ProTools M-Powered/LE Users please chime in...

[AdamWathan]

I want to grab a copy of M-Powered because I am not getting along with Logic so far at all but before I do, I just have a few questions holding me back from giving it a try...

1. First of all, 7.4 or 8, which is a better call?

2. I need a list of plugins that are affordable or free that can replace my VSTs and AUs. RTAS is a bitch and it seems like the selection is ridiculously limited in the prosumer department compared to VST. I need a clipper, compressor, EQ, sample player (something to trigger drum samples from MIDI, and NOT fucking Drumagog), etc. Are the stock plugins useable?

3. Delay compensation, is it actually that fucking annoying and awful? My understanding is that any time I use a plugin, my track is going to fall out of sync with the rest of my tracks, even if it is only slightly. I've heard of people having to put the same plugin on every single track and bypassing all of them except the one they are using on the one track just to keep everything phase coherent. This makes it sound like the whole DAW is completely unusable but that can't possibly be the case if so many people are getting by just fine with it so can someone explain it in more detail?

4. Is Music Production Toolkit 2 compatible with PT 7.4 and PT 8 or is there different versions for each? I don't want to grab a used copy or something only to find out it's not compatible with the version of PT I end up with.

I'm sure I will come up with more but I think that's it for now...

 

[nwright]

I thought you were using a Mackie interface? Are those compatible with PT?

 

[LydonB]

1. I prefer 8 and haven't had any issues when using it.
2. Get the Massey compressor. It is very affordable considering the cost of many plugins. As far as the others, maybe others can chime in.
3. With Mellowmuse ATA, you will not have too much trouble with the delay compensation if you get your head wrapped around the ATA plugin. You can also just put time adjuster on all the tracks and adjust delay from there...or you can manually nudge the tracks to correct the delay. Kind of annoying, but shit happens.
4. I am pretty sure that MPTK2 is only compatible with PT8.

Even with the shortfalls of PTLE, I still prefer editing and mixing in Pro Tools over any other DAW just because of how efficient I can work in it. LE would be better with ADC but can't have everything I guess :zombie:

 

[AdamWathan]

I thought you were using a Mackie interface? Are those compatible with PT?

Had to get rid of the Mackie when I got my Mac, there were no compatible drivers for anything except OS X 10.3.9 and even those ones were apparently useless. Running a Profire 2626 now.

 

[nwright]

ah, I dig my Profire 2626.

 

[HandsOfDespair]

3. Delay compensation, is it actually that fucking annoying and awful? My understanding is that any time I use a plugin, my track is going to fall out of sync with the rest of my tracks, even if it is only slightly. I've heard of people having to put the same plugin on every single track and bypassing all of them except the one they are using on the one track just to keep everything phase coherent. This makes it sound like the whole DAW is completely unusable but that can't possibly be the case if so many people are getting by just fine with it so can someone explain it in more detail?

PT shows you in the mixer how many samples of delay you have on each track, so you just have to select all your track and move it by the number of samples and you'll be alright. And the delay is in samples, so I don't think it's that noticeable, just move all your tracks according to the number of samples when you have finished your mix.

 

[colynomial]

Adam, on the ADC, really the only tracks that need to be phase coherent are those that would need be phase coherent because they were recorded together.

For instance, all your drum tracks need to be phase coherent with each other because they're all parts of the same instrument in recorded simultaneously in the same room. Of course your blended samples would need to be lined up too. But arguably having your guitar or bass tracks a few samples behind the drums isn't going to be a big deal maybe- even desirable.

So... you could do the plug-in bypass workaround across your 12 or whatever channels of drums and just leave the rest. Not that bad since you're probably running EQ and Comp on most stuff anyways.

 

[AEL89]

loving the workflow on 8. Be sure to download 8.0.1 - couple of good fixes in there and everything seems a little quicker/smoother. Obviously get the music production toolkit for multitrack BD. FXpansion unwrapper for all your VSTs and mellowmuse for delay compensation if you're worried about it that much - I never have any problems personally.

Digirack plugins are absolutely amazing, I always use them. The new AIR stuff in 8 is quality too. Download all the Massey demos. If you go for the factory bundle with PT then you'll have some really cool stuff in there too.

Side note: HD 3 Accel w/ 192 interface + A/D expansion card = £6k when you trade in any 002 or 003 interface.

 

[Trevoire520]

I want to grab a copy of M-Powered because I am not getting along with Logic so far at all but before I do, I just have a few questions holding me back from giving it a try...

1. First of all, 7.4 or 8, which is a better call?

2. I need a list of plugins that are affordable or free that can replace my VSTs and AUs. RTAS is a bitch and it seems like the selection is ridiculously limited in the prosumer department compared to VST. I need a clipper, compressor, EQ, sample player (something to trigger drum samples from MIDI, and NOT fucking Drumagog), etc. Are the stock plugins useable?

3. Delay compensation, is it actually that fucking annoying and awful? My understanding is that any time I use a plugin, my track is going to fall out of sync with the rest of my tracks, even if it is only slightly. I've heard of people having to put the same plugin on every single track and bypassing all of them except the one they are using on the one track just to keep everything phase coherent. This makes it sound like the whole DAW is completely unusable but that can't possibly be the case if so many people are getting by just fine with it so can someone explain it in more detail?

4. Is Music Production Toolkit 2 compatible with PT 7.4 and PT 8 or is there different versions for each? I don't want to grab a used copy or something only to find out it's not compatible with the version of PT I end up with.

I'm sure I will come up with more but I think that's it for now...

1. Either will do, but there's quite alot of workflow improvements and new plugins in PT8 so I'd recommend that.

2. You could get FX Expansion's VST-RTAS Adapter to use some of your VST's. $100 I think.
I like T-rack's Clipper,
For compression you'll have the Digirack compressor which is pretty transparent as long as you're not compressing too hard, it tends to distort a bit when you do heavy compression. Joemeek compressor is pretty good for alot of things I think, and BF76 is great for Parallel compression on drums and vox. There's also a AIR compressor I think but I haven't really used it tbh.
The Massey compressor is also pretty damn good and not too expensive. And again I'm quite liking the T-racks Opto and Classic compressors.

For EQ you'll have the Digirack eq which has up to 5 bands of eq aswell as H/LPF and notch filters, it's very flexible and transparent. I very rarely use anything else. There's also a Joe Meek EQ which is a simpler 3 band design with a sweepable mid.

3. Delay compensation isn't that much of a big deal for the majority of the time as not many plug's add a significant delay, for the lookahead gates and limiters it's only a few samples. Just remember that phase is never perfect in the real world anyway. The only time I really find it's a problem is when I'm parallel compressing, and it's very easy to compensate for using time adjuster.

4. I think MPTK2 is for PT8 and MPTK1 is for PT7 and below. To be honest though I think Eleven LE would be worth any extra it might cost for MPTK2.

 

[PostMortem1666]

I used Pro Tools 7 for over 2 years and I would say get Pro Tools 8 for sure. Much more stable for me.

Just get the Fxpansion wrapper as well and it will solve your VST problem. It's like $50 I think and I have never had a plugin not work with it.

The delay comp is not that big of a deal. I only just recently got the Mellowmuse plugin (which was only $50 as well) and it has helped but it isn't a big difference unless I am parallel compressing something.

And to me the MPTK2 is great if you have the money but not exactly a must have. It is easy as hell to use Beat Detective without the toolkit and 48 tracks has always been enough for me.

Good luck on the switch!

EDIT: Oh and the stock Digidesign EQ 3 and Compressor/Dynamics 3 are decent. And the Digidesign Expander/Gate is my go to gate for EVERYTHING. Also some of the A.I.R. plugs included in 8 aren't bad either for effects.

 

[AdamWathan]

Ordered M-Powered 8 to try out for now. Bummer that I can't use it while I'm travelling since my interface isn't exactly portable. I just sold my old Fast Track Pro last week too. Fucking dumb.

 

[greyskull]

pro tools 8 is great. i looked at 7 the other day and thought FUCK are you ugly.
the stock plugins are VERY useable; youd be surprised how many big releases use mostly digirack eq and maybe something that comes with the HD pack.
Get vst-rtas wrapper and have all your vst plugins.