facing the inevitable: getting a PT system

[newfuturevintage]

Hi all--

So I'm in the boat where I may have to learn PT in the mac environment in short order. Will probably pick up a used 002 desktop unit running 7.4 and then upgrade to 8.

Would need to get a Mac laptop too.

This is where I'm at a bit of a loss.

I will be buying used, and would like to get recommendations as to what to get. This system will be used mainly for live tracking and editing, not so much for mixing, so cutting edge isn't terribly important. Little to no soft synth usage. I'd like the Mac to be current enough to dual boot to xp.

Thanks!

edit: I should clarify that this potential requirement is for a job in an all-PT house, so sticking with Sonar isn't really an option.

[mattwhritenour]

do you really need the 002 console? why not get a 002rack.

how many tracks at one time do you need to record for the live situations?

you will want an external firewire hard drive to record onto.

i don't like mac's...

[;ivlunsdystf]

A little part of me dies every time I hear about another person having to buy stoopid pro tools just because it is the de facto standard.

[JGriffin]

A little part of me dies every time I hear about another person having to buy stoopid pro tools just because it is the de facto standard.

Oh, enough with the melodrama.


Like he said, it's the system they use at his new job. Give it a rest already.

[;ivlunsdystf]

A little part of me dies every time I hear about another person having to buy stoopid pro tools just because it is the de facto standard.

Oh, enough with the melodrama.


Like he said, it's the system they use at his new job. Give it a rest already.

Do I post this particular woe too often or something? I don't recall giving this topic much treatment here in the past.

I get it, PT is everywhere and the dude needs it to survive, etc. It just bugs me that they have such a stranglehold on things. Don't want to read my opinions on it? DON'T. Easy.

[JGriffin]

A little part of me dies every time I hear about another person having to buy stoopid pro tools just because it is the de facto standard.

Oh, enough with the melodrama.


Like he said, it's the system they use at his new job. Give it a rest already.

Do I post this particular woe too often or something? I don't recall giving this topic much treatment here in the past.

I get it, PT is everywhere and the dude needs it to survive, etc. It just bugs me that they have such a stranglehold on things. Don't want to read my opinions on it? DON'T. Easy.

Not you in particular, no, but it's not unusual to see what we've seen here: an anti-proTools post less than 4 posts down in a ProTools thread. It's gotten really old. I'll respond in kind: don't like ProTools? Don't click on threads with "ProTools" in the title. Easy. Otherwise you're just thread-jacking.
I don't like Cubase; I don't follow every Cubase thread around and post nasty shit in them. I especially don't say dumb crap like "a little piece of my soul dies whenever some poor soul launches Cubase." What are we, 14 and going through our first breakup?

Can't a guy ask about tools for his new job without getting dragged into some vast global conspiracy?

Apologies to the OP for derailing the thread.

[newfuturevintage]

Oh, enough with the melodrama.

Like he said, it's the system they use at his new job. Give it a rest already.

Amen, though fingers crossed, it could be the new job. Chickens and hatching and all that.

Back to the original question.

What's the group recommendation for a crusting-edge dual-bootable mac laptop for learning PT, given it's not going to be doing much more than editing, tracking and teaching me how to do those things quickly?

Finally, any recommendations for sources for said machine outside of the normal channels: ebay, craigslist...

thanks for getting back on topic.

[calaverasgrandes]

Pro tools sucks.
It is not possible to make a good sounding record on pro tools
pro tools is genocide

but seriously, I get sick of hearing about pro tools this and pro tools that all the time. Its not like we havent had pro audio pieces that were fairly standard before. But there were other 2" tape decks besides Otari. You could even take a tape from a competitors machine and play it back on an Otari and vice versa (not always with ideal results).
what am more sick of than pro tools is the dismissive attitude a lot of folks have towards Sonar. Sonar is huge, its a freaking awesome environment to record in, it runs circles around Pt in many areas. Cubase is good, as are Logic and Performer. (Reaper is overrated). But I see Sonar as more cohesive and offering more useful tools than many of the other DAWS out there.
OTOH PT offers that vertical product line. From the dinkiest Mpowered system to a full blown HD setup. Whereas Sonar, Cubase and others only have 2 or 3 levels of market segmentation. Basically the full versions and the le versions.

full disclosure; I beta for TTS.

[RefD]

i strongly dislike PT, tho i won't refuse to use it.

i seldom mention this, but most of the ppl who know me outside of message boards are aware of my feelings so i don't often bring it up with them.

i also try to spare the rest of the world my views on this topic...except for this one time, of course!

[Jay Reynolds]

i strongly dislike PT, tho i won't refuse to use it.

i seldom mention this, but most of the ppl who know me outside of message boards are aware of my feelings so i don't often bring it up with them.

i also try to spare the rest of the world my views on this topic...except for this one time, of course!

Nice Edward Av!

Also, its hard not to offer up the first Matrix movie as a metaphor. Perhaps a dorky, sort-of jokey metaphor, but there's also this underground/critical mass/"if you're not part of the solution then you're part of the problem" angle to the discussion. Which makes it sort of a de facto, hot-button topic on the TOMB.

[jakerock]

Pro tools sucks.

full disclosure; I beta for TTS.

I Totally know what you mean when you say that Reaper rules all!

Now, dont all of you doos have macs? Help this guy out!

Best, Jake

Full disclosure: I beta for Bootsy!

[Jay Reynolds]

Full disclosure: I beta for Bootsy!

That's a long ass drive to go from Brooklyn to Anderson, OH. Did Bernie hook you up?

[calaverasgrandes]

Pro tools sucks.

full disclosure; I beta for TTS.

I Totally know what you mean when you say that Reaper rules all!

Now, dont all of you doos have macs? Help this guy out!

Best, Jake

Full disclosure: I beta for Bootsy!

i would totally be offended by your twisting of my words, but you are in Brooklyn, so you must have sideburns and/or hiphuggers.

[KamikazeKyle]

To the OP:

Really running Pro Tools LE for just tracking and editing, no heavy ITB mixing any mac laptop that is Dual Core 1.8 will work just fine. It could be a G4 but an Intel mac would be faster but I've worked on both for tracking and they do just fine.

I personally have no problem buying a mac from Ebay but if you're looking for soemthing else you may be able to find a small local shop to pick something up at or maybe check the refurbed macs on the apple store website.

To everyone Else who ignroed the OP:


I love how immature everyone is about their prefered DAW, isn't our end goal to make kick ass records? Whats it matter what fuckign software we use if our records sound good. In my opinion what really matters are your ears, the room, the musicians, you're ability to work with the talent and your front end gear as well as your back end gear. A good console is in my opinion one of the more important things to argue about but I know people who make damn good ITB mixes so who am I to tell them what to do. Seriously guys grow up a bit and don't try to persaude some one to buy your shitty DAW because thats what YOU use and clearly YOU are the best record producer of all time therefore everyone should do what YOU do.

It's also really lame of you to completely ignore the OP in favour of your stupid antics, the guy was asking a specific question, you're not going to change his mind because you like something other then what he chose.

Grow up.

[mattwhritenour]

I agree with the last poster, I use pro tools I love it, I've tried other software and hate it. I recorded a band a few months ago that used to have an awesome budget from a really good label for there 2 records before the one I did with them, They recorded at a studio, didn't run pro tools, the studio has amazing mic's, preamps, outboard, ect, you name it. Then for there final record that I recorded on my PT LE 002 rack system with presonus preamps in my parents basement, I engineered a record that both the band and I are a lot happier with sonically than this big studio.

It has nothing to do with the software, and not always the gear you use, it is how you use it and what you are most comfortable with.

So everyone that comes to threads like this to bash pro tools needs chill out and leave threads like this alone, I have never read one thread about other software, where protools users go on there and bash that program saying how pro tools is the best, no software is the best, it is what you, the engineer is most comfortable with using.

to make it simple, go screw...