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Gear / Technical Help => Post-Processing, Computer / Streaming / Internet Devices & Related Activity => Topic started by: spcyrfc on August 20, 2008, 05:35:43 PM

Title: Protools vs. DP vs ? --- also a mixer question
Post by: spcyrfc on August 20, 2008, 05:35:43 PM

I am looking to set up a bare bones studio at home, mostly for voice work... Not sure yet what the budget is, so just sort of considering the options.

Protools vs. Digital Performer vs. anything else.

I want to integrate the software with a board (8-12 channels or something Havent quite gotten that far - i want more than a Mackie afaik)

I am fluent in protools, but am sure i could pick up dp in a heartbeat (or several)

any suggestions out there?
also, to lump two posts together, any suggestions on where to begin looking at boards?

thanks.
luke

Title: Re: Protools vs. DP vs ? --- also a mixer question
Post by: TNJazz on August 25, 2008, 07:31:13 AM

I tried DP for a little while and just couldn't get my brain around it for some reason.

I'm pretty good in both Protools and Cubase (and related).  I even found Logic to be more intuitive than DP, but I'm sure others will have more positive things to say.  It definitely didn't work for me though (I used v4.61 last).

Curious why you want to move away from PT in your home setup though - or are you just looking to add on another program to it?

As for the mixer, I've got a DA7 listed in the yard...   ;D

Title: Re: Protools vs. DP vs ? --- also a mixer question
Post by: rowjimmy on August 30, 2008, 01:14:53 PM

As a powerful and inexpensive alternative to ProTools, I'd recommend Reaper.
http://reaper.fm/

(http://reaper.fm/screenshots/reaper20-troublemaker.png)

Title: Re: Protools vs. DP vs ? --- also a mixer question
Post by: JWard on October 30, 2008, 09:45:50 PM

I work with multi-track and use DP 5.  My projects generally range from 15-30 tracks, although I did one project with 40 tracks (multiple guests).  It did take a while to understand it, which was primarily due to learning terminology and where to find various functions.  The user manual is difficult to use, but the MOTU board can be quite helpful.  I began using DP because of the price break when it came bundled with the FW interface.  At one point I tried using Mackie Tracktion, but gave up when I realized 1) I had become fairly fluent with DP and didn't want to learn a new program, and 2) I thought Tracktion was using significantly more processor than DP.  Whatever complaints I have are minimal compared to the headache of learning something else and the cost of Pro-Tools. 

As for a control surface, I use the Mackie Control Universal.  I considered several, but in the end decided to pick up the MIDI based Mackie used (out of production).  My decision was primarily based upon the fact that I had MIDI I/O available on my FW interfaces, but don''t use MIDI for anything, so the bandwidth was sitting there doing nothing.  Since much of my work is done on the MacBook Pro I didn't want to dedicate a USB or FW port to a control surface.  I have been happy with the MCU and use it for all my mixing and automation, scrubbing, time shifting, etc.  I don't use it to control my plug-ins, however, but would if I had the C4.  I wish I had an extender for an additional 8 channels of faders, and at some point I will.  For now I've gotten pretty good at arranging my tracks to be adjacent to each other for mixing and automation.