Do I really need ProTools?

[kevinmathie]

Hi all!I'm trying to decide on whether to get back into ProTools again or not. So, I could use your advice.Here's the thing: Back in 1995, I bought a ProTools III TDM set-up -- complete with a Power Computing computer (remember the short-lived era when Apple actually allowed other companies to build Apple-compatible computers?). I loved ProTools back then, and became quite the power user, as I had a commercial recording studio at the time, and used it every day for tracking, editing, mixing, and mastering. That was back when so many other studios relegated ProTools to just some fancy editing software. (They'd dump certain tracks from their analog 24-track tape (or ADATs) into ProTools, do their editing, then dump the tracks back to tape to do their final mixing.)But, I just couldn't keep up with the cost. First it was my NuBus expansion slots that were out-of-date, then my computer processor, then another thing, and another. Every time, the upgrade was a $3000 or $4000 bill.So, since I ended up closing my commercial studio, and decided to stick to composing and arranging, I dropped ProTools and stuck with Digital Performer -- which I had been using for years, as far back as when it was just plain old Performer 2.0 -- and have been happy ever since. Of course, I eventually added Logic to my arsenal, and am very pleased with it as well.Fast forward several years later to today. I'm now in a place where I'm going to be going after some bigger projects as a composer.So, here's my question: Do I need ProTools, even though I don't really use it as a composer? I know it's the industry standard in Post Production (for very good reason, I might add!). And for recording "live" instruments, there's seriously no better product. Every time I have to record audio in Logic or Digital Performer, I'm always thinking back to the "good old days" when I was recording audio into ProTools. Neither product comes close to the ease of ProTools in that regard.But, I very seldom record live audio any more. It's all sequenced data, and for that, I have a hard time believing that ProTools would be much better than either Logic or Digital Performer.However, will film directors/music supervisors expect me to have ProTools in my arsenal? Or will they even care? Do they just want the finished stereo track, or possibly audio stems for their own multi-track mixdown?I know that ever since Avid bought Digidesign, a great deal of effort has been made to make ProTools integrate with Avid video editing software as seemlessly as possible. So, do producers nowdays expect the audio stems to come to them in a ProTools file? Apparently, Digital Performer now defaults to saving their files as Sound Designer files, and the reason they gave was that it provided "increased compatibility," which means to me that they must have gotten complaints from their users who needed to have files in a Sound Designer format for some reason.Thoughts?KevinHmmmm.... just read through this post. Sorry for it's length. I get a little talkative by the time I finish my 2nd beer.

[milfus]

well I am biased as hell towards pro-tools, but I am just gonna say, post is post, you may not be recording but at the same time, if you are doing stuff in post, I am still an advocate for pt, as far as it being a finishing program, I am known, biases and all, to write in ableton sometimes, just because I like the environment of it, makes me productive, but I generally end up porting out to pt for the mixing and dynamics. Can you do without it? sure, anymore I have heard some really nice broadcast quality come out of a lot of different DAW programs, I think the place where pro-tools really shines is the end end game, when you end up having to go surgical on a mix, you owned a studio so I am sure you know what I mean. I noticed a lot of local guys around here, tend to standardize to pro-tools, and FCP, just for compatibility with collabs and stuff, which seems to be industry standard, but I have worked with people with other daw's, it just takes more work, tagging sound files and exporting aiff's or wav's and then setting up the project manually, if I am lucky I can just re-wire and print each track as its editied and start from there. So worst case it might be a bit of a pain in the butt, but if you do a little leg work you can make it easier. However just a small thought, to cover your bases, you might consider getting one of the little m-audio interfaces for like 40 bucks, just to have pro-tools m-powered, so you can do the conversions of your peices and have a ready to fly pt version on request, how I do it, is you just print the raw files, and recreate the effects using stock plug ins with pt, if its going to another engineer, that way he can update the stock plug ins with whatever plug in's he prefers and has a blue print for how you want it to sound. That being said, I compose in pro-tools mainly for the level of control I get, and because I am really fast on pt vs other programs from constant use. I just find it easier to articulate instruments, but that may be completely subjective.

[mazz]

The lines are getting even more blurred.Digital Performer 6 will create and read a type of file that will allow it to seamlessly interface with FCP. It will also work as a front end to ProTools hardware (you know, the big expensive dongles they sell?)Any decent DAW will export files in any format and ProTools will open them up. It may not be a ProTools session but they can be brought in. Digital Performer will also deal with Broadcast WAV files which I believe can have time stamping and other attributes placed in them. I'm sure ProTools will import those.To paraphrase milfus "I'm really fast on Digital Performer vs other programs because that's what I've been using for years".I haven't had anyone demand ProTools sessions yet. What they typically want is really good music that is in a format they can handle, which has usually turned out to be WAV files, either a stereo mix or stems or both. If someone really really wanted a ProTools session, I'd buy ProTools M-powered and plug in my M-audio FW interface and transfer my files to ProTools so they don't have to. Then I'd quickly quit PT and open DP back up so I could get some composing done. (Or I'd bring the files to someone with PT and have them import them and save the session for me).IMO it's whatever you're used to that can get you a great end result, unless you're running a studio for hire, then you probably need ProTools.Mazz

[flood]

I have used Pro Tools primarily for straight audio production, and haven't looked into its midi tools.That being said, there are so many inexpensive programs if that is the only thing you need it for.I have also seen one or two open source, free, programs that look quite compelling. One I downloaded for my wife to podcast on and I was impressed with the quality and ease of use.

[Mark Kaufman]

No.

[nickbatzdorf]

If you need a Pro Tools system, the MBox Mini is $300.

[mojobone]

Sept 25, 2008, 11:27am, mazz wrote:IMO it's whatever you're used to that can get you a great end result, unless you're running a studio for hire, then you probably need ProTools.MazzThat boils it down rather nicely, IMO. flood, Which program did you DL for the podcastering?

[milfus]

yeah, I was just thinking for editing and stuff with movies, i.e. being the actual sound guy on a movie, most projects try to do a vendor lock in so the team can all work together, and the heavy preference that i have seen is pt and fcp. for producing for movies, all you need is to get the music to the sound guy in a good format

[robbylane]

I do not have enough experience with Digital Performer to have opinions there, except to say that it is widely used by big industry people. But in regard to Pro Tools, tons of folks are using the Mbox because you still get great results at an affordable price. Don't go with the mini. The Mbox is going to give you better mic preamps. These days, I cannot think of a better affordable quality recording package than the Mbox with current Pro Tools software, provided you have a decent PC or Mac.

[davewalton]

Of the other composer guys/gals that I can think of (here on the forum at least), I don't know of any that use ProTools. A couple guys like Stick and Andre do but they also have "studio services" where they're doing studio work for other people. For doing film/tv stuff as a composer, any of the top packages would do the job. Not using ProTools doesn't seem to be slowing Mazz or Matto down any.