• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

I'm nearly ready to record, I think?

Bard2dbone

Bard2dbone

Aug 4, 2002
6,760
846
62
Arlington TX
#1
Hey folks:

I've been gathering compnents but now that I've got nearly everything I should need, I'm curious if I have to do it the way I was expecting to. I've been very slowly gathering gear to put together a home studio, but since I'm po' (That's like being poor, but moreso. I can't afford the whole word to be poor.) I've had to go the very-budget way. Now that I've gotten most of what I need, I'm not sure it's what I NEED.

The mixer I've got is an Alesis MultiMix 16 Firewire. It's supposed to come with Cubase. I called Alesis and they are sending me the copy I should have had.

But I have friends/collaborators who already have ProTools set up at home. Will tracks done in Cubase be compatible with ProTools tracks? And vice versa?

Can I run ProTools with a different set of hardware?

Help!
 
#2
Call Sweetwater. They are *very* helpful with this sort of stuff. I would recommend purchasing ProTools if you plan to interact with other studios. ProTools is *the* standard, at least from what I know. Every session I've ever been on that used a digital setup used ProTools, except for one (the producer preferred Sonar). Personally, I hate Cubase and would only use it if ProTools was simply out of the question money-wise (Cubase came with my Presonus Firepod, too).

Sweetwater can answer all your questions about hardware and help you make sure you have everything you need, as well as recommending specific things that you might be missing.

P.S. I don't work for Sweetwater and have no special relationship with them; I'm just a very satisfied customer. Here's their #: 800-222-4700
 
#3
I was just remembering back in the day when the ProTools folk loudly preclaimed that they were a hardware company and if you wanted their software, you could darn well buy their hardware.

I am hoping from your response that that has changed.
 
#6
If you ever need to take a file to a studio with pro tools HD odds are they have the OMF file conversion plugin that will convert a cubase session to pro tools so that shouldnt be such a big deal. If you really want to possibly use pro tools but an m-audio interface and have the possiblity to use pro tools down the road.

Im not a big fan of cubase either, especially the version that comes free, pro tools LE is crippled, but the free version of cubase is much worse. The full version of cubase is ok, but reaper is better, and only $40.
 
#8
Bard2dbone said:
But could I convert files from reaper (which I've never even heard of until this instant) to ProTools, and in importantly can I convert them back?
Click to expand...

Hi Bard2dbone,

As long as you have tracks without edits that you can line up to a single start point, you can reassemble the session with the audio data from one program to another. Plug ins, automation data, panning, aux sends, busses, and other session specific mix information would be lost going from one program to another this way, but it is possible to assemble the audio in a different application.

If you think that you would be working with other folks quite a bit and they are on Pro Tools, it would be a better work flow if you were on Pro Tools. The same goes for the other programs. If they are on Cubase (or Reaper), it would be more efficient for you to also be on Cubase (or Reaper).

The Alesis Multimix FW that you bought will not communicate with Pro Tools unfortunately. You can use it as a regular mixer and send a stereo signal or use the inserts to get a multitrack out to go to an M-Audio or a Digidesign interface if you want to run Pro Tools.

As you are short on cash, I would recommend working with what you have. You will have to deal with limited transfer capability if the people you want to work with are not on the same platform, but so be it until you have the funds to get on the same platform.

Thanks,
Dan
 
#9
So what is the cheapest way I can get from what I have to something ProTools compatible?

I notice the M-audio mention. What kind of interface do they have that I can put between the Alesis and the computer?

The only Digi product I might be able to afford is the M-box and I know it limits me to two tracks at a time.

Is there a (reasonably priced) M-audio interface that would fix my issues?
 
#10
Bard2dbone said:
So what is the cheapest way I can get from what I have to something ProTools compatible?

I notice the M-audio mention. What kind of interface do they have that I can put between the Alesis and the computer?

The only Digi product I might be able to afford is the M-box and I know it limits me to two tracks at a time.

Is there a (reasonably priced) M-audio interface that would fix my issues?
Click to expand...

Well, you have to figure in the cost of the Pro Tools M-Powered application from M-Audio.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

And then the audio interface:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Many of these audio interfaces are stereo in only, or make compromises such has they have unbalanced connections.

Take the Firewire1814 though, it can handle 8 analog inputs at a time:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Those two together would give you Pro Tools M-Powered with a compatible 8 channel analog input box for about 900 retail. I am sure that a dealer would be less than retail, but I don't know how much I am allowed to say about pricing on the forum, so I figured that retail would be safe.

You could take any discrete output of your mixer to the 6 line inputs on the Firewire1814 and use the preamps on the Firewire1814 to arrive at your 8 inputs.

I hope that this helps you out.
Dan
 
#12
out of the current line up the cheapest digi interface I'd want would be the MBox 2 Pro Factory (as it's firewire and has loads of stuff bundled) otherwise I'd buy a second hand old version MBox or 002 rack - pretty cheap used

you'll almost definitely need an external 7200rpm firewire drive to record to

BUT your computer may not be compatible - if it's a PC check the specs really carefully on the digidesign site, if it's Mac you should be OK
 
#13
SkiingLizard said:
out of the current line up the cheapest digi interface I'd want would be the MBox 2 Pro Factory (as it's firewire and has loads of stuff bundled) otherwise I'd buy a second hand old version MBox or 002 rack - pretty cheap used

you'll almost definitely need an external 7200rpm firewire drive to record to

BUT your computer may not be compatible - if it's a PC check the specs really carefully on the digidesign site, if it's Mac you should be OK
Click to expand...

I agree that the MBox2Pro is superior in the included software, as well as the quality of the hardware mic preamps and convertors. It only has four inputs however, and I think that he needs more. If he can deal with 4 channels of input, the MBox2Pro will give better sonic results than the Firewire1814 and Pro Tools M-Powered.

If you look hard, you can find a great deal on the MBox2Pro Factory with all four Secrets of the Pros DVD tutorials. If you add the Music Production Toolkit, you will get a Glyph 250 GB GT050250 hard drive bundled free of charge which would help with the costs.

Either way, we need to make sure that your computer is up to snuff. It still pushes back his Lakland purchase...

Dan
 
#14
How much are Digi002 racks going for used? And how many channels can I do at once with one. I think I remember it as eight at a time. But I'm not confident in that.

And yes I'm on a PC. I've got a connection for computer goodies that can get me awesome money deals as long as I'm willing to wait until necessary. And I'd already assumed my current computer is no longer snazzy enough.
 
#15
Bard2dbone said:
How much are Digi002 racks going for used? And how many channels can I do at once with one. I think I remember it as eight at a time. But I'm not confident in that.

And yes I'm on a PC. I've got a connection for computer goodies that can get me awesome money deals as long as I'm willing to wait until necessary. And I'd already assumed my current computer is no longer snazzy enough.
Click to expand...

You can connect 8 analog inputs to a Digi002R and another 8 digital via optical lightpipe, and then another 2 via S/PDIF for a total of 18 inputs at one time. I don't get into the used market much, but if you check on eBay, I am sure that you will find the current price range.
Dan
 
#16
Your looking $500-$800 for a used 002. Get the rack, not the board. The bonus is if you use digi hardware you can use pro tools, AND everything else.

Concerning the OMF file conversion, yes you could convert it back to whatever program your using. Im not sure if reaper is supported yet, i know cubase is. SSL is comming out with a file conversion software also thats gonna run in the thousand dollar range. You would not need this but you can bet that all commercial studios will own this.

As stated before, worst case scenario you could print your plugins, and export each track as a wav and giving it to a mix engineer that way.

I have an 002 so if you have any questions specifically I could probably answer them, or point you the best place to get a used one.
 
#17
I just got a Sweetwater email that says the new M-box 2 Micro might help me along. It says :

Sweetwater email said:
Affordable Pro Tools Compatibility
Even if your studio is based around another DAW, the Mbox 2 Micro is a great way to add Pro Tools compatibility to your setup
Click to expand...

That makes it sounds like I could record in whatever system I will have (Cubase, so far) and then be able to switch it over to ProTools to export to John or Greg's systems, or possibly actually manipulate it in ProTools myself AND be able to export it to them in ProTools. Either way sounds like a step up.

If it just means there is some how a less-than-$300 way to be ale to do ProTools on the budget system I have put together, then I am about the happiest guy in the house.

Could someone tell me what this ad is actually saying? Or perhaps what it means, but ISN'T saying?
 
#18
Bard2dbone said:
I just got a Sweetwater email that says the new M-box 2 Micro might help me along. It says :



That makes it sounds like I could record in whatever system I will have (Cubase, so far) and then be able to switch it over to ProTools to export to John or Greg's systems, or possibly actually manipulate it in ProTools myself AND be able to export it to them in ProTools. Either way sounds like a step up.

If it just means there is some how a less-than-$300 way to be ale to do ProTools on the budget system I have put together, then I am about the happiest guy in the house.

Could someone tell me what this ad is actually saying? Or perhaps what it means, but ISN'T saying?
Click to expand...

With your MultiMixFW and Cubase LE, you can multitrack record to your computer. Once you have finished recording, you can consolidate your tracks so they all start at the same point and don't have edits. You can then pull them into Pro Tools, (with the MBox2Micro) and edit within Pro Tools. The MBox2Micro does not allow recording new tracks, but you will be able to mix, edit, and import other Pro Tools sessions into it. If you wanted to be able to do single track overdubs in Pro Tools, you may want to look at the MBox2Mini, or the regular MBox2 instead.

Did you just sign up for our newsletter?

Thanks,
Dan
 
#19
I had bought some small stuff from Sweetwater a while back so I get the e-letter already. It's just a coincidence that this one appeared when it did.

If the Cubase, or Reaper or whatever I actually ended up using doesn't suck too bad, then I could do basic tracks and get fairly close on my computer and then make them easily compatible with both of my friends who I'm most likely to collaborate with.

That sounds like it has real possibilities.

Okay that was rambling and incoherent. WHat I think I was trying to say was that it looks like this would allow me to manipulate the tracks in ProTools and I only neeed to be able to get them into the computer some other way. The Alesis rig I bought will do that and then I can make the recordings ProTools compatible.

And that still sounds promising.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back