Should I learn ProTools?

[federal donut]

I'm starting a "commercial" studio and am wondering if I should finally dig in and learn ProTools. I've been using Cakewalk Pro Audio 9/Sonar for the last 5 years and am adept at computers and learning software in general. Seems like it would offer "customers" a little bit more flexibility to give them ProTools files to take elsewhere. I'm recording in a really great room that also doubles as a happening venue, but I have the bare essential of gear (recording on non-DigiDesign PC based 24bit 8 in soundcard and Tascam 38 1/2" sync-d up with a handful of great mics, preamps, and outboard gear, a shit load of funky instruments[harpsichord, mellotron, moog, blah, blah], and a good ear and experience). How's ProTools with other soundcards (I have a M-audio Delta 1010)? Everyone makes it so ominous sounding to learn. I guess half of my "clientele" will be "indy" bands who won't care and will be happy with my set up as is, and the other half will be pro touring bands that just want the raw material mixed elsewhere. I have access to the software with minimal investment. Is it worth it? .

[toddjal]

i don't think you can use protools with any non-digidesign soundcards. maybe the LE version but i believe TDM is a dedicated design. that's how they rig it up for no latency. it's also more reliable not having to worry about inter-compatability. that's their downfall but also their strong point.

i did hear once from a guy who records in nuendo and then dumps the tracks for mix-down into protools. i think it was something about the converters he was using and not being able to record in PT, just output from it. i don't remember what he was using or any of the specifics though.

[nico]

my band recently recorded with a guy who wouldn't know how to run pro tools if his life depended on it. then again, the recording sounds great and we're really happy with it and HE's the engineer so who cares right? however, learning pro tools will probably give you the opportunity to go into many other studios and act as an engineer/producer and not be limited to your own gear, software or otherwise...

[federal donut]

i did hear once from a guy who records in nuendo and then dumps the tracks for mix-down into protools. i think it was something about the converters he was using and not being able to record in PT, just output from it. i don't remember what he was using or any of the specifics though.

I'm curious about this route. Anyone know if you can convert Cakewalk/Sonar files into ProTools ones after they are recorded? Sweet.

[ladewd]

You can save a Sonar 2.2 (and up) file as an OMF file and use digitranslator to convert it to a PT file.

Cary

[federal donut]

You can save a Sonar 2.2 (and up) file as an OMF file and use digitranslator to convert it to a PT file.

Cary

I don't want this to turn into a *&#$! Computer thread, but is the digitranslator common to most versions of ProTools, a newer version, or some sort of an add on. Thanks.

[soundguy]

since youve put "customers" in quotes, I would say open your studio and see how long you can go without spending money to upgrade to PT. If after two months of being "open" you get every other call saying, "no, we need protools" or something to that degree, than upgrade. If you dont expect to be doing it "for real" than see how long you can go on the gear you have, at least that way you can maybe get your "business" to make enough money so youve got some profit to put towards PT so you arent just doing it all out of pocket without having a good grasp on the market that you are in. Give it a shot of a few weeks, you'll have a better idea of what you'll need.

dave

[SecondSon]

If I couldn't draw the audio volume in pro tools liek SONAr allows me to, I wouldn't. Cubase doesn't let you do this either. But obviously, I am not in the same situation that you are in and have no need for giving customers pro tools.

[nlmd311]

I just upgraded from Cakewalk ProAudio 9 to Sonar 3, and cant believe the new possibilities, and how limited Pro Audio 9 was. As far as the comparison... I prefer Sonar highly over ProTools. A girl I frequently record records her ideas in protools, brings them over on her laptop and shows them to me before we record onto my stuff. I have done some light recording through her set up (Mbox/Apple G4 laptop) and have not enjoyed it half as much as I am now enjoying Sonar.
I have heard about the OMF file type being compatible, but havent tried it. I have a session with her on Tuesday and will give it a shot then, and let you know what happens.
Without adding a complete quote, I completely agree with Soundguy
Give it a go without, and then upgrade in necessary.
*Work with what you are most comfortable with since you will be working with the software/hardware, but its still good to have options

-Darrill

[jpschust]

lemme give you another vantage point on it- a lot of bands i work with dont know the first damn thing about recording, but, they know what protools is. For some reason (mainly due to digidesigns marketing) its become a household name among musicians. A lot of times they associate profesionality (i think thats a word) with pro tools. just something to think about

[federal donut]

Without adding a complete quote, I completely agree with Soundguy
Give it a go without, and then upgrade in necessary.
*Work with what you are most comfortable with since you will be working with the software/hardware, but its still good to have options

-Darrill

I do agree, that's why I invested most of my chunk of money into outboard gear, mics, and a tape machine and only a few hundred into a new computer/soundcard set up, no money on new software. I guess i'm thinking that I have a unique position of having a studio in a venue and that I might actually have more potential making money recording bands live then getting them to just come to my space and record. I can always send them with a 1/2" tape. I was just hoping that I could install the PT software and record with my existing soundcard but it doesn't sound easy unless I drop more $ which is not an option now. Oh well. Hell, the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle offers every band a room/board mix CD-R for $15. $45-60 a show, that would at least feed me for a couple days. har har.

[stillafool]

I don't think you can use your interface with Pro-tools, although there may be a possibility you can use Pro tools free, assuming you go back to windows 98 and you use some sort of generic driver that may or may not work with your interface. All the other versions of Pro tools only work with digidesign software. And no, you don't get digitranslator with pro tools LE, so you have to spend another 800 dollars if you want to import/export OMF files (both sonar and cubase sx/nuendo have OMF support bundled). And no, Pro tools LE doesn't do any more than Sonar, which is an extremely cool program, or Cubase Sx/Nuendo, which, from a software perspective, runs circles around pro tools. You will, however, probably get more business if you know and use pro-tools, just because it has become a standard in high end studios, with a growing number of super-hi-fi producers preferring Nuendo.

[E-cue]

You can never stop learning.




I wasted my time on Synclavier commands, but it doesn't look like PT will sufer the same fate anytime soon.

[jakeao]

Another option you have to get shit into pro tools, is to export each track seperatly out of Sonar as a wav file. Thats what I do when I make back ups. That way the "client" can take those files virtually anywhere and be able to use them. Takes a small amount of time, but at least it's better then spending $800 bucks.

[NewAndImprov]

I agree with soundguy dave here, open your doors and see if not having protools is a detriment to your business. But I wouldn't stress too much over learning it, one of my clients uses protools in his home studio and we track stuff there. If you know any DAW, PT isn't that different. I personally prefer Logic, but it's really not that hard to move files between any DAW apps.

I refuse to buy any Digidesign products, I've been boycotting them ever since they suspended development on Turbosynth, one of my all-time favorite apps. And you can see the impact my boycott has had on their business in the last decade...