Chapter 13: File and Session Management and Compatibility 247
If you create a Pro Tools 6.9.x or lower session
on a Mac system, the session is only compatible
on Windows systems if the Enforce Mac/PC
Compatibility option is selected during the Save
Copy In. In addition, there are cross-platform
limits to consider when completing the Save
Copy In.
Cross-Platform Session Limits
When saving (or creating) a copy of a Pro Tools
session that you want to be compatible on both
Mac and Windows, keep in mind the following
limits and how Pro Tools deals with them:
Audio File Types
The recommended file format for cross-platform
interoperability is BWF (.WAV). To support op-
timal session interchange, Pro Tools defaults to
BWF format for new sessions.
Pro Tools lets you save, bounce, and export in a
variety of file formats. However, if you create a
session using the SD II format, a warning dialog
appears reminding you of its limitations:
• SD II is not supported on Windows XP.
• The maximum sample rate for SD II files is
48 kHz.
File Name Extensions
For cross-platform compatibility, all files in a
session must have a 3-letter file extension added
to the file name. Pro Tools 5.1 to 6.9.x session
files have the extension “.pts,” and Pro Tools 5
sessions have the extension “.pt5.” Wave files
have the “.wav” file extension, and AIFF files
have the “.aif” file extension.
Incompatible ASCII Characters
Region names, track names, file names, and
plug-in settings cannot use ASCII characters
that are incompatible with either system.
When importing files into a session, incompati-
ble characters are converted to underscores (“_”)
and the renamed files are placed in the Re-
named Files folder.
The following characters cannot be used in
Windows sessions:
/ (Forward Slash)
\ (Backslash)
: (Colon)
* (Asterisk)
? (Question mark)
“ (Quotation marks)
< (Less-than symbol)
> (Greater-than symbol)
| (vertical line or pipe)
Any “high order” ASCII character (created
with a key combination)
Saving Cross-Platform Sessions
To save an existing session to Pro Tools 6.9.x or
lower and maintain Mac and Windows
compatibility:
1 Choose File > Save Copy In.
2 In the Save Copy In dialog, choose a destina-
tion and enter a name for the new session file.
3 Set the Audio File Type to AIFF or BWF (.WAV).
These file formats are compatible with either
platform.
4 Set the Sample Rate and Bit Depth for the ses-
sion.
5 Select Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility. This op-
tion must be selected to make the session cross-
platform compatible.
6 Select the Items to Copy to the new session.
7 Click Save.
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