Pro Tools First - a free PT version

[Ruiner]

Pro Tools has put out a free version geared at singer / songwriters, beginners or people who want to try out PT before buying a bigger version. Smart move by them. It's the only DAW i've ever used.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNVeGJ0B_6A[/video]

More info:

http://www.fastcompany.com/3041373/fast ... g-software

[Markdude]

Interesting. I think Pro Tools is the most overrated DAW in the universe though. I know it's the standard and that a large part of that is because of HD rigs and the hardware interfacing, but at some point it just got silly. Like essentially a recursive situation of "why's it the standard?" "because it's the standard, it is what it is". And it's not even all that stable, I've been in pro studios and seen it cause nightmares a few times. I'm glad to see more DAWs gaining prevalence these days. It's obviously a perfectly capable DAW, but it being the standard has created a false notion that all other DAWs pale in comparison to it, and that's just crazy talk.

Sorry for shitting all over your thread, Mike.

[Ruiner]

Interesting. I think Pro Tools is the most overrated DAW in the universe though. I know it's the standard and that a large part of that is because of HD rigs and the hardware interfacing, but at some point it just got silly. Like essentially a recursive situation of "why's it the standard?" "because it's the standard, it is what it is". And it's not even all that stable, I've been in pro studios and seen it cause nightmares a few times. I'm glad to see more DAWs gaining prevalence these days. It's obviously a perfectly capable DAW, but it being the standard has created a false notion that all other DAWs pale in comparison to it, and that's just crazy talk.

Sorry for shitting all over your thread, Mike.

it's all good. I like hearing people's perspectives on these things. I only like it because it's all i ever used obviously. I probably won't be changing any time soon because i'm used to it and it pairs well with the Apollo interface. Plus i paid for the full version!

What's your favorite DAW?

[Telephant]

I'd rather use Logic or Garageband but only because I find them so much more aesthetically pleasing. My buddy on the other hand hates Logic and Pro Tools, dude would rather use Reaper.

[nightflameauto]

I'm not a fan of the way Pro Tools uses itself as a crowbar to lock you into specific hardware. Or specific hardware uses itself as a crowbar to lock you into Pro Tools, whichever way you want to view it. For that reason alone, I haven't used it in my personal stuff. I've used it at other people's places and don't gel with it as well as I do Logic, but I've been using Logic since 2007 and done a couple actual courses on it, so it would stand to reason I wouldn't gel with anything else I only use sporadically a couple times a year.

[Markdude]

Interesting. I think Pro Tools is the most overrated DAW in the universe though. I know it's the standard and that a large part of that is because of HD rigs and the hardware interfacing, but at some point it just got silly. Like essentially a recursive situation of "why's it the standard?" "because it's the standard, it is what it is". And it's not even all that stable, I've been in pro studios and seen it cause nightmares a few times. I'm glad to see more DAWs gaining prevalence these days. It's obviously a perfectly capable DAW, but it being the standard has created a false notion that all other DAWs pale in comparison to it, and that's just crazy talk.

Sorry for shitting all over your thread, Mike.

it's all good. I like hearing people's perspectives on these things. I only like it because it's all i ever used obviously. I probably won't be changing any time soon because i'm used to it and it pairs well with the Apollo interface. Plus i paid for the full version!

What's your favorite DAW?

Yeah it's definitely a perfectly adequate DAW! I just don't think it's all that great. And I haven't used it since 10 so maybe they finally changed things, but the lack of VST support without wonky wrappers that don't work right is a gigantic dealbreaker for me.

My favorite DAW is Cubase. I'm old school and use version 5 but it works great for me. Since I work with MIDI drums a lot and I'm extremely meticulous about programming, its MIDI editor(s) are a lifesaver. They're very, very flexible.

Although it's nowhere near as flexible, I really dig PreSonus Studio One 2.0 too. As far as workflow goes for basic mixing, I think it's the best. Everything is laid out very logically and it's simple enough to do what you want without ever having too many other options in your way. If I'm doing straight up mixing rather than creating (recording audio, creating MIDI tracks, bouncing MIDI stuff to audio, etc), I think I can hammer out mixes faster in Studio One than anything else.

And for single track editing, like radio stuff, Adobe Audition is still my go-to (it was also my first DAW back when it was Cool Edit Pro).

[Ruiner]

I'm not a fan of the way Pro Tools uses itself as a crowbar to lock you into specific hardware. Or specific hardware uses itself as a crowbar to lock you into Pro Tools, whichever way you want to view it. For that reason alone, I haven't used it in my personal stuff. I've used it at other people's places and don't gel with it as well as I do Logic, but I've been using Logic since 2007 and done a couple actual courses on it, so it would stand to reason I wouldn't gel with anything else I only use sporadically a couple times a year.

They don't do that anymore, you can use any interface with the newer versions of the last few years. No more m-box necessary

[Ruiner]

Interesting. I think Pro Tools is the most overrated DAW in the universe though. I know it's the standard and that a large part of that is because of HD rigs and the hardware interfacing, but at some point it just got silly. Like essentially a recursive situation of "why's it the standard?" "because it's the standard, it is what it is". And it's not even all that stable, I've been in pro studios and seen it cause nightmares a few times. I'm glad to see more DAWs gaining prevalence these days. It's obviously a perfectly capable DAW, but it being the standard has created a false notion that all other DAWs pale in comparison to it, and that's just crazy talk.

Sorry for shitting all over your thread, Mike.

it's all good. I like hearing people's perspectives on these things. I only like it because it's all i ever used obviously. I probably won't be changing any time soon because i'm used to it and it pairs well with the Apollo interface. Plus i paid for the full version!

What's your favorite DAW?

Yeah it's definitely a perfectly adequate DAW! I just don't think it's all that great. And I haven't used it since 10 so maybe they finally changed things, but the lack of VST support without wonky wrappers that don't work right is a gigantic dealbreaker for me.

My favorite DAW is Cubase. I'm old school and use version 5 but it works great for me. Since I work with MIDI drums a lot and I'm extremely meticulous about programming, its MIDI editor(s) are a lifesaver. They're very, very flexible.

Although it's nowhere near as flexible, I really dig PreSonus Studio One 2.0 too. As far as workflow goes for basic mixing, I think it's the best. Everything is laid out very logically and it's simple enough to do what you want without ever having too many other options in your way. If I'm doing straight up mixing rather than creating (recording audio, creating MIDI tracks, bouncing MIDI stuff to audio, etc), I think I can hammer out mixes faster in Studio One than anything else.

And for single track editing, like radio stuff, Adobe Audition is still my go-to (it was also my first DAW back when it was Cool Edit Pro).

Yeah i can see that. I like to get the sound i want recorded up front so i use the Apollo UAD2's up front and only a few on the back end. Haven't had any issues with the VST's i own ....... yet.

[nightflameauto]

I'm not a fan of the way Pro Tools uses itself as a crowbar to lock you into specific hardware. Or specific hardware uses itself as a crowbar to lock you into Pro Tools, whichever way you want to view it. For that reason alone, I haven't used it in my personal stuff. I've used it at other people's places and don't gel with it as well as I do Logic, but I've been using Logic since 2007 and done a couple actual courses on it, so it would stand to reason I wouldn't gel with anything else I only use sporadically a couple times a year.

They don't do that anymore, you can use any interface with the newer versions of the last few years. No more m-box necessary

Too late for me. Shouldn't have been that way to begin with. It's a hang-up from my computer days. Software should not dictate hardware.

Says the Mac guy.

[Markdude]

Interesting. I think Pro Tools is the most overrated DAW in the universe though. I know it's the standard and that a large part of that is because of HD rigs and the hardware interfacing, but at some point it just got silly. Like essentially a recursive situation of "why's it the standard?" "because it's the standard, it is what it is". And it's not even all that stable, I've been in pro studios and seen it cause nightmares a few times. I'm glad to see more DAWs gaining prevalence these days. It's obviously a perfectly capable DAW, but it being the standard has created a false notion that all other DAWs pale in comparison to it, and that's just crazy talk.

Sorry for shitting all over your thread, Mike.

it's all good. I like hearing people's perspectives on these things. I only like it because it's all i ever used obviously. I probably won't be changing any time soon because i'm used to it and it pairs well with the Apollo interface. Plus i paid for the full version!

What's your favorite DAW?

Yeah it's definitely a perfectly adequate DAW! I just don't think it's all that great. And I haven't used it since 10 so maybe they finally changed things, but the lack of VST support without wonky wrappers that don't work right is a gigantic dealbreaker for me.

My favorite DAW is Cubase. I'm old school and use version 5 but it works great for me. Since I work with MIDI drums a lot and I'm extremely meticulous about programming, its MIDI editor(s) are a lifesaver. They're very, very flexible.

Although it's nowhere near as flexible, I really dig PreSonus Studio One 2.0 too. As far as workflow goes for basic mixing, I think it's the best. Everything is laid out very logically and it's simple enough to do what you want without ever having too many other options in your way. If I'm doing straight up mixing rather than creating (recording audio, creating MIDI tracks, bouncing MIDI stuff to audio, etc), I think I can hammer out mixes faster in Studio One than anything else.

And for single track editing, like radio stuff, Adobe Audition is still my go-to (it was also my first DAW back when it was Cool Edit Pro).

Yeah i can see that. I like to get the sound i want recorded up front so i use the Apollo UAD2's up front and only a few on the back end. Haven't had any issues with the VST's i own ....... yet.

Does it actually fully support VSTs now or do you still have to use a VST to RTAS wrapper?

[Markdude]

I'm not a fan of the way Pro Tools uses itself as a crowbar to lock you into specific hardware. Or specific hardware uses itself as a crowbar to lock you into Pro Tools, whichever way you want to view it. For that reason alone, I haven't used it in my personal stuff. I've used it at other people's places and don't gel with it as well as I do Logic, but I've been using Logic since 2007 and done a couple actual courses on it, so it would stand to reason I wouldn't gel with anything else I only use sporadically a couple times a year.

They don't do that anymore, you can use any interface with the newer versions of the last few years. No more m-box necessary

Too late for me. Shouldn't have been that way to begin with. It's a hang-up from my computer days. Software should not dictate hardware.

Says the Mac guy.

It's also a big part of what made them the "standard"...which makes me dislike them even more. I mean, it was a brilliant strategy business-wise...but still kinda fucked. About as close as you can get to being legally monopolistic.

Maybe I wouldn't mind so much if it was really was a super duper crazy amazing DAW that really was totally superior to everything else. But it's not.

[Ruiner]

Interesting. I think Pro Tools is the most overrated DAW in the universe though. I know it's the standard and that a large part of that is because of HD rigs and the hardware interfacing, but at some point it just got silly. Like essentially a recursive situation of "why's it the standard?" "because it's the standard, it is what it is". And it's not even all that stable, I've been in pro studios and seen it cause nightmares a few times. I'm glad to see more DAWs gaining prevalence these days. It's obviously a perfectly capable DAW, but it being the standard has created a false notion that all other DAWs pale in comparison to it, and that's just crazy talk.

Sorry for shitting all over your thread, Mike.

it's all good. I like hearing people's perspectives on these things. I only like it because it's all i ever used obviously. I probably won't be changing any time soon because i'm used to it and it pairs well with the Apollo interface. Plus i paid for the full version!

What's your favorite DAW?

Yeah it's definitely a perfectly adequate DAW! I just don't think it's all that great. And I haven't used it since 10 so maybe they finally changed things, but the lack of VST support without wonky wrappers that don't work right is a gigantic dealbreaker for me.

My favorite DAW is Cubase. I'm old school and use version 5 but it works great for me. Since I work with MIDI drums a lot and I'm extremely meticulous about programming, its MIDI editor(s) are a lifesaver. They're very, very flexible.

Although it's nowhere near as flexible, I really dig PreSonus Studio One 2.0 too. As far as workflow goes for basic mixing, I think it's the best. Everything is laid out very logically and it's simple enough to do what you want without ever having too many other options in your way. If I'm doing straight up mixing rather than creating (recording audio, creating MIDI tracks, bouncing MIDI stuff to audio, etc), I think I can hammer out mixes faster in Studio One than anything else.

And for single track editing, like radio stuff, Adobe Audition is still my go-to (it was also my first DAW back when it was Cool Edit Pro).

Yeah i can see that. I like to get the sound i want recorded up front so i use the Apollo UAD2's up front and only a few on the back end. Haven't had any issues with the VST's i own ....... yet.

Does it actually fully support VSTs now or do you still have to use a VST to RTAS wrapper?

Not really familiar with RTAS wrappers.... I have some Native Instrument synths and Superior Drummer and both work as is straight from the track.

[Markdude]

Interesting. I think Pro Tools is the most overrated DAW in the universe though. I know it's the standard and that a large part of that is because of HD rigs and the hardware interfacing, but at some point it just got silly. Like essentially a recursive situation of "why's it the standard?" "because it's the standard, it is what it is". And it's not even all that stable, I've been in pro studios and seen it cause nightmares a few times. I'm glad to see more DAWs gaining prevalence these days. It's obviously a perfectly capable DAW, but it being the standard has created a false notion that all other DAWs pale in comparison to it, and that's just crazy talk.

Sorry for shitting all over your thread, Mike.

it's all good. I like hearing people's perspectives on these things. I only like it because it's all i ever used obviously. I probably won't be changing any time soon because i'm used to it and it pairs well with the Apollo interface. Plus i paid for the full version!

What's your favorite DAW?

Yeah it's definitely a perfectly adequate DAW! I just don't think it's all that great. And I haven't used it since 10 so maybe they finally changed things, but the lack of VST support without wonky wrappers that don't work right is a gigantic dealbreaker for me.

My favorite DAW is Cubase. I'm old school and use version 5 but it works great for me. Since I work with MIDI drums a lot and I'm extremely meticulous about programming, its MIDI editor(s) are a lifesaver. They're very, very flexible.

Although it's nowhere near as flexible, I really dig PreSonus Studio One 2.0 too. As far as workflow goes for basic mixing, I think it's the best. Everything is laid out very logically and it's simple enough to do what you want without ever having too many other options in your way. If I'm doing straight up mixing rather than creating (recording audio, creating MIDI tracks, bouncing MIDI stuff to audio, etc), I think I can hammer out mixes faster in Studio One than anything else.

And for single track editing, like radio stuff, Adobe Audition is still my go-to (it was also my first DAW back when it was Cool Edit Pro).

Yeah i can see that. I like to get the sound i want recorded up front so i use the Apollo UAD2's up front and only a few on the back end. Haven't had any issues with the VST's i own ....... yet.

Does it actually fully support VSTs now or do you still have to use a VST to RTAS wrapper?

Not really familiar with RTAS wrappers.... I have some Native Instrument synths and Superior Drummer and both work as is straight from the track.

Superior Drummer is RTAS compatible (well now I guess it's actually AAX these days) and all Native Instruments stuff probably is too. It's a different format than VST. A lot of plugin developers make their plugins RTAS/AAX compatible since Pro Tools has such a big userbase, but there are tons and tons and tons of amazing plugins that are VST only.

[Ruiner]

Interesting. I think Pro Tools is the most overrated DAW in the universe though. I know it's the standard and that a large part of that is because of HD rigs and the hardware interfacing, but at some point it just got silly. Like essentially a recursive situation of "why's it the standard?" "because it's the standard, it is what it is". And it's not even all that stable, I've been in pro studios and seen it cause nightmares a few times. I'm glad to see more DAWs gaining prevalence these days. It's obviously a perfectly capable DAW, but it being the standard has created a false notion that all other DAWs pale in comparison to it, and that's just crazy talk.

Sorry for shitting all over your thread, Mike.

it's all good. I like hearing people's perspectives on these things. I only like it because it's all i ever used obviously. I probably won't be changing any time soon because i'm used to it and it pairs well with the Apollo interface. Plus i paid for the full version!

What's your favorite DAW?

Yeah it's definitely a perfectly adequate DAW! I just don't think it's all that great. And I haven't used it since 10 so maybe they finally changed things, but the lack of VST support without wonky wrappers that don't work right is a gigantic dealbreaker for me.

My favorite DAW is Cubase. I'm old school and use version 5 but it works great for me. Since I work with MIDI drums a lot and I'm extremely meticulous about programming, its MIDI editor(s) are a lifesaver. They're very, very flexible.

Although it's nowhere near as flexible, I really dig PreSonus Studio One 2.0 too. As far as workflow goes for basic mixing, I think it's the best. Everything is laid out very logically and it's simple enough to do what you want without ever having too many other options in your way. If I'm doing straight up mixing rather than creating (recording audio, creating MIDI tracks, bouncing MIDI stuff to audio, etc), I think I can hammer out mixes faster in Studio One than anything else.

And for single track editing, like radio stuff, Adobe Audition is still my go-to (it was also my first DAW back when it was Cool Edit Pro).

Yeah i can see that. I like to get the sound i want recorded up front so i use the Apollo UAD2's up front and only a few on the back end. Haven't had any issues with the VST's i own ....... yet.

Does it actually fully support VSTs now or do you still have to use a VST to RTAS wrapper?

Not really familiar with RTAS wrappers.... I have some Native Instrument synths and Superior Drummer and both work as is straight from the track.

Superior Drummer is RTAS compatible (well now I guess it's actually AAX these days) and all Native Instruments stuff probably is too. It's a different format than VST. A lot of plugin developers make their plugins RTAS/AAX compatible since Pro Tools has such a big userbase, but there are tons and tons and tons of amazing plugins that are VST only.

ahhh, good to know. Well, glad everything i have works fine for the time being, ha.

[colejustesen]

I have never used PT, as it was just way too expensive for me. I have been using Mixbus lately. It is Harrison Console's revamping of Ardour. They made it respond and look like something you would see on their analog boards. While it sounds great now it has its limits (doesn't utilize multicore CPUs, no MIDI, and runs only 32 bit). Their design sounds great and puts great sounding eq's and compressors on each track, like you would see on one of their analog boards. They are currently developing their newest version off of Ardour 3, which has expanded flexibility. They also have developed an actual hardware board to run with the newest version.

I have read on their forum from engineers who have been using PT and are fed up with it. They ate anxiously awaiting the release of the newest Mixbus so they can jump ship. This might be a cheaper option for those who want to mix professionally and have a quality piece of hardware to interface with their DAW. They are shooting for a Price less than $1K for the outboard component, which seems reasonable after looking at PT work stations.

Cole