Pro Tools Free

C

C. Lewis

New member
I'm an analog recorder/digital masterer -- I love my TSR-8 for recording and my Mac for dumping to 2-track masters and burning CDs. The problem is that I've been dumping to SpinDoctor, which has a weird way of coloring the higher frequencies (cymbals mostly).

First question: Is that the application coloring the sound or is my sound card doing it? I've used some MP3 rippers that do really weird things to some frequencies, so I was thinking it was the application's compression. If it is SpinDoctor, then I think I found a solution: I just downloaded the free Pro Tools app available on their website, and just in perusing it briefly I've discovered it seems like a much better alternative to recording my two track masters than was SpinDoctor.

Here's the second question: Has anyone with Pro Tools experience used this limited free version and A/B'ed it with full Pro Tools or some equivalent? I'm interested mostly in sound quality, not in # of tracks (since I just want a stereo master...so far).

Third question: Any recommendations on sound cards that Mac users have found successful?

Any insights would be appreciated.
--Chandler
 
Hi C. Lewis,
We all had our tounges hangin' out - waitin for the free pro tools demo software. Haven't heard much it about since. I could never d/l it because of some gulderned password errors. That is cool though, I really don't have the disk space to give it a good go-round. If you do a search, you should find the thread.
 
I have a protools mix plus running 5.0 and a powerbook g3 running protools free. While I have never recorded into the powerbook, I often use it as a two track editor when my other system is being used for larger projects. Keep in mind that all of my anaolg sources have gone through an 888/24 - I cant tell which is which.

I may be wrong but I think you can only use Digidesign or apogee i/o's. I think the cheapest route would be to purchase an AudioMedia III card. I think you can get them used for about $250
Check out http://www.recycler.com http://www.ebay.com or the digidesign user conference.
http://www.digidesign.com/htmlnav/index.html
 
I finally got round to downloading the Protools package last night and gleefully opened it up to check it out. It openned OK and I clicked on New Session. It offered me a file location editor which I assumed asked me where I wanted to store the files, I wanted to store on Drive D so I tried to select drive D and the whole thing froze!!!

I rebooted and tried again, again a freeze. Reboot again and this time I didn't try to change file allocation, just clicked it and it openned.

Yep - there was Protools on my puter. Had a qick play with it, loaded a wave file in and waited while it converted the wave file to their format. It played OK. No stereo track, just two mono tracks like Cake 8 even though I loaded a stereo wave file. Openned the mixer and found the inserts but no VST or Directx pluggins available as yet.

Will have to spend some time working out the new programme but first impression is just another sequencer with no particular bells and whistles.

cheers
john
 
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