Pro Tools... what should i get! VOCALS ONLY

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danielholgate

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hmm.. so i am currently running pro tools SE, with fast track usb.. yes same! cheap buy!!

now i know more about software etc.. i am stuck on what to get!!

i use a rode nt1a.. I DONT WANT TO SPEND TO MUCH MONEY EG.. £700 AND UP!

I ONLY WANT TO RECORD VOCALS.. NO KEYBOARD GUITAR ETC ETC AS I USE BEATS MADE BY OTHERS FOR NON PROFIT..

Should i get pro tools 9 with an mbox which has free upgrade to 10? £390
pro tools express with a MBox mini £190ish
orrr Pro Tools MP9, with a fast track pro £130..

im not sure what to get... i was looking at pre amp... M-audio DMP3 or a Focusrite 6chan

i wanna record pop/rnb and hiphop vocals.. and only vocals.. so looking for software with best effects thankyouuu
 
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Hey, and welcome.

You might wanna take your email address down before it get's harvested for spam.

Does it have to be Protools? What's the reason for this?

If it's reputation alone, ditch it. There are cheaper, or even free alternatives that will do fine for vocal only.

Personally I wouldn't bother with separate preamps and interfaces, and fancy software.

Spend money on a good 'all in one' box (tascam, presonus, whatever) and user reaper or even audacity or something.

edit* I'm not a hater. I use protools, but only because I was 'brought up' on it.
 
I agree with the above post, why does it have to be ProTools? For far less money you could get something else that will do the exact same thing. If you only record vocals there is no need to go out and only use protools. Any interface and software will let you record a mic, compress it, reverb it, and bounce it.

I've personally found that a lot of people get mixed up in this magical proools realm and think that if they use it they will be better. They spend a lot of money on a protools rig and then just use the record function and slap a plugin on it. They could have saved that money and bought a cheaper interface, and a better mic. It's like buying a lambo and driving the speed limit. Just buy a taurus if your going to be going 35mph...

All that said, any of the products you mentioned would do what you want to do. As would most other interfaces. I would suggest going with the cheapest version of those and get a good preamp.
 
I want pro tools because.. I heard professionals use it alot and was first software i used otherthan garageband, little did i know ptools se was so bad.. Pro tools is just simple from what i have experienced... Only been doing for about 6 months.. And with ptse and garageband ive never have that decent sound mixing with vocals and the track..., i like the look of logic.. But pro tools just tops it for me.. I sont wanna spend too much on a pre amp and have a too spend a whole lot on a software.. So i was thinking like £150-£200 pre amp with pro tools 9...
 
I see what you mean and it makes sense this is why inposted on here because inwanted best advice.. I dont wanna go buy cheap crap gear with costly software etc, pro tools se cant use plug ins and has a fast track pro.. Anything better im happy too look at.. Seen a m-audio dml3 pre amp and also the focusrite 6 usb, they look good to me.. But the software is what im stuck on...
 
Just to be clear about what others are telling you.

If you want Pro-tools because that's what you're used to using, that's a good reason to use it. But if it's because you think it will make anything sound better than any other DAW will, that's false. All these programs are just hosting programs. One doesn't sound better than the other. Good quality sound is all about your voice, mic, room (extremely important), mic technique, etc....as well as your experience, skill, and knowledge. Don't expect the rpgoram you're using to make one bit of difference.
 
Yes i understand about the software.. But i wanna know what equipment/software i can get with good quality for a reasonable price by not spending £1000+, im open to options,
 
danielholgate said:
And with ptse and garageband ive never have that decent sound mixing with vocals and the track
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I think if you are having problems with the sound you are getting its more likely a problem with what you are doing to record it. I haven't heard what you're working on, but it could be anything from mic placement, to where you are recording, to how you are processing the signal once its recorded. If that is the case, then changing hardware and software isn't going to fix your problems. You will end up with the same problem, and a bigger hole in your wallet.

Before shelling out a bunch of money, try posting a clip in the mixing section as well as a discription of how you recorded it and how you are processing it. You may find that its something simple you are doing incorrectly that is the problem and can fix the problem without spending more money.

Outside of that I think its really a personal preference on what you should go for next. As long as it has an XLR input for your mic it should work for you. It shouldn't matter too much what version of protools you use (9, 10 etc) because if you are only doing vocals the updates probably wont matter a lot to you. If you can't use any plugins on the se version then it may be a good upgrade to get away from the se version. But again, other software that works just the same will be cheaper and allow you to use plugins. It's really a matter of opinion.

One last note to think about is that protools sucks in the fact that you can't really mix and match things. If you want to get a different interface like one with more inputs you will be limited on what you can buy. To me thats a HUGE downside. Instead of finding what you need to best fit what you are going to be doing, you have to look for that within the small (and pricey) selection that is compatable.

I'm by no means saying protools is bad software, just want to make sure you aren't blinded by the name and in turn drop massive amounts of money you don't need to spend. At the end of the day the choice is yours but I would really recommend posting a clip in the mix section and getting opinions from some more people about the sound you are getting and if upgrading software/hardware is really your best option.

Any of the products you mentioned should be fine, but I think any interface that has at least one XLR input will be fine especially for strictly vocal recording.
 
xbxrxixtx said:
One last note to think about is that protools sucks in the fact that you can't really mix and match things. If you want to get a different interface like one with more inputs you will be limited on what you can buy. To me thats a HUGE downside.
Click to expand...

This is outdated info. Hasn't been true for about a year now.

But yeah, still don't buy it. There's no real advantage unless you're A: Proficient already or B: Frequently taking sessions to other PT equipped studios.
 
I have no problem with quality of sound, what im saying is ptse has limited effects and i can inly yse 3 for one track, and i need more wffects and imoroved effects.. I was thinking something logic express 9, as some good software?
 
Since you put a lot of stock in what "professionals" use...

I was a professional for 30+ years, starting on tape based stuff and moving to computer recording during the 1990s.

Yes, I used Protools at work. We had it there for a couple of reasons. First, we had Avid edit suites for video and wanted good "round trip" compatibility. Second, we often did part of a project, working with other studios who also used Protools so needed to be able to exchanged things easily.

Having said all that, when I built my own home studio, did I choose Protools because I was familiar with it or thought it "best"? No way. Despite many years using Protools 8-10 hours a day, I never came to more than tolerate it. I genuinely think there are far better pieces of software out there, many costing rather less money.

Beyond that, I strongly believe the most important aspect in choosing a DAW is how you get on with the User Interface. Some software just works in a way that makes sense to me; other software, as popular as it is, seems to fight me at every step. The trouble is, everyone is different and likes different software.

Much of the good stuff offers free trial periods. My advice would be to spend some time downloading and using the trials to see what works best for you. Protools may have an advantage on this because you're already used to it--but give others a fair trial too. If you're lucky, one will just "click" for you and you'll feel instantly at home.

...and start with Reaper. I'm not a user myself (I got started on Cool Edit when Syntrillium made it and just stuck there) but I know it's excellent software. If the user interface suits you, then you can save a LOT of money compared to the alternatives.
 
What simoftwares would u recommend instead of pro tools? Or something like pro tools express?, i know a little bit of logic..., ableton looks promising also
 
I've never used Logic because it's Apple OS only. However, I know people who do and they speak highly of it.

Others you could think of would be Ableton, Cubase and (if you don't need MIDI) Audition like I use. All are good software and capable of professional results every bit as good as Protools. Or, a better Protools since you already know a bit about it.

But, I really do suggest you try Reaper first. It's also a fully featured software package but, if you like the interface, it costs vastly less and would give you more to spend on a mic, interface, accessories, lava lamp and beer!

The main thing I'm saying though is to try as many as you can and see which user interface you feel most comfortable with. All the ones mentioned can do excellent jobs--it's just a matter of which is easiest for YOU to use.
 
Bobbsy said:
But, I really do suggest you try Reaper first. It's also a fully featured software package but, if you like the interface, it costs vastly less and would give you more to spend on a mic, interface, accessories, lava lamp and beer!
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Do not pass on this advice. I had Tracktion, Cubase, and Sonar, and I've watched a real pro at work with Logic and PT, and it's just a money pit you don't need. There are very good reasons why the "pros" use that stuff, but they have clients non stop in and out the door every day to justify the cost. Try Reaper first. If you can't learn to do what you wanna do in Reaper, then you shouldn't be messing with any other program anyway.

You almost sound like you WANT to spend more money just for the sake of saying you have expensive software. Been there, done that. Don't do it. Spend the money you save on a good mic and a solid interface. Reaper will do everything you want to do. Besides, be honest with yourself.......you are coming to HOME recording for advice. Is your new stuff really already so darn good that you will be exchanging projects with pro studios every week for the next few years? If your stuff were already that good, you wouldn't be here asking us to help you.

No offense....... I don't hate the other softwares, no PT hate here, what I hate is the m a r k e t i n g machine that makes you believe it's the only way to survive. Not to mention the rookie grads I've met fresh outa school who come see what I do at home and the first question they ask is "How come you don't have Pro Tools?" I shoot back "How come you went thru 4 years of school and you've never heard of Reaper?" Another sucker has been lured in to the pit.....and that makes me irritable. It's like giving every 16 year old high school kid a Ferrari LE because that's what they "need" if they are going to drive like the pros. Yeah right....

Don't be another victim.....
 
soundchaser59 said:
Do not pass on this advice. I had Tracktion, Cubase, and Sonar, and I've watched a real pro at work with Logic and PT, and it's just a money pit you don't need. There are very good reasons why the "pros" use that stuff, but they have clients non stop in and out the door every day to justify the cost. Try Reaper first. If you can't learn to do what you wanna do in Reaper, then you shouldn't be messing with any other program anyway.

You almost sound like you WANT to spend more money just for the sake of saying you have expensive software. Been there, done that. Don't do it. Spend the money you save on a good mic and a solid interface. Reaper will do everything you want to do. Besides, be honest with yourself.......you are coming to HOME recording for advice. Is your new stuff really already so darn good that you will be exchanging projects with pro studios every week for the next few years? If your stuff were already that good, you wouldn't be here asking us to help you.

No offense....... I don't hate the other softwares, no PT hate here, what I hate is the m a r k e t i n g machine that makes you believe it's the only way to survive. Not to mention the rookie grads I've met fresh outa school who come see what I do at home and the first question they ask is "How come you don't have Pro Tools?" I shoot back "How come you went thru 4 years of school and you've never heard of Reaper?" Another sucker has been lured in to the pit.....and that makes me irritable. It's like giving every 16 year old high school kid a Ferrari LE because that's what they "need" if they are going to drive like the pros. Yeah right....

Don't be another victim.....
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Im gonna try out reaper had a look at it, and its look good.., now i just need some help on a decent pre amp USB, i dont want to spend alot on a pre amp.. Probably sround £150-£200,
 
Well, two I can recommend that come in nicely below your budget would be the M AUDIO MOBILE PRE and the FOCUSRITE SCARLET 2i2.

There are other good ones in the same price range but not that I have personal experience of.

Things to check for when looking at Audio Interfaces:

-that they have enough XLR mic inputs for your plans

-that they provide phantom power

-that they allow direct hardware monitoring to avoid latency issues in your headphones.
 
If you're only recording vocals, the mbox mini will be fine, but it only has one mic input. as well as one line in. The mbox is great quality, any size of them. there are great bundles now with pro tools express... laid out well at Software - At-Home Music Production

Good luck!
 
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