HELP! ProTools (digidesign) vs. ProTools M Powered (m-audio)

[vschiano2008]

So here i am, finally with some serious cash to shell out on a serious interface. I got my nice mac (woo hoo!!) and i need to get my firewire cables running! so heres the problem:
i need to choose between:

Digidesign Digi 002 Rack w/ ProTools 7

or

M-Audio Project Mix I/O w/ ProTools M-Powered.

First off, Is there any difference between protools and protools M?

I am figuring it like this; Digi 002r will run me 1200 with protools included. but this is just the rack mount and i would have to run a console virtually. i have an Ibook, and the external display will only mirror the image, i can't extend the screen space. no problem though.

or

M-Audio Project Mix I/O will be 1000 and protools m powered is another 300. Should i spend the 100 bucks extra and have the control?

The two interfaces are very similar; 96k, 18 input, 4 mic pre's (actually i think m-audio has 8 but whatever). adat, s/pidf and analog. Cool beans.

is there a big difference i should worry about? I know they are both good companies, Digidesign being extremely notable. I must run ProTools though; it is the industry standard and ProTools (the name) is something you can advertise and people will know about it. Sonar, Cubase, Acid, Logic etc are all great apps, and they all do the same thing, but i am in this to make money, and also save some for myself.

HELP!! thanks for any contributions!

 

[bennychico11]

personally, I'd go with the Mix I/O and M-Powered. The 002 is great, but the extra features of the Mix I/O attract me more. I don't know how it sounds though compared to the 002. But more pres, touch sensitive faders, word clock in...I was a little miffed that they offered this for so much less than the 002 Controller, but it works.

 

[dmc777]

I think you get more bundled software with the 002. I purchased the maudio firewire410/mpowered bundle and didn't hardly get shit.

 

[TuoKaerf]

I had a chance to play with a Project Mix a few days ago, and it works great. The Pre Amps sound good for what they are (I thought they sounded a little better than the 002's...I'll do a better test on that sometime) and you get 8 of them.

It operates almost the same as the 002 except scaled down a little, which was not a problem. The interface takes about 5 minutes to be flying on if you are used to using a control surface.

These are the plug in's that come with M-Powered-

Bomb Factory BF76 Compressor
BF Essential Clip Remover
BF Essential Correlation Meter
BF Essential Meter Bridge
BF Essential Noise Meter
BF Essential Tuner
Funk Logic Mastererizer

Digi-
1-Band EQ
4-Band EQ
Chorus
Click
Compressor
D-Verb
D-Verb-AS
DC Offset Removal
Delay
DeEsser
DigiReWire
Dither
Duplicate
Dynamics II
EQ II
EQ III
Expander-Gate
Extra-Long Delay
Flanger
Gain
Gate
Invert
Limiter
Long Delay
Medium Delay
Mod Delay II
Multi-Tap Delay
Normalize-Gain Change
Ping-Pong Delay
Pitch Shift
Reverse-DC Removal
Short Delay
Signal Generator
Slap Delay
Time Comp-Exp-Pitch Shift
Trim

Plus Ableton Live Digidesign Edition.

I haven't noticed any operation difference between M-Powered and an LE system. Both work great, and it really comes down to what your needs are. I'd say the extra $$$ for the Project Mix is well worth it. However you do need a PACE iLok USB Smartkey to run M-Powered, and you can pick one up for about $40ish.

https://www.ilok.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/iLokManager.woa/9/wo/HcHSTKpx02gRXyinkZ7ggM/1.0.17.3