Going the Protools way

[BitchSlap]

Hi everybody !
I've been lurking around for quite a while and finally I decide to write in.
I've had a nice working DAW for a while, but I'm thinking of going the Protools way, for obvious quality reasons and for the "name", as it will attract more people I guess.

Now I've heard about the HD system. But it's pretty expensive (i know, quality costs ). However I saw the Mix system being on sale for not as much money on Ebay. What is the Mix system ? Is it similar to HD ? Is it like the ancestor ? Would it be a good solution to go there, as a sort of middle ground between digi002 and HD ?

Forgive me for the Dumbass questions, but I don't know much about Protools
What are the pros and cons of getting this Mix system ? Would I be better off saving (for quite a while !) to get a HD system ?
Let me in the loop to cure my ignorance

 

[James Murphy]

mix systems work fine, much more powerful than LE systems, but you won't be able to run higher than 48/24, you won't be able to upgrade to the latest OS or the latest version of PT, and any clients that come to you with their proejcts started on personal current LE systems will be incompatible.

 

[006]

First of all, you are right about the name (ProTools) attracting more people. We've had clients call us and ask if we used ProTools, and we tell them "no, we run Sony Vegas, it's the same thing. You can do everything in Vegas that you can do in ProTools," and they then respond with "but...it's PRO tools. Are you guys not professionals?" What happens is, they honestly have no idea what they are talking about. They use the name "ProTools" to connect with how professional a studio is. When I've seen Digital Performer studios that kicked a ProTools studio's ass 6 ways from Sunday. Now, if you want to go the ProTools route, I would say save up and get an HD system. It's not all *that* expensive if you think about it. You can get the Mackie Control Universal as your DAW controller instead of any of the overpriced DigiDesign control surfaces (Control|24, ProControl, etc.), and it will do the same thing at only the fraction of the cost, and it looks just as neat for the clients with it's motorized faders and all that good stuff.

But then again, if the clients aren't impressed enough by your production and they associate ProTools with being "professional" then maybe they are not worth recording? That's how it has turned out over here anyway. People have still come in after wanting PT and recorded with us, and they fucking suck. So...it's really up to you. You may not really even need to upgrade bro. This is not a supply and demand industry. It's the other way around for us engineers They'll go where the best quality is, ProTools or not. Trust me. That's how we stay on top around here.

~006

 

[006]

Just to add...we run Sony Vegas, like I said before, and it can save sessions in any format (ProTools, DigitalPerformer, Cubase, Sonar, SAWStudio, etc.) So thats another reason the owner refuses to switch. You can also import ProTools sessions into Vegas. You can't import anything BUT PT sessions into ProTools, and it won't save as anything BUT PT. Just a thought .

~006

 

[unsilpauly]

Just to add...we run Sony Vegas, like I said before, and it can save sessions in any format (ProTools, DigitalPerformer, Cubase, Sonar, SAWStudio, etc.) So thats another reason the owner refuses to switch. You can also import ProTools sessions into Vegas. You can't import anything BUT PT sessions into ProTools, and it won't save as anything BUT PT. Just a thought .

~006

actually with digi-translator you can do omf format and do most if not all the things you said you cant do with protools.
with that being said protools hd is really good, but protools le is really bad. its a real cpu hog. i can run probably four times the plugins on the same computer with digital performer and im sure thats the case with some other daws as well. if you cant afford hd i would go with another system.

 

[006]

I have been corrected.

~006

 

[unsilpauly]

I have been corrected.

~006

its cool. just thought you should know since you are gonna be outfiting your new studio. maybe you should get an hd rig. and since you are gonna get a motu interface why not go with dp? vegas is really in to many pro studios that i have heard of as a main daw. although anything is possible i guess.