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A little advise to a new Pro Tools user please

Jazzcaster89

Jazzcaster89

Oct 3, 2016
442
418
Michigan
#1
Hey guys! I'm fortunate enough to be recording music with a guy who has a degree in sound engineering. It sounds awesome. For some strange reason we got this idea that since we both work so much I should get pro tools and an interface. That way we can email each other ideas and work on songs without being together. While this sounds like a great idea, I'm an idiot at this. My idea of home recording was a Fostex Mr8. Yea I'm old. So after shopping around looks like I can get a focusrite basic setup with a minimal pro tools set up for 100 bucks. Is there any reason I should buy a better version than what the interface comes with? Once I record my part and send it he will do all editing on his end. Thanks for any and all tips and pointers.
 
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#3
+1.

Just keep an eye on compatibility. If you're running different versions of the same DAW title, understand which (if any) features of the more advanced version's sessions won't work in the older or less-advanced version.

Compatibility won't be a big deal if your contribution is mostly limited to playing bass parts against a mix of the evolving songs. But full compatibility will save headaches if you'll be collaborating on arrangements and sound design.

And until you get to the mixing stage, keep your work-in-progress sessions as shareable as possible. For example, even if you're both using the same software platform, during the brainstorming/arrangement/tracking stages keep clean working versions of your shared sessions that avoid any plug-in processing that you don't have in common. Similarly, if one of you adds parts based on software instruments, render a version of those tracks as audio. Etc.

That way, you don't have to bulk up your DAW with all the add-ons your partner is using, and vice versa.
 
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#4
Jazzcaster89 said:
Hey guys! I'm fortunate enough to be recording music with a guy who has a degree in sound engineering. It sounds awesome. For some strange reason we got this idea that since we both work so much I should get pro tools and an interface. That way we can email each other ideas and work on songs without being together. While this sounds like a great idea, I'm an idiot at this. My idea of home recording was a Fostex Mr8. Yea I'm old. So after shopping around looks like I can get a focusrite basic setup with a minimal pro tools set up for 100 bucks. Is there any reason I should buy a better version than what the interface comes with? Once I record my part and send it he will do all editing on his end. Thanks for any and all tips and pointers.
Click to expand...
And I 's comment is on the money, IMO. good luck with your recording project! :thumbsup:
 
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#7
Jazzcaster89 said:
Great! Thanks it's the same.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily. The version of ProTools, or any other DAW for that matter, that gets bundled with an interface is almost always an entry level, starter, junior, etc. equivalent to the full DAW. This may or may not be a problem. ProTools has some powerful session sharing tools which could be useful for your given application that are likely not included in the free version. It's also very likely that the full version could open the starter version's sessions, but not necessarily the other way around. These differences could be a problem for you, or they might be a non-issue.

EDIT: Here's an indicator as to why that version difference holds true. You're talking about an interface and software for $100 or less. Here are the real costs for ProTools which don't include the iLok required for using a non-Avid interface (if they still make you jump through that hoop):
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

$599 for the full version, or $25/mo for a monthly subscription with a minimum one year contract and no ownership of the software after cancellation.
 
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#10
J Posega said:
There's always the option of using a free DAW and having your collaborator send you a bounce of the song for you to play along to if you don't need to do any mixing or editing on your end.
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If you do this have the engineer include 4 beats of "click" (or even just one click if you are not locked to tempo) before the song starts. Include that click in the audio you give back to them. Otherwise this method can cause sync issues.
 
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#11
And I said:
If you do this have the engineer include 4 beats of "click" (or even just one click if you are not locked to tempo) before the song starts. Include that click in the audio you give back to them. Otherwise this method can cause sync issues.
Click to expand...
This is pretty much our plan. Any recording for our music will all remain basically with him. He will send me a bounced track and let me know tempo. I'll have the click track count off before the song. I will let him do all editing once I send my bass line back.
I'll obviously use other features for my own playing projects. I love being a hack blues guitarist as well. LOL. As far as our project goes I will just be recording my part and sending it back for him to edit etc.
 
#15
All good advice. When my band was doing our own recording, we tracked at the drummers house using Cuebase, I took the raw files and dumped them in Protools at home for editing and mixing. Sometimes they would get together and track vocals and some additional bits, and we would FTP the files to me so I could import them to my existing PT sessions. It all worked quite well.
 
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#16
JMacBass65 said:
All good advice. When my band was doing our own recording, we tracked at the drummers house using Cuebase, I took the raw files and dumped them in Protools at home for editing and mixing. Sometimes they would get together and track vocals and some additional bits, and we would FTP the files to me so I could import them to my existing PT sessions. It all worked quite well.
Click to expand...
Nice! I'm really excited about this. It will be a learning curve for me but once I get it down we will be able to get songs down so much faster.
 
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