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Hesitant about interface upgrade...

dreads311

dreads311

Guest
Sep 25, 2011
553
235
Philadelphia, PA
#1
Maybe 4 or 5 years ago, I purchased an M Box Mini that came bundled with ProTools LE. I want to upgrade to a bigger interface (my choices being the Fast Track Duo or Scarlett 2i2). Both of the aforementioned interfaces are compatible with ProTools, but (I read) not with LE. Should I purchase either of these interfaces, will I have to upgrade to a better/different version of ProTools (Fast Track Duo comes with ProTools Express. Better than LE?)? Will I lose my previous sessions if I uninstall LE and install the new ProTools? I'm finally comfortable with ProTools and don't want to learn Cubase or Ableton (packaged with the Scarlett). And since I have your attention, feel free to weigh in the pros/cons/comparisons of the Mini/Duo/2i2.

Sorry if these questions seem amateur. I cut my teeth with the Mini/LE combination and honestly don't know any better. I'm merely recording myself and some friends for (as good as possible) demo and experimental purposes. For what it's worth, I'm running on a new iMac with OS X 10.9.5. Oh, and layman's terms are always appreciated :) Thanks in advance!
 
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#2
Pro Tools Express is really cut back, far more so than Pro Tools LE, but if you don't need more than 16 tracks it could be fine. Otherwise for that operating system you'd need Pro Tools 11 or 12, get ready for an expensive ride.

Your old sessions done in LE will open in any of these versions, but with 11/12 any plugins you don't have AAX versions of won't be there. Uninstalling Pro Tools LE will not delete sessions unless you saved them in the Pro Tools application folder.
 
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#3
I have the 2i2, and I like it. It's simple. I plug my guitar/mic into it, it plugs into my computer, my recording software picks it up and off I go. I don't have any complaints about it.

I haven't used Pro Tools, but I have used the software that came with the 2i2 (Ableton) and Cubase. Honestly, Ableton was a real exercise in frustration. It didn't feel intuitive. The last straw for me was when it would crash importing MP3s. I tried a bunch of DAWs, and settled on Cubase, because it "felt" easier.

Avid are releasing a free version of Pro Tools later this year, and I'm going to give it a shot.

Max
 
#5
To be fair, I didn't specify budget. Having said that, the Fireface rig is WAY out of my price range.
Some further clarification: I'm recording live bass and guitar while using drum samples/loops. I'm willing to give Ableton a shot but most online sources say ProTools is the way to go when recording live instruments. Any real truth in this?
 
#6
dreads311 said:
\Some further clarification: I'm recording live bass and guitar while using drum samples/loops. I'm willing to give Ableton a shot but most online sources say ProTools is the way to go when recording live instruments. Any real truth in this?
Click to expand...

Not really, but it has that reputation because it was originally a replacement for a tape machine and console (unlike other programs that were more midi orientated). Also the high end systems can have huge I/O count at really low latency which large studios need.

These days all the DAWs are relatively similar but Ableton stands out as a bit different as it's very powerful in terms of looping and performing with it, however you can track live instruments with it fine. Your usage is really basic and any DAW (even Garageband) will do what you want.

The interfaces you are upgrading to basically just have an extra mic pre, you could always get a cheap external pre (or use a small mixing desk) and connect that to the line input on channel 2 of your Mbox Mini...
 
#7
Timi said:
The interfaces you are upgrading to basically just have an extra mic pre, you could always get a cheap external pre (or use a small mixing desk) and connect that to the line input on channel 2 of your Mbox Mini...
Click to expand...
Indeed the extra mic/line input is what I'm going for. I'd prefer the onboard option for simplicity/uniformity sake as I also have two matching condenser mics. Truth be told, I may just buy a used MBox 3 and sell the mini. That way I won't have to switch any DAW software and I already have the MBox 3 (and MBox pro) drivers installed (they all came on the included disk). Also the interface I'd prefer (the Scarlett) apparently has huge clipping issues, particularly with active basses. You can get around this with a DI to bring it down to line level, but in my eyes, that's just more crap to buy. All of the info/input/opinions are appreciated.
 
#8
Yep you could find a bigger interface that would work with LE, Mbox3 or Mbox3 Pro would be the best sounding but there's also the Mbox2, Mbox2 Pro, 002 and 003.

Keep in mind that the last officially supported OS for LE was 10.6, I'm surprised it even runs on 10.9! You might encounter random problems and at some point a software update will probably cause LE to stop working.
 
#9
Timi said:
Yep you could find a bigger interface that would work with LE, Mbox3 or Mbox3 Pro would be the best sounding but there's also the Mbox2, Mbox2 Pro, 002 and 003.

Keep in mind that the last officially supported OS for LE was 10.6, I'm surprised it even runs on 10.9! You might encounter random problems and at some point a software update will probably cause LE to stop working.
Click to expand...
Never thought of that. Good point! If for whatever reason LE stops working, I guess I'll just have to bone up and get a full version of ProTools or learn another program. As of now, my LE works just as well as it did when I first installed it years ago. For now, though, a full version of ProTools is just outside of my wallets grasp.
 

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