Would like to try Pro Tools. Whats needed?

  • Thread starter Thread starter caustic69
  • Start date Start date
The point is, newbies don't know how to put together a PC (and it's a pain in the ass).
And if your going to buy a new computer for recording, Intel Macs are the way to go hands down. (Even if it's a $600 Mac Mini 2Ghz Core 2 Duo)
Any Pro would say the same, it's just a fact of life.:)
 
Having Said that.

GOODLAND said:
The point is, newbies don't know how to put together a PC (and it's a pain in the ass).
And if your going to buy a new computer for recording, Intel Macs are the way to go hands down. (Even if it's a $600 Mac Mini 2Ghz Core 2 Duo)
Any Pro would say the same, it's just a fact of life.:)
Click to expand...

Pfffffffffffffft



having said that I still do believe Mac and Pro tools work better together.(shout out to Steve H for that one (I’m a "Tech" also.)

having said that i prefer neither. Mac or Protools. (actually that’s a lie I like Macs just not the principal of the Mac system)

having said that, they both will do the job.

having said that refer back to Steve's initial question. (to decide if they will do the job as effectively) wooops yeah the one about RTAS & VST out there.
 
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mbox 2 with protools le and factory bundle. bout $500 get a microphone suited for guitar, some xlr cables a good acoustic room an play yer heart out
 
theblackBay said:
Pfffffffffffffft



having said that I still do believe Mac and Pro tools work better together.(shout out to Steve H for that one (I’m a "Tech" also.)

having said that i prefer neither. Mac or Protools. (actually that’s a lie I like Macs just not the principal of the Mac system)

having said that, they both will do the job.

having said that refer back to Steve's initial question. (to decide if they will do the job as effectively) wooops yeah the one about RTAS & VST out there.
Click to expand...


When you first start your studio you just want stuff to WORK!!!

having said that, get a Mac.
 
Mac user here also

I have a Mac dual mini with 2 gigs of Ram built in and a firewire external 500 gig hard drive. I store all of my finished mixes on my iTunes on this computer. I do my recording on an old G4 power mac which has been heavily modified (My Mac.enstein) and I also use an external 150 gig hard drive to store my music. I have a multi imput rca soundcard installed and I'm running this on OSX Panther, so I haven't upgraded to the newer ProTools yet (I can't afford it yet). This works really well. It is a foolproof program and I haven't lost anything. I strongly reccommend storing your hard work in different places and in different formats and burning masters in multiples. (All of these precautions will guarantee you'll never have any problems, it's a Murphy's Law thing) I will only use LaCie firewire cd burners and I use Toast as my burn program. It's not top of the line pro, but it's pretty damneed good.
I have two trades one as a musician and the other as a visual artist. I use my Mac mini as a solely devoted graphics, web browser and email computer(and I also store songs on iTunes) and my Power Mac is linked to it but I only use that as a devoted audio recording/mixing and editing computer.
I've worked on many other types of computers and many other types of audio programs, but I have found that Mac and Protools are the perfect match for me. I refuse to get involved in the Mac PC feud. If you want to try and work with a PC and any other programs including ProTools then God Bless You, you're a better man than I am. I just find that this marriage works really well for me and I'll only change if and when I find something better(who knows? That could happen)
 
Rimshot said:
I refuse to get involved in the Mac PC feud.
Click to expand...

The only reason I'm pushing the idea of getting a Mac is because I've used both in my studio and can say first hand how nice it is to work on a Mac. Actually, I used a PC for all my recordings up until about a year ago, and I can't express how nice it felt using Pro Tools (Or any Application) on the Mac. When I see someone who wants to start a Pro Tools studio from ground zero, my in-stinks tell me to let that Person know to get a mac computer. It will save them time, stress, and ultimately save them money.
 
Well I completely agree with you Goodland

I have gotten into heated arguments with PC users that refuse to admit that audio and graphic programs run more smoothly and effortlessly on Macs. They can get very good results on their PC's they just have to work so much harder at it. But to each their own.
It's not worth arguing over.
 
I agree to that.
I'm not trying to start a heated argument, just want people to know the facts.
 
You folks notice that those giving advice about how to configure a PC for ProTools write long posts of hundreds and hundreds of words long about how to do it? And those recommending Mac just say "get a Mac!", because that's all that's necessary.

If you want to get into ProTools, get a Mac and the Digidesign interface that best suits your needs. This will be an easy to set up and bulletproof combination.

In addition, you can also purchase a software program called "Parallels" which turns your Intel Mac into a full-on Windows PC (you also need to buy the Windows OS though).
 
In defense of PCs, I have to say (even though I am a dyed in the wool Mac convert now,) I picked up a used Dell GX240 for $120 yesterday and it is a sweet machine. It took no time to get it up and running. It is fast, stable and reliable; we used these at work for several years and they really are good machines. I don't know if it will do PT 7.3 or not; it's really for my wife's home business since her software is Windows based.

I did find out that her HP 8665 that has given me fits for 2 years with sporadic freezing was one of several models they produced with defective motherboards. It took a class action law suit to get HP to even acknowledge the problem existed. Of course I missed the deadline to turn in the paperwork to get my whopping big settlement of $75.......... As soon as I transfer all of her files to the Dell, HP is getting a one way trip to a cliff somewhere. When I think of all the hours I spent trying to troubleshoot what I thought were IRQ conflicts, bad drivers, etc., it makes me...... it makes me...... REALLY GLAD I HAVE MACS TO RUN PT ON!!!!!

bilco
 
Even after reading all the posts here, I have to say some have missed the real reason most people choose PCs at all - and that is money. Let's face it, people choose a PC because it can be cheaper to buy than a Mac. Now I'm not going to say that a PC or a MAc or a Linux or an AS400 is better or worse, but if you are chosing a platform on PRICE - and many home studio enthusiasts will do just that - the PCs will usually win.

That said, I run LE 7.4 on a PC I built, which is nothing special, except I went with well-known, standard hardware and interfaces for it. It's going on 4 years old now and still doing the work I need it to. I also have 30+ years in IT supporting PCs, networks, and many other devices and platforms (who here remembers the C-64? hehehe).

Alas, I no longer even own a Mac, but that's not to say I won't in the future (I have sworn to migrate away from M$ after XP is no longer supported). I don't seem to have issues with my system, but I don't push it a lot with tons of plugins and a lot of CPU processing requirements loaded on it and except for my research and test machines, I also don't load them up with all kinds of other software. The only problem I had with this machine and PT was when I upgraded to 7.4 and only had 512MB RAM at the time - then I had issues ocassionally. Moving up to 2GB made them all go away.

So I guess what I'm saying is, if you do your homework and spend the money on a PC system like you would spend on a Mac, it is possible to get just as good a system and have good experiences with PT. Cut corners by not doing your homework or by buying a home machine at Best Buy and you may have problems running PT on it. But you saved money up front! ;-) Don't want to do the homework? Buy a Mac - Apple did the homework for you.
 
can protools be used with the korg D3200?

can protools be used with the korg D3200?
 
Those who are telling you about all the crashes with PC likely didn't take the advice given on the DIGI website when assembling their systems. I have had no such problems with PC over the course of recording 100 or more of my compositions in Pro Tools.

You are likely going to spend $1,000 to $1,200 or more to build a system that will run Pro Tools and run it nicely.
Stick with Intel processors. PT doesn't play nicely with AMD (I'm not feeding you crapola here, I've done it both ways and I'm just giving you my experiences). Core II Duo will work fine. Make sure to use plenty of RAM, I run 2 gigs in mine. ASUS makes the best board for the money. I'll have to dig out my documentation to let you know the model I use.

Run Pro Tools on XP Home or Pro but don't use Media Center Edition. There are plenty of known issues with MCE.

Be sure to buy a case large enough to contain a removable drive bay and provide for plenty of air-circulation to fascilitate good cooling. Do NOT store your master tracks on your operating system drive and don't allow your PT recording computer to connect to the Internet. You can use a flash drive to retrieve updates from DIGI on another machine and transfer them to your recording rig. Buy storage drives with plenty of space on them. You will use it up fast enough. I like 320 or 500 GB Seagate Barracudas. You can now find these drives in the terrabyte range. More room is better.

If all this seems like where you are going also remember to back up, back up and back up again. You never know when a drive is going to go down and lose years of recording work. I haven't lost one yet (knock on wood) but that doesn't keep me from backing up on three or more drives, and doing it regularly with new changes in editing.

Above all, it isn't going to work on the cheap. If you're going to do it, do it right the first time, Mac or PC.

Even if you do build a nice system to run PT, you'll still need a Pro Tools PCI card and interface, plus the software. It's not a huge investment, but not a small one either. I guarantee, you will love it in the long run. The possibilities are endless...

-Kev
 
Those who are telling you about all the crashes with PC likely didn't take the advice given on the DIGI website when assembling their systems. I have had no such problems with PC over the course of recording 100 or more of my compositions in Pro Tools.

You are likely going to spend $1,000 to $1,200 or more to build a system that will run Pro Tools and run it nicely.
Stick with Intel processors. PT doesn't play nicely with AMD (I'm not feeding you crapola here, I've done it both ways and I'm just giving you my experiences). Core II Duo will work fine. Make sure to use plenty of RAM, I run 2 gigs in mine. ASUS makes the best board for the money. I'll have to dig out my documentation to let you know the model I use.

Run Pro Tools on XP Home or Pro but don't use Media Center Edition. There are plenty of known issues with MCE.

Be sure to buy a case large enough to contain a removable drive bay and provide for plenty of air-circulation to fascilitate good cooling. Do NOT store your master tracks on your operating system drive and don't allow your PT recording computer to connect to the Internet. You can use a flash drive to retrieve updates from DIGI on another machine and transfer them to your recording rig. Buy storage drives with plenty of space on them. You will use it up fast enough. I like 320 or 500 GB Seagate Barracudas. You can now find these drives in the terrabyte range. More room is better.

If all this seems like where you are going also remember to back up, back up and back up again. You never know when a drive is going to go down and lose years of recording work. I haven't lost one yet (knock on wood) but that doesn't keep me from backing up on three or more drives, and doing it regularly with new changes in editing.

Above all, it isn't going to work on the cheap. If you're going to do it, do it right the first time, Mac or PC.

Even if you do build a nice system to run PT, you'll still need a Pro Tools PCI card and interface, plus the software. It's not a huge investment, but not a small one either. I guarantee, you will love it in the long run. The possibilities are endless...

-Kev
 
Kevin,
I just bought an HP m8330f, a pretty powerful machine, primarily because I want to use it for recording. It has a quad core AMD phenom processor, 3 gigs of RAM, 2 x 320 GB hard drives, etc. However, it's loaded with Vista, and reading many bad Vista reviews, and all the bad mouthing of PCs on this thread, I worry about installing Pro tools. I still have 10 days to return this computer, although I would much prefer keeping it. Do you think this machine and Vista can handle pro tools?
Thanks,
Isabelle
 
oh man,,,,

hi folks
ive just made the big move to the USA from Scotland
so im currently waiting for my MBOX2 and other stuff to show up
(bloody shipping companies:mad:)
aaarggh,,a box of clothes just showed up as im typing,
but no MBOX2 yet,,,grrr!

im shipping my old pc over, but just to use online

it wouldnt run the MBOX2 anyway,
and id to borrow back my VERY old pc for that.(hard work that was indeed)
so, i now find myself needing to get a computer for recording.

I can see that it appears there is no question that a Mac is the best
Ive personally always used pcs,and find Macs very awkward cos of that

Ive recorded many albums done on a Mac,and it seems great
ive just never actually physically done the recording.

My budget is VERY limited,so i have a dilemma

a friend of mine back in Scotland recently bought a Mini Mac
to use with MBOX2. Which wouldnt run it.
He wasnt a happy bunny,as it was rather expensive.
I know it WILL( or maybe now does) run it eventually.so id consider that

However, that fact that im completely used to pc instead also makes me feel inclined in that direction:confused:

ive found the following,and wanted some advice
(and yes, i know it will consist mainly of get the MAC:p)
the pros and cons are thus,
if i got this pc(and it ran MBOX2,which is what im asking)
id get to record,have a pretty nice up to date pc which my girlfriend could finally play her online games on etc etc etc

and if Mini Mac finally runs MBOX2,id have a very stable recording set up(joy)
(im also extremely new to computer recording by the way)
the pc is $499 ,with all the bells and whistles etc

Spec as follows;

This desktop features AMD LIVE! technology and lets you bring all your entertainment content together. Burn your own DVDs and CDs of personalized music and movies in the SuperMulti drive, and enjoy seamless action and rich 3D graphics with the NVIDIA integrated graphics.

* AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 dual-core processor 4400+ for increased multitasking performance; improved security with Enhanced Virus Protection; Cool'n'Quiet™ Technology to minimize heat and noise
* 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 memory for multitasking power
* SuperMulti DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with double-layer support records up to 8.5GB of data or 4 hours of video using compatible DVD+R DL or DVD-R DL media; also supports DVD-RAM
* AMD LIVE! Smarter Digital Entertainment for all the screens of your digital life; you can manage, access, distribute, share and enjoy your digital content collection from virtually anywhere
* AMD dual-core technology enables you to work or play with multiple programs without impacting performance
* 512KB + 512KB L2 cache memory for efficient system processing
* 320GB Serial ATA II hard drive with 8MB cache (7200 rpm); Gateway Portable Media Drive bay lets you easily add a second removable hard drive (Portable Media Drive not included)
* NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE graphics with up to 128MB shared video memory; high-definition audio (8-channel support)
* Integrated 15-in-1 digital media card reader supports CompactFlash Type I/II, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, MultiMediaCard Plus, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo
* Also supports SmartMedia, xD-Picture Card and Microdrive; supports mini Secure Digital, Reduced Size MultiMediaCard (RS-MMC) and MultiMediaCard Mobile with optional adapter (not included)
* 6 USB 2.0 ports, front and rear accessible, for fast digital transfer and easy connection of peripherals
* Built-in 10/100 Mbps Ethernet with RJ-45 connector; V.92 data/fax modem
* Premium multimedia keyboard, USB optical 2-button wheel mouse and external USB speakers
* Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition operating system preinstalled; software package included with Microsoft Money Essentials, CyberLink Power2Go, Gateway BigFix and more


and the Mini Mac is $599

spec as follows;

Enhance your digital lifestyle with this powerful Mac mini desktop that features 1 FireWire port and 4 USB ports for connection of your peripherals. The DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive lets you watch your favorite DVD movies or listen to music with ease.

* Intel® Core™2 Duo processor with 667MHz frontside bus, 2MB shared L2 cache and 1.83GHz processor speed
* 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM for multitasking power, expandable to 2GB
* Slot-loading DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive
* 80GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
* Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 64MB DDR2 SDRAM shared video memory; DVI/VGA output with included adapter; supports S-video and composite video outputs with optional adapter (not included)
* 1 FireWire port (400 Mbps) and 4 USB 2.0 ports; built-in Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) module
* Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi card and antenna for wireless networking up to 54 Mbps (802.11g); built-in 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet LAN
* Built-in speakers; Apple remote included
* Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" preinstalled; software package included with iLife '08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand), Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive and more

Product Specifications:

* Warranty Terms - Parts
1 year limited
* Warranty Terms - Labor
1 year limited
* Product Height
2"
* Product Width
6.5"
* Product Weight
2.9 lbs.
* Product Depth
6.5"
* Processor Brand
Intel®
* Processor
Intel® Core(TM)2 Duo Desktop
* Processor Speed
1.83GHz
* System Bus
667MHz
* Cache Memory
2MB at die Level 2
* System Memory (RAM)
1GB
* System Memory (RAM) Expandable To
2GB
* Type of Memory (RAM)
DDR2 SDRAM
* Hard Drive Type
Serial ATA (5400 rpm)
* Hard Drive Size
80GB
* Graphics
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
* Video Memory
Up to 64MB (shared)
* Personal Video Recorder (PVR)
No
* TV Tuner
No
* MPEG
Yes
* Speakers
None
* Modem
None
* Network Card
Built-in 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet LAN
* Wireless Networking
Built-in 54 Mbps AirPort Extreme wireless LAN (802.11g); Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
* DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo Drive
Yes
* DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo Drive Speeds
8x DVD-ROM; 24x16x24 CD-RW
* Direct-Disc Labeling
No
* Digital Media Reader or Slots
No
* Diskette Drive
No
* Total Expansion Bays
No expansion bays
* Total Expansion Slots
No expansion slots
* USB 2.0 Ports
4
* IEEE 1394 Ports
1 (400 Mbps)
* S-Video Outputs
None
* Serial Ports
None
* Parallel Ports
None
* Game Ports
None
* Other Control Devices (mouse, etc.)
Apple remote
* Operating System
Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger"
* Software Included
iLife '08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand), Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive and more

what say ye one and all?:o
 
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