Is it necessary to have pro tools HD to compete?

[supafuzz]

I was wondering how it's possible these days to compete in the crowded
NYC marketplace without having a pro tools hd system of some sort.

And is this format going to last when computers become more powerful and stable?

In other words is digidesign painting themselves in a corner?
Are advances in computer technology going to make them obsolete?
And is the investment in an HD system going to make sense?

thanks

[rwc]

Computers are already more powerful and stable. Anyone who can't kick ass on even a film score with an 8 core PC is probably doing something wrong, and you could have built one of those for years now.

Protools is a multitrack recorder.. nothing special. There are so many other things that matter in the recording, however, in terms of competition, there are even MORE important things!

Like who has heard your work and who they'll recommend(or shitcan) it to.

[JohnDavisNYC]

i'm running a successful recording studio and we don't have pt hd. we got an mbox mini so that we can import pt sessions. hd is a lot of money for not a lot of quality. having hd is only important if you want to make a studio for freelancers, so that there is a 'standard' platform... but if you will be the primary engineer, use something that you like and (hopefully) sounds better than that overpriced digi hardware!

john

[Jewish Guitar Hero]

we got an mbox mini so that we can import pt sessions

doesn't this limit you to 48khz sessions? what if someone wants you to work on their 88+ khz pt session?

thanks

[roscoenyc]

really depends on your clients. or what kind of clients you'd like to have.

If you do projects start to finish at your place it doesn't matter what you use.

If you have clients that work on their stuff at home it sure is a lot easier for all involved to have that platform available to work on their project. I know stuff can be imported and all but it is great to be able to open up your project and have it appear just as it was (kind of the point for dig?)

We have DP, PT-HD2 and Logic Studio at our place.

They all do some things better than others. I hate the Digi company.
The Digi rig costs Much than the Motu rig. It wouldn't make me so
mad if it sounded Much better....

[fossiltooth]

I think RWC's post is spot on. I feel like I have to mention it becuase it's not everyday that we seem to agree so wholeheartedly. I agree with toaster as well, but that's not nearly as uncommon.

....and this is coming from a guy who likes ProTools. It's fast, it's easy, and a monkey could make it work.

Better yet, I'm very fast on it because I spend so much of my life using its quick keys... it's easy for me because I'm as familiar with it as the world in front of my eyes... and I pretty much am a monkey so that doesn't hurt either.

I'm a freelancer. When I'm looking to work in an outside studio, the presence of my preferred DAW and OS is a major, major plus. However, its absence isn't a total deal breaker for me.... for others? Yeah, it can be.

What's your primary source of income? Is it selling yourself, or selling a room full of gear? Once you've answered that question, the best path will become much more obvious.

[supafuzz]

What's your primary source of income? Is it selling yourself, or selling a room full of gear? Once you've answered that question, the best path will become much more obvious.

The answer for me is both. selling myself and the room full of gear.

Why does a woman spend a ton of money on shoes clothes hair and makeup etc? To attract..after that one of the main factors in sustaining a relationship is her personality,

So The equipment to attract business, my abilities and personality to keep and sustain business.

[ledogboy]

I have PT-HD, and I do love it. Like others, I can't stand Digidesign and I basically feel like they are clutching desperately to a business model that is about to eat shit. Computer speeds are getting so fast, and there is so much great audio software and hardware on the market, that to some degree the processing power of the HD cards is becoming irrelevant. I have a lot of outside engineers coming through the studio, and most of them are looking for the PT rig. So for the time being, it's crucial for me. It has also been rock solid ever since the maddening file renaming bug that was eating my punch-ins.
That said, I bought an 002 LE rig about a year ago for doing location work. I find the limitations so maddening, that I am moving into using Reaper. For the time being it works fine with the 002, but I'll probably try to find a super high quality 2 channel adc/dac soon.
Basically, if you are trying to attract a lot of freelance work, it may still be worth it to you. I would try to buy used, it seems like there are a lot of cards floating around at reasonable prices. I'm nervously waiting for next October, when Digi will almost certainly have to present a new "pro" product at AES. If I know them, it will be incompatible with the HD cards. But they will probably be kind enough to take a trade in if I cough up 6 grand or so.

[lysander]

I definitely don't think the current market position of ProTools is a future inevitability.

Graphic designers (who, by the way, have faced the very same kinds of challenges from amateurs on DTP programs that professional audio engineers have with DAWs), have recently seen almost that entire domain migrate from Quark Express to Adobe's InDesign in a matter of three or four years.

This is because Quark didn't listen to their customers, gouged them for software updates, etc. -- and because Adobe got their act together and pout out a viable alternative that worked with the all of the post-production players. Digidesign could well suffer the same fate as Quark.

[supafuzz]

Well it seems like we're feeding the demons but going for a used PT hd-1 and a top flight new mac with os 10 and a Lynx 16 convertor with hd card.

I do want to get a great clock and was wondering if the black lion clock is as good as the BIg ben..or is there another alternative for clocking?

I have a lot of client's work in progress on p tools and can't switch right now and the place I'm moving to does have indie producers coming in with projects.

thanks

[radiationroom]

My prediction is that Digi will eventually come out with a ProTools appliance. They already have Venue, which is a dedicated hardware system, so the obvious next move for Digi would be to eliminate the PC/Mac with their own CPU box which their HD and 003 series converter hardware can plug in to.

[radiationroom]

My prediction is that Digi will eventually come out with a ProTools appliance. They already have Venue, which is a dedicated hardware system, so the obvious next move for Digi would be to eliminate the PC/Mac with their own CPU box which their HD and 003 series converter hardware can plug in to.

[@?,*???&?]

Who is asking?

Bands or other studios?

How many times have you turned down work in High-res that you could not do?

Go backwards. Get a Studer A-827.

Let THEM chase YOU.

[knobtwirler]

Well it seems like we're feeding the demons but going for a used PT hd-1 and a top flight new mac with os 10 and a Lynx 16 convertor with hd card.

I do want to get a great clock and was wondering if the black lion clock is as good as the BIg ben..or is there another alternative for clocking?

I have a lot of client's work in progress on p tools and can't switch right now and the place I'm moving to does have indie producers coming in with projects.

thanks

You made the right choice. People hate Digi, but the truth is, analog tape machines and consoles used to cost a lot more than DIGi stuff, which has already replaced it all (except for the boutique stragglers). That said, did anyone hate SSL and Studer and Neve? Maybe? I don't remember hearing anyone badmouthing them 15 years ago, because all the people badmouthing DIGI now wouldn't be able to afford a real studio back then. Don't look back, welcome to the real world of professional recording and mixing, and if you really are getting a Lynx 16, use it as the master clock and don't worry about upgrading it unless you want the Antelope Atomic clock.

[roscoenyc]

Well it seems like we're feeding the demons but going for a used PT hd-1 and a top flight new mac with os 10 and a Lynx 16 convertor with hd card.

I do want to get a great clock and was wondering if the black lion clock is as good as the BIg ben..or is there another alternative for clocking?

I have a lot of client's work in progress on p tools and can't switch right now and the place I'm moving to does have indie producers coming in with projects.

thanks

You made the right choice. People hate Digi, but the truth is, analog tape machines and consoles used to cost a lot more than DIGi stuff, which has already replaced it all (except for the boutique stragglers). That said, did anyone hate SSL and Studer and Neve? Maybe? I don't remember hearing anyone badmouthing them 15 years ago, because all the people badmouthing DIGI now wouldn't be able to afford a real studio back then. Don't look back, welcome to the real world of professional recording and mixing, and if you really are getting a Lynx 16, use it as the master clock and don't worry about upgrading it unless you want the Antelope Atomic clock.

I'll hold up my hand and say the only thing good I ever said about SSL is that its a nice console if you want to make a record w/out ever getting your lazy ass out of your chair.

SSL, sure sounds lousy.....except for the J...... still sounds lousy:)