Pro Tools for Fools

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i'm a musician, planning to acquire a desktop editing system for my home computer - Windows XP (which seems to be compatible with nothing much!). having briefly used Pro Tools while at film college, I was impressed with its capacity for radically manipulating sound - strectching, pitch-changing, normalising etc.; generally, in terms of art, i'm experimentally minded, so I have my heart set on a system that does more than simply allow me to place notes and loop (cubase). i've also heard of max/msp, but have no idea what its strengths are / how good it is. i have a modest budget.. moreover, i don't know what my technical requirements are exactly, so i'm seeking objective advice: what version of pro tools (or any other suitable system) would suit a desktop situation on a home computer? the very basics. do i need a good mixing desk, a devoted hard drive for audio in addition. any help would be appreciated - thank you in advance.

― Janne Stringer, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 13:13 (twenty-three years ago)

XP protools coming soon. There is a free version for 98/Me(8 Track 2 recording at any one time). The best home solution for pro tools is the Digi001, this is not hardware accelerated though. Do you need to record stuff into your computer if so what, how many tracks simultaneously etc. Cubase is much more than what you imagine it to be. Broadly speaking Protools, Logic, Cubase and Digital Performer all do the same things but in different ways and with different strengths.

Max/MPS is Mac only and primarily a live performance tool

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 13:21 (twenty-three years ago)

I use protools free for mac and it works great. I am amazed that its free

― Mike Hanle y (mike), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 13:51 (twenty-three years ago)

I recommend Cool Edit Pro

― David (David), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 13:54 (twenty-three years ago)

"Do you need to record stuff into your computer if so what, how many tracks simultaneously etc."

i intend to record basic field sounds (that have been pre-recorded on dat), along with my singing voice etc., but i expect not simulatenously.. and then use plug-ins to distort and augment the audio, to create something chimerical and..oblique. i'm being very vague, aren't i? hope this doesn't sound excessively poncey or pontifical, but i feel i have the artistic flare, and am excited about what i may be able to achieve once i get to grips with the technology, though at this stage i am constantly get bogged down with the terms - i.e, what does hardware accelerated mean? also, is the Digi001 eligible for the full range of plug-ins? i already have cool edit pro, to use when i want to edit sounds i've recorded (it took me long enough to get my little brain around that!), but it can't provide the capricious ostentation that plug-in's can. that's what i'm after.

― Janne, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 14:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Run the sounds through AudioMulch (which has proprietary plug ins plus is VST plug in compatible) then export/reimport back into Cool Edit. Plus Cool Edit has loads of onboard functions and it works with DirectX plug ins so it's not at all as limited as you suggest.

― David (David), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 14:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Protools LE (with Digi001, digi002 and mbox) and free are not hardware accelerated, i.e there are no dedicated DSP for sound processing it your own processor that does it all. They will allow you to run as many plugins as system resources allow however with modern processors and a well organised system you should be able to do quite a lot. If you go for LE, I'd get the mbox if you're doing field recording only then manipulating.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 14:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Why not downgrade your computer to 98 and try out free and see out far you can take it.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 14:25 (twenty-three years ago)

you'll have to downgrade anywayas protools xp is not availible yet, soon but not yet.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 14:28 (twenty-three years ago)

thanks for that, Ed, David. you've given me some sound tips.

― Janne, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 14:34 (twenty-three years ago)

NICE FUCKING PUN, TWUNT.

I'm sorry.

― Andrew, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:10 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll put a vote in for Cubase SX. It's far, far, far better for audio than previous incarnations of it. Its default sample rate of 24/48 means big files but does make you feel all hoity toity for using it. The wave editing is pretty easy, its own effects are more than acceptable and are great for mangling. The interface has been improved beyond recognition too.

Cool Edit is a great program, easy to get to grips with and even easier for editing and audioslashing than SX.

However, the best thing to do is get a load of free vst plugins off the net for whatever you're using. A lot of them are wonderfully ropey and as a result are crunchy, evil beasts. For example many poor VST compressors make great bitcrushers.

If you are willing to splash out (or seek things through f*le sh****g) then the Waves Renaissance Collection of plugins are your boy. The MondoMod and the UltraPitch and Enigma are great for wierdness and transformation.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:30 (twenty-three years ago)

to my knowledge, protools has been out for xp for a couple of months now. osx version is not out yet, although i'm told it's done. i use sonar with an aardvark lx6.

one drawback to the digi001 is the cost 800-900 US. i'm told it's a little testy about running other audio apps.

if you are intent on using lots of plugins, you are gonna have to go really powerful on processor and probably ram also.

it also looks like digidesign is fully switched over to xp, the latest protools won't run on anything else, so they say

― ron (ron), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Andrew - are you aggressive because you find the process of making-up so soothing; compulsively contriving situations where you ultimately have to offer an aplogy, so you can then hear someone say 'that's alright'. or are you in fact a twunt yourself?

― Janne, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:46 (twenty-three years ago)

No, I'm just easily frustrated by bad puns. Frustrated enough to type a few words in all capitals. I apologised because it was entirely uncalled for, but I did it anyway.

― Andrew, Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:51 (twenty-three years ago)

as a completely different, but basically recording based question....

why is it that when I record down my optical cable from a burned cd to my MD every track gets chopped into 250-odd tracks?

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 29 January 2003 15:59 (twenty-three years ago)

eight years pass...

Hi ILX. Hope you are doing well. I just wanted to ask if there is somebody out there who can chat with me on a chat server and explain certain things to me about pro tools. i am a fool in love with the idea of using this program -- but you know those people who like can't even put together a desk lamp from ikea? that's me when it comes to new programs. can somebody offer a bit of their time to help me out? i have very specific questions, shouldn't take long.

thank you in advance for being a great forum!

― j lol (surm), Saturday, 7 May 2011 16:04 (fifteen years ago)

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