I'm looking to make a nice Pro Tools setup for home recording for cheap. I want at least an Mbox 2 Pro, but anything beyond that is just gravy.
Ideas??
Ideas??
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Good Pro Tools setup on the cheap
- Thread starter Noseferatu
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^Bump^
I'm kinda interested in this, too. I'm looking to set up a small workstation at home.
When we set up our bigger studio, we originally got a PC. ProTools LE didn't work with something on there, and I've heard that there were tons of problems with PCs a few years ago.
Is this still so? Should I try to go the Apple route? For the same essential stats, I can build a a PC for about 1/4 the price of a Mac.
Thoughts?
I'm kinda interested in this, too. I'm looking to set up a small workstation at home.
When we set up our bigger studio, we originally got a PC. ProTools LE didn't work with something on there, and I've heard that there were tons of problems with PCs a few years ago.
Is this still so? Should I try to go the Apple route? For the same essential stats, I can build a a PC for about 1/4 the price of a Mac.
Thoughts?
If you only need a couple inputs, the mbox stuff should suffice. If you think you may need more, with room for some expandability, look for a used 002R. Those can be had for around $450 on the used market. Just make sure that if you go the used route that you get the Transfer of Ownership form that Avid/Digidesign requires from the previous owner. Otherwise, they won't let you upgrade to future versions of the software.
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scotch
It's not rocket science!
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No, PC's work great with ProTools. You just have to make sure that all of the hardware (motherboard, firewire card, etc...) is listed compatible with ProTools. An off-the-shelf dept. store PC is probably not up to spec!
Honestly, it's smart to have a dedicated ProTools computer. Turning off background processes & 'enhanced' features of the operating system really lets you squeeze the most performance out of the hardware for ProTools. Trying to run a gaming PC and ProTools on it works, but is not optimal.
I bought a Sweetwater Creation Station PC & have been blown away! I've had it about 4 years & never had an issue or crash. They come with the OS already optimized & all of the hardware installed is 100% guaranteed to work with ProTools (and most of the other major DAW's). They have great phone support as well. It's really the smartest, easiest way to get set-up in my opinion.
http://www.sweetwater.com/creation_station/
First off if you wanna have a "nice" home recording setup its not gonna be cheap. Like my music teacher always said "Good is no cheap, and cheap is no good".
If you want it done right get ready to spend a few thousand at least, or otherwise you're just buying cheap stuff and sacrificing quality. The cheapest route is just buying a hand held stereo recording device.
The question really is how deep into the rabbit hole you really wanna go??
If you want it done right get ready to spend a few thousand at least, or otherwise you're just buying cheap stuff and sacrificing quality. The cheapest route is just buying a hand held stereo recording device.
The question really is how deep into the rabbit hole you really wanna go??
Just out of curiosity, why ProTools? There are just as good sequencers out there that don't make you use only their hardware and make you jump through loops if you want to sell/buy used hardware. IMO, ProTools is a scam. Don't believe it's a "studio standard." That's what they want you to believe. Just as many pro studios Cubase or Samplitude.
scotch
It's not rocket science!
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Really? ProTools is the standard, sorry man. From NY to Nashville to LA, ProTools is what gets used 90% of the time by professional studios & countless project studios as well. No serious self-respecting studio is using Cubase anymore. You still occasionally see Digital Performer used for tracking, but it's rare.
Ok i agree there are definitely good alternatives out there but don't be mistaken 9 out of 10 pro studios i've worked for ALL use ProTools(After working in 5 different pro studios and as a current Professional Audio engineer myself) , It is the industry standard because its the first of its kind created and has been around the longest. Every other DAW out there came out after ProTools. Not saying i love digidesign or anything but ProTools undoubtedly the measure for all other DAW's out there. its been around for 27 years and is the most refined DAW out there , IT sets the standard that all other DAW's follow. IME
My top suggestions for a DAW
1. ProTools
2. Nuendo
3. Logic
4. Ableton
and for stereo Mastering.
1. Wavelabs
2. Peak pro
If you wanna go really cheap just download an open source DAW such as Audacity.
I'm more of a Logic person now anyway. I've had a nice amount of time to spend with both since I started this thread and I'd have to give Logic the slight upper hands becuse it seems more like the "musician's" DAW, if that makes sense.
Logic just seems much more user friendly, and honestly, could produce the same results as Pro Tools.
Pro tools, in my mind, seems too industrial and too sophisticated, again I apologize if that comment sounded idiotic, I just don't know any other way to put it.
Logic just seems much more user friendly, and honestly, could produce the same results as Pro Tools.
Pro tools, in my mind, seems too industrial and too sophisticated, again I apologize if that comment sounded idiotic, I just don't know any other way to put it.
Its not idiotic, its your experiences and thats the only thing that counts at the end of the day!
But worth noting, every DAW can produce results of the highest quality, thats never an issue between DAW's! Its ONLY about what one you like, and what one has the tools where it makes sense to you. Or what one has the specific time-saving tools you like to use!
What effects your results is the room you record in, your mic's, preamps and converters etc.
Whats interesting is that once you get into it Logic is MUCH more sophisicated than pro tools, and pro tools is pretty simple WYSIWYG.
Well, thats not fair, PT is very sophisticated too but under the hood, so to speak. PT is tried and tested, like a BMW, whereas logic is more like a concept car!
But pro tools requires a bit more initial time learning it until it become fluid, wheras logic takes a bit more time learning it to reveal how big it is under the surface!
Yeah, it IS the standard man, followed by logic. For a lot of very good reasons, though it is looking like it might change over the next few years.
Digidesign are a bit of a sly company in some ways but pro tools LE and HD fundamentally works the way it does, on its own hardware, for good reason, and its one of the reasons it is a very stable platform.
When you are talking HD the question of using anyone elses hardware (apart from licensed 3rd parties like prism) can not come into it, because pro tools HD is not just the program, it is the set of DSP Pci cards and interface/sync units that make up the core of a studio. Thats why its expensive, thats why its very stable with near 0 latency accross the board etc etc. LE is ported from HD, and works off the same principles.
And if you follow the good practice they tell you on their website selling hardware is as easy as anything, as easy as selling a piece of software or anything else with a registered license key.
No serious, self respecting studio is using Protools LE either.
Unless you are ready to drop 5 figures on the kind of rig a professional engineer expects to find in an industry standard room better options exist.
NOW...
That all being said..
No true studio can use what most of us track.;....
Much of this is either used as scratches or self-made demos.
I've owned protools stuff--- I HATED how I couldn't "really" use it on a laptop OR had to use their junk to interface.
It's so much easier bringing a laptop and just what I need to track.
Ther ear tons and tons of software programs -- I wouldn't overlook the competition.
What did I settle on? Ableton as we do this more for scratches and live tracking...
(Or audacity if it's just recording a concept)
Nothing wrong with protools --- the reality is money can nomrally be beter used in a retirement fund.
That all being said..
No true studio can use what most of us track.;....
Much of this is either used as scratches or self-made demos.
I've owned protools stuff--- I HATED how I couldn't "really" use it on a laptop OR had to use their junk to interface.
It's so much easier bringing a laptop and just what I need to track.
Ther ear tons and tons of software programs -- I wouldn't overlook the competition.
What did I settle on? Ableton as we do this more for scratches and live tracking...
(Or audacity if it's just recording a concept)
Nothing wrong with protools --- the reality is money can nomrally be beter used in a retirement fund.
scotch
It's not rocket science!
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Hmmm. Sometimes I think you just like to disagree with me, Malamute.
Well, yeah, obviously ProTools HD is the professional multi-track studio standard. That's pretty much a given.
Assuming, by the brevity of the initial post and use of "home recording" terminology, it seems safe to assume that the op isn't planning on recording a fully mic'ed 5 piece band at the same time. ProTools LE is still hugely popular, affordable and surprisingly powerful for limited track count and real-time plugin recording. While Digi's built in pre's are pedestrian at best, it's still possible to get great sounding results on an LE system. Plus most of the LE interfaces allow you to expand with digital spdif converters if you want to!
You'd be surprised how many stellar-sounding popular genre hits have started on an artists LE-equipped personal scratch pad & then been seamlessly ported over to a full HD system to finish. It's even becoming very popular for singers to have an LE system at home (albeit using better preamps & converters) & working on their own vocal tracks and comps after the professional studio tracking sessions.
The op is definitely not going down the wrong rabbit hole in pursuing a ProTools LE option. Having familiarity with ProTools is a skill sure to benefit any serious musician interested in recording. Are there other options available including free ones? Absolutely & most of them are great! But lets not let an obvious bias against the industry leader cloud any objective discourse. ProTools is the standard & thankfully you can get started in it with LE at a fraction of the cost!
Hmmm. Sometimes I think you just like to disagree with me, Malamute.
Well, yeah, obviously ProTools HD is the professional multi-track studio standard. That's pretty much a given.
Assuming, by the brevity of the initial post and use of "home recording" terminology, it seems safe to assume that the op isn't planning on recording a fully mic'ed 5 piece band at the same time. ProTools LE is still hugely popular, affordable and surprisingly powerful for limited track count and real-time plugin recording. While Digi's built in pre's are pedestrian at best, it's still possible to get great sounding results on an LE system. Plus most of the LE interfaces allow you to expand with digital spdif converters if you want to!
You'd be surprised how many stellar-sounding popular genre hits have started on an artists LE-equipped personal scratch pad & then been seamlessly ported over to a full HD system to finish. It's even becoming very popular for singers to have an LE system at home (albeit using better preamps & converters) & working on their own vocal tracks and comps after the professional studio tracking sessions.
The op is definitely not going down the wrong rabbit hole in pursuing a ProTools LE option. Having familiarity with ProTools is a skill sure to benefit any serious musician interested in recording. Are there other options available including free ones? Absolutely & most of them are great! But lets not let an obvious bias against the industry leader cloud any objective discourse. ProTools is the standard & thankfully you can get started in it with LE at a fraction of the cost!
+1...truer words have never been spoken.
If you wanna be taking seriously as any kind of recording artist/engineer in the music industry you must at least know how to operate a Pro Tools rig because IT IS industry standard whether you end up using it or not....Just do yourself a favor and at least learn how to operate it because Pro Tools should be your first language in a studio every thing else is secondary.
My best advice is to to get a used Digi 002 rack and then get it upgraded here Invalid Link Removed
Black lion audio does professional studio upgrades to the 002 rack and you could end up with a pro PT LE rig for a reasonable price.
To the OP. You want to stick with a firewire based PTLE or M-Powered rig. USB is horrid for audio devices. USB 3 will be no better.
Theres plenty of books, and dvd's out there on learning PT and many of the vids are up on youtube so you can get into it pretty quickly.
Theres plenty of books, and dvd's out there on learning PT and many of the vids are up on youtube so you can get into it pretty quickly.
EVERY time I've pulled stuff into the studio.. we run the LE as it's slimer to work with.
Abolutely no reason to pay for features that are not necessary at this time.
Heck.. I've heard great recordings done mixer to 5 tracks on LE#.
Abolutely no reason to pay for features that are not necessary at this time.
Heck.. I've heard great recordings done mixer to 5 tracks on LE#.
scotch
It's not rocket science!
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A colleague here in Nash' just got one of those Black Lion upgrades on his DigiRack. It really is a big improvement, not only in the pre's, but I believe the converters are replaced as well!
