mac OS X 10.8.5 only) |
| Previous Releases: | ||
| Pro Tools 12.0 (initial release) | Yosemite 10.10 - 10.10.3 Mavericks 10.9.5 Mountain Lion 10.8.5 |
Pro Tools HD 10.3.10 co-install supported (Mac OS X 10.8.5 only) |
Supported Hardware:
Hardware |
Driver |
Driver Notes |
| Supported USB Interfaces | ||
|---|---|---|
| Eleven Rack | Eleven Rack Driver 1.2.2 | • Supports Mac OS X 10.8.5, 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 |
| Pro Tools | Quartet | Pro Tools Quartet Driver 2.10.2 | • Supports Mac OS X 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 |
| Pro Tools | Duet | Pro Tools Duet Driver 2.10.2 | • Supports Mac OS X 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 |
| MBox 3 | MBox Driver 1.2.2 | • Supports Mac OS X 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 |
| MBox 3 Mini | MBox Mini Driver 1.3 | • Supports Mac OS X 10.8.5, 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 |
| Fast Track C600 | Fast Track C600 Driver 1.2.3 | • Supports Mac OS X 10.8.5, 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 |
| Fast Track C600 | Fast Track C400 Driver 1.2.4 | • Supports Mac OS X 10.8.5, 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 |
| Fast Track Duo | Fast Track Duo Firmware Update 1.0.1 | • Fast Track Duo is a class-compliant device for Mac OS X and iOS-compliant for iPad, so no drivers are required. • Supports Mac OS X 10.8.5, 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 |
| Fast Track Solo | Fast Track Solo Firmware Update 1.0.1 | • Fast Track Solo is a class-compliant device for Mac OS X and iOS-compliant for iPad, so no drivers are required. • Supports Mac OS X 10.8.5, 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 |
| Built-in audio (Pro Tools Aggregate I/O) |
• Supports Mac OS X 10.8.5, 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 | |
| Supported FireWire Interfaces | ||
| 003 | 003 Family Driver 11.1.3 | • Supports Mac OS X 10.8.5, 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 |
| 003 Rack | 003 Family Driver 11.1.3 | • Supports Mac OS X 10.8.5, 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 |
| MBox Pro 3 | MBox Pro 3 Driver 1.3.2 | • Supports Mac OS X 10.9.5, 10.10 - 10.10.3 • Updates Mbox Pro Firmware to v1.0.4 |
| Supported Control Surfaces | ||
| S6 | S6 Software v2.0 in your Avid Account |
• S6 Software v2.0 is required for Pro Tools 12.1 • S6 Software v1.4.1 is required for Pro Tools 12 |
| System 5 & S5 Fusion | tba | |
| S3 | EuControl 3.2.2 | • Note: You must update the firmware after installing EuControl Software 3.2.2 |
| Artist Control | EuControl 3.2.2 | • Note: You must update the firmware after installing EuControl Software 3.2.2 |
| Artist Mix | EuControl 3.2.2 | • Note: You must update the firmware after installing EuControl Software 3.2.2 |
| Artist Transport | EuControl 3.2.2 | • Note: You must update the firmware after installing EuControl Software 3.2.2 |
| Artist Color | EuControl 3.2.2 | • Note: You must update the firmware after installing EuControl Software 3.2.2 |
| C|24 | • Please refer to the C|24 Guide for HD only features. | |
| Notes | ||
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• For previous drivers please go to the Drivers for Avid Audio Hardwarepage.
• All Artist Series controllers require the appropriate EuControl software package for your operating system. All installers can be downloaded from your My Artist Series account. page.
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Supported Computers:
Qualified Models |
Supported Software |
Notes |
| HP Z840 Desktop Workstations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Intel® Xeon® E5-2660v3 10-Core 2.6 GHz |
Pro Tools 12.1 | HP Z840 Workstation Slot Order & Configuration |
| Intel® Xeon® E5-2640v3 8-Core 2.6 GHz |
Pro Tools 12.1 | HP Z840 Workstation Slot Order & Configuration |
| HP Z440 Desktop Workstations | ||
Under review and therefore not yet supported |
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| HP Z820 Desktop Workstations (3rd Generation) | ||
| Intel Xeon Dual 8-Core 'Sandy Bridge' Processor (all speeds) | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Intel Xeon Dual 6-Core 'Sandy Bridge' Processor (all speeds) | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| HP Z420 Desktop Workstations (3rd Generation) | ||
| Intel Xeon E5-2687 3.10GHz 20MB 1600 8-Core 'Sandy Bridge' Processor | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Intel Xeon E5-2665 2.40GHz 20MB 1600 8-Core 'Sandy Bridge' Processor | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Intel Xeon E5-1660 3.30GHz 15MB 1600 6-Core 'Sandy Bridge' Processor | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Intel Xeon E5-1620 3.60GHz 10MB 1600 4-Core 'Sandy Bridge' Processor | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Dell Precision Mobile Workstations | ||
| Dell Precision M6700 Core i7 Mobile Workstation | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Dell Precision M4700 Core 'Sandy Bridge' Mobile Workstation | Pro Tools 12.0 - Pro Tools 12.1 | |
| Graphics Requirements | ||
Supported NVIDIA Quadro FX Graphics Drivers: • Quadro driver version 310.90 supports Pro Tools 12 and 10.3.x
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Supported Operating Systems:
Pro Tools Software Version |
Windows Release |
Pro Tools 10 Co-install Notes |
| Current Release: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pro Tools 12.1 | Windows 8 - Windows 8.1 Windows 7 Service Pack 1 |
Pro Tools HD 10.3.10 co-install supported (Win 7 only) |
| Previous Releases: | ||
| Pro Tools 12.0 (initial release) | Windows 8 - Windows 8.1 Windows 7 Service Pack 1 |
Pro Tools HD 10.3.10 co-install supported (Win 7 only) |
| Notes | ||
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• Pro Tools 12 requires 64-bit Windows operating systems.
• Windows 8/8.1 Standard and Pro editions are supported.
• Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions are supported.
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Supported Hardware:
Hardware |
Driver |
Driver Notes |
| Supported USB Interfaces | ||
|---|---|---|
| Eleven Rack | Eleven Rack Driver 1.1.10 | • Supports Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 |
| Pro Tools | Quartet | Pro Tools Quartet Driver 1.0.10 | • Supports Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 |
| Pro Tools | Duet | Pro Tools Duet Driver 1.0.10 | • Supports Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 |
| MBox 3 | MBox Driver 1.1.10 | • Supports Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 |
| MBox 3 Mini | MBox Mini Driver 1.1.8 | • Supports Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 |
| Fast Track C600 | Fast Track C600 Driver 1.1.7 | • Supports Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 |
| Fast Track C400 | Fast Track C400 Driver 1.1.7 | • Supports Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 |
| Fast Track Duo | Fast Track Duo Driver 1.0.4 | • Supports Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 |
| Fast Track Solo | Fast Track Solo Driver 1.0.4 | • Supports Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 |
| Supported FireWire Interfaces | ||
| 003 | 003 Family Driver 9.0.8 | • Supports Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 |
| 003 Rack | 003 Family Driver 9.0.8 | • Supports Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 |
| MBox Pro 3 | MBox Pro 3 Driver 1.1.10 | • Supports Windows 7, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 • Updates Mbox Pro Firmware to v1.0.4 |
| Supported Control Surfaces | ||
| S6 | S6 Software v2.0 in your Avid Account |
• S6 Software v2.0 is required for Pro Tools 12.1 • S6 Software v1.4.1 is required for Pro Tools 12 |
| System 5 & S5 Fusion | tba | |
| S3 | EuControl 3.2.2 | • Note: You must update the firmware after installing EuControl Software 3.2.2 |
| Artist Control | EuControl 3.2.2 | • Note: You must update the firmware after installing EuControl Software 3.2.2 |
| Artist Mix | EuControl 3.2.2 | • Note: You must update the firmware after installing EuControl Software 3.2.2 |
| Artist Transport | EuControl 3.2.2 | • Note: You must update the firmware after installing EuControl Software 3.2.2 |
| Artist Color | EuControl 3.2.2 | • Note: You must update the firmware after installing EuControl Software 3.2.2 |
| C|24 | • Please refer to the C|24 Guide for HD only features. | |
| Notes | ||
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• For previous drivers please go to the Drivers for Avid Audio Hardwarepage.
• All Artist Series controllers require the appropriate EuControl software package for your operating system. All installers can be downloaded from your My Artist Series account. page.
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Additional Requirements
- iLok 2: Original iLok 1 not supported
- Audio Drive Requirements: One or More Hard Disk Drives Dedicated for Audio Record and Playback
- System Hard Drive: Minimum 15GB free space on startup drive required for Pro Tools installation
- Graphics Card: Dedicated Graphics Card highly recommended
- Video Peripherals
- Avid Shared Storage and Interplay
- Audio File Type & Session Support:
- Supported: BWF, AIFF, MXF
- Not Supported: SD2 audio files and Pro Tools 4.x sessions and lower
- Pro Tools 10.3.6 or higher (Mac) will automatically convert SD2 audio files to compatible audio files
Pro Tools Software Options
Co-Installation
Pro Tools Co-Installation:
Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and Windows 7 operating systems support co-installation of both Pro Tools 10.3.10 and Pro Tools 12 software versions. Specific software and OS version compatibility can be found in the OS Compatibility Grid tables above.
Media Composer Co-Installation:
Specific software and OS version compatibility info can be found under tyhe following link:
Other
Driver Updates
The latest HD Drivers can be found in the Pro Tools 12 installer image or downloaded separately from your avid.com account. For other Avid audio and video interface drivers, see avid.com/drivers.
Plug-in Compatibility
Pro Tools 12 supports DSP, Native and AudioSuite 64-bit AAX plug-in types only.
Earlier TDM, RTAS and AudioSuite ".dpm" plug-ins are not supported 32-bit AAX plug-ins are not supported
Mac OS X & Windows: TDM, RTAS and AudioSuite (.dpm) plug-ins compatible with Pro Tools HD 9 and Pro Tools HD 10 are not compatible with Pro Tools HD 12
Eleven Rack UI not available in Pro Tools 12
- Workaround: Use the Eleven Rack Editor