Pro Tools everyone?

[garrettmiller]

I love Pro Tools. 95% of what I do is done with VI's within Pro Tools. I really like the MIDI layout! Works great for me. As many here have mentioned, workflow is the key. If your able to make cool stuff in ableton, know the in's and out's of the program, then I probably wouldn't switch... I switched from Cubase to Pro Tools because of driver issues with a Rosetta 800, instability, and a bunch of other stuff. So I guess what I'm saying is, if it works, don't fix it!Cheers,Garrett

[Kolstad]

Thanks guys, great inputs!Ableton is often described as just a sketch pad, and the big dogs export their Live sessions into the other daw's. But I don't know why that is, as I find Live to be great to finish a project off. Sure you need the plug-ins and stuff, but if you know how to tweak them Live has some good ones in between, and I mostly use vst's anyway, like I would in a different system too.PT8 looks good to me, but I suspect I have a case of P1T1 (also known as the gear flu). I think I'll just sweat it out for now, and stay in my Live untill it's over There's just not enough incentive.

[jonathanm]

Nov 20, 2009, 12:31am, thesongcabinet wrote:...but I suspect I have a case of P1T1 (also known as the gear flu).That's too funny!

[Mark Kaufman]

I think choice of DAW is becoming less and less consequential. They are all improving, and so is the ease of file exporting. I think they are all wonderful, and all fighting for your sense of brand loyalty. It sure wouldn't hurt to learn ProTools, but I'll be surprised if you find it opens new horizons for you...other than being able to use some great free Massey plug-ins. If you're going to be a pro engineer, you need to learn ProTools...but if you intend to remain independent, it hardly matters.

[willwillp]

I used protools for years as it was what everyone had. Last year I picked up a copy of Logic 8 because they had some good sounding instruments and I liked the midi capabilities and the layout worked better for me how I write. For awhile I would bounce the tracks into pro-tools and then do the vocals and mixing in protools, but now I'm all Logic 8. I turned off my 002 and got an Apogee interface and the sound quality is much better than the stock protools interfaces. I will note that since then Pro-tools came out with their version 8 which does a lot of the same things that Logic does, and really depending on what you're doing, all of the DAW's out there work just fine. It's more a personal taste thing at this point. But I'm pretty happy with Logic.

[ceedub]

I've used DP since the Triassic. For years I assumed I'd eventually make the transition to PT. For years I was able to do everything I needed to do in DP, so I never switched. Knowing your gear is important, and all my experience with DP is very valuable.I use the trick Mazz spoke of (bouncing files with the same start time) all the time.

[waltzmastering]

I've been using PT for some time (since it came out as Sound Designer/Sound Tools)Now a day's there are quite a few daws that get the job done, so it's comes down to price, features and work flow.The most important component to consider and the thing that will separate any one daw to out perform any another one is your converters, other than that it just comes down to cosmetics.

[robbylane]

Roughly two years ago, when I was considering the best DAW for home recording, one of my most critical factors of interest was overall sound quality. In my case, I was planning to record, mix and master everything at home...from beginning to finished product. I visited various company websites and paid close attention to what I was hearing as I watched recording systems being demonstrated online. At that time, Pro Tools truly sounded better than the competitors. So, I purchased a new iMac and a Digidesign Pro Tools Rack 003 with Factory Bundle. At present-time, if I were to start over and buy a new DAW, I would do that very same research. In addition to sound quality, you also have to consider functional stability, the ability to have a seamless workflow, and ultimately, how it will work with your choice of computer and Operating System, which has EVERYTHING to do with it! In many instances, a DAW is only going to be as good as the computer and OS that it will "speak" from. These are just my personal thoughts and opinions, but like anyone else who takes their music seriously, I did a mad-ton of research in an effort to make what I felt was my wisest of choices, or "biggest bang for the buck!" I also enjoyed (and gleaned insight from) my other friends here who posted responses. Robby Lane

[Casey H]

Nov 21, 2009, 3:16am, robbylane wrote:Roughly two years ago, when I was considering the best DAW for home recording, one of my most critical factors of interest was overall sound quality. In my case, I was planning to record, mix and master everything at home...from beginning to finished product. I visited various company websites and paid close attention to what I was hearing as I watched recording systems being demonstrated online. At that time, Pro Tools truly sounded better than the competitors. So, I purchased a new iMac and a Digidesign Pro Tools Rack 003 with Factory Bundle. At present-time, if I were to start over and buy a new DAW, I would do that very same research. In addition to sound quality, you also have to consider functional stability, the ability to have a seamless workflow, and ultimately, how it will work with your choice of computer and Operating System, which has EVERYTHING to do with it! In many instances, a DAW is only going to be as good as the computer and OS that it will "speak" from. These are just my personal thoughts and opinions, but like anyone else who takes their music seriously, I did a mad-ton of research in an effort to make what I felt was my wisest of choices, or "biggest bang for the buck!" I also enjoyed (and gleaned insight from) my other friends here who posted responses. Robby LaneHi RobbyJust to clarify from my own understanding... A DAW consists of both hardware (computer, mics, front-ends, pre-amps, etc) and software (Cubase, Sonar, Pro Tools, Logic, etc). With Pro Tools being only the software side, it does not, in itself, affect sound quality. The sound quality depends on the hardware and the skill of the DAW user. I hear great recordings being made by friends here using cheap or even free software such as Traktion, Audacity, etc. I've also heard crap from people who have Pro Tools... All tools, Pro Tools software and others, are as good as the expertise the user puts into it. Most of the DAW software products on the market can do the same things-- it's just differences in user interface and personal preferences.Best, Casey

[Kolstad]

It's very interesting to read your experiences and thoughts on this one. Tom's point on a/d converters is a good one.. might be a better place for me to upgrade, although I've got some decent ones in my TC interface.Or.. the unthinkable, I could improve my tweaking skills