Protools expension

[zenguan88]

hi i have a question regarding protools, which i dont think it require another thread. the question i have is if i would to use protools LE must i no matter what get a MBOX interface or DIGI002 interface? thats bcos i am considering of using interfaces like presonus.

Intending to expand my rig as much as possible and therefore i need a long term investment. such as i might be bringing hardware preamps in etc etc, if thats the case would i be able to link the digi002 interface to my host computer and link a mixer into digi002 after which i would put all my racks into the mixer . would my recorded sound be affected this way?

or the other solution would to use a MBOX interface to work protools and den link up my mixer thru firewire into my host computer?

i am looking to work both logic and protools at the same time, dont really know which is the best way to go about doing it.

[SOFT: i split it from the other thread because your question deserve a thread]

 

[sofyan]

yep i think if its protools theres gotta be digidesign stuff

 

[robsg]

One thing for sure zenguan,

if you wanna use protools, take note that there is the protools LE and protools M-powered.

For protools LE, you need either the Mbox2, Digi002 Rack or Digi002 (with command8 mixer).

For protools M-powered, you will need anyone of the aproved M-audio interfaces / keyboards.

It is possible to link up external control surfaces or pre-amp either via firewire or ADAT optical link.

E.g. Use focusrite octopre or any other preamp with ADAT link (lightpipe interfaces) and connect to the 002 ADAT port. This way you get extra 8 channels of mic inputs / outputs.

e.g. 2 use JC cooper control surface or mackie HUI devices and hook up via MIDI to control protools.

either way, the max number of inputs for LE is 8 analogue, 8 ADAT and 2 SPDIF / AES.

Hope this helps.

Robin

 

[zenguan88]

i understand about m-powered and the LE system . there are actually both similar softwares which uses 2 different interfaces whereby m-powered uses m-audio interfaces and LE uses the digi002 interfaces.

thanks rob for ur input i do understand that we can connect midi keyboards preamps effex modules into the digi002 but my main concern as i might be using protools in the future and with an interested to bring in more and more gears to my setup i am afraid that digi002 do not have enough I/O (not sure if this the correct term) to connect up all my equiment. therefore i thought of getting a mixer to equip it with hardware stuffs.

However i am also afraid that with the digi002 connected to the host com and the mixer to the digi002 and my effects and racks all connecting to the mixer i am afraid that all the connecting and routing will affect my audio input.

maybe i would state my purporse, i am planning to do most of popular music with a gizz of electronic sounds such as from the NORD from the MOOG from ACCESS , my main purporse of the DAW is the harness all orchestration sound through softsythns and softsamplers wheras my electronic sounds will come from hardware products such as the above stated this is to prevent my computer to have any corp up as i am afraid of latency. protools HD is way high up for me and i am not sure if investing in one is apporiate for me right now.

anyway thks soft for opening up this new thread for me. appericated it : )

 

[zenguan88]

i understand about m-powered and the LE system . there are actually both similar softwares which uses 2 different interfaces whereby m-powered uses m-audio interfaces and LE uses the digi002 interfaces.

thanks rob for ur input i do understand that we can connect midi keyboards preamps effex modules into the digi002 but my main concern as i might be using protools in the future and with an interested to bring in more and more gears to my setup i am afraid that digi002 do not have enough I/O (not sure if this the correct term) to connect up all my equiment. therefore i thought of getting a mixer to equip it with hardware stuffs.

However i am also afraid that with the digi002 connected to the host com and the mixer to the digi002 and my effects and racks all connecting to the mixer i am afraid that all the connecting and routing will affect my audio input.

maybe i would state my purporse, i am planning to do most of popular music with a gizz of electronic sounds such as from the NORD from the MOOG from ACCESS , my main purporse of the DAW is the harness all orchestration sound through softsythns and softsamplers wheras my electronic sounds will come from hardware products such as the above stated this is to prevent my computer to have any corp up as i am afraid of latency. protools HD is way high up for me and i am not sure if investing in one is apporiate for me right now.

anyway thks soft for opening up this new thread for me. appericated it : )

 

[Ichiro]

erm.... if u are using it for recording the 002 rack has got more than I/O... morever u r using in electronic production..... normally i would say get a "reason software" and rewire it to protools... that will be the best way out.....

002 rack has got 4pre. 4line 8 adat that makes 16 ins.... more than enough to me if u are doing mulit-track recording....

if u are worry abt time sync issue get a word clock....ie; unitor 8.... some of the sound cards do have bulit in word clock.... so u can sync all yr equipment to the work and everything shld be fine

 

[zenguan88]

hey ichiro thks for your advice but i don really like reason for its realistism. and i would love to manipulate the analogue sound of hardwares like the MOOG VOYAGES , the NORD LEAD 3 , etc its different. and also its a much easier way.

however for orchestration sounds i will definately stick to softsamples. i am not only doing an electronic production, i am doing more of popular music with occasional fusion such as funk , electronic , rnb , hip hop.

For recording wise i would most likely need to record a vocals. i will want to have a better mic pre.

anyway i should be getting the 002 rack.

anyway ichiro could you explain about the time sync issue don really get you cos i have not experiment it before.

 

[Ichiro]

http://emusician.com/mag/emusic_emagic_unitor_mkii/index.html

hmm.... u can go check out the above link... u shld understand...

well if u wan better mic pre... try focusrite REDs..... they not bad.... but there lots of better ones out there like Neve Pres also check that out....

 

[robsg]

Hi Zenguan,

If I understand you correctly,
There are 2 workflows you can adopt

1. Use Protools as your main multitracker.
This means that you record Vocals with it and Also record MIDI with it. You can use the 002 rack's MIDI I/O to trigger and record all your MIDI messages to your Syths and soft synths (residing on laptops, seperate desktops, or same PC as protools.) This way, you can program all your soft syths, record all your analogue sounds. And finally, after getting everything right, bounce everything to 2 track. The downside is, MIDI editing is still weak in protools.

2. Forget about protools and get SONOR and an I/O/mic pre that SONOR can work with. This way, workflow is similar to above. The only downside is SONOR is "weaker" IMHO in handling audio compared to protools. However, I think this method would be better for you if you are heavily manipulating syths.

Regards
Robin

 

[Cheez]

1. Why are you considering using BOTH Logic and
Protools at the same time? Are you on the Mac? There is no necessity since one will suffice.

2. From the sound of what you are doing, you probably don't need a word clock. Your sequencer will be the main engine driving all your external hardware which is sequenced in your main sequencer anyway. You won't encounter problems with sync'ing.

3. Do explore other options if the Protools setup is too costly. There are many other options in terms of hardware soundcards that gives you preamps. It all depends on what you want to do and at what level. I've done vocal recording on a soundcard with no preamps for demo purposes - lousy mics hooked onto my mixer - and it turns out quite OK. If you are thinking of production quality, you would want to do it in a proper studio anyway. If you want a home setup, careful not to get equipment that will end up as an overkill. You can spend those money on other things...

 

[soft]

zenguan88, if you use http://www.apple.com/logicpro/ for music production, you really need to think hard for a reason to use Protools. Very hard.

* but if you have PT, you will want to get another sequencer software! ha.ha..ha...

if you are doing electronic/midi music, then the number of i/o is not that important. coz you can always record track by track.

say for example you have sequenced a song with 12 intruments. first, you solo the bass drum and record this to an audio track. then you solo the snare and record it to another audio track. then you solo hi-hats and record it to another audio track ....

all this while, you need only a stereo audio input.

ya, for those who does 80 + tracks will have to do this 80 x 5 mins = 400mins. ha...ha... good way to charge clients. well, if you have 8 simultanous input, then you will be able to do it faster.

after you have gotten these audio tracks into the computer, the mixing portion does not require any i/o at all. unless you have some outboard processor that you MUST use.

long long time ago, when arranger use Roland MC to do sequencing. they will bring their synth + MC to the studio for tracking to TAPE. ha..ha... still need to strip timecode!

then, when ADAT came about. arranger track everything at home and bring the ADAT tape to studio to add on vocals + some acoustic tracks.

now, with all these HD (hard disk) recording. we can basically bring the hd around for tracking or mixing.

 

[zenguan88]

i do understand protools is bad in sequencing thats why i opt for logic to do my sequencing and den do post audio editing with protools.

actually my ideal setup is as follow
MAC G5
nord lead 3
moog voyage
digidesign 002 rack
tascam DM3200
logic 7.2 software.
Violet Design Microphones
fantom x8

you guys might get me wrongly i dont plan to do music that are fully electronic but i want to do contempo pop with some gizz of revolutional electronics kinda arrangments.

as i stated above thats my ideal setup. however as reality seems to sets in i realise i must give up on somethings.
i have piorities my items today

MAC G5
nord lead 3
logic 7.2 software
MOTU interface
fantom x8

i getting my MAC G5 in april together with the logic 7.2 and MOTU interface this is to take advantage of the student discount on MAC too. By June , July i would have get the nord . And den i will decide on wheather to purse protools.

I know it seems too far to say it now but i want to freelance in producing music therefore i really want to choose my equimpent properly. budget wise i would think of ways as i am juggling severals part time together with school now, i could save slowly.

soft ur right technology has make everything easy now. and yes its still COSTLY :wink:

anyway thanks guy for your input. i will stick to my priorities first. anyway if you guys do have good recommendation pls do let me know.

 

[soft]

zenguan88, what is your current setup?

 

[zenguan88]

i dont do work at home now, not a setup actually but i have...
fantom x8.
a set of yamaha monitors HS80M
and also a vintage mixer which i might be selling.

actually i would have buy the MAC now but i was waiting for their OS to upgrade first. meanwhile i usually do demos at school. they uses imac and protools mbox.

however i feel i am restricted at school in which somethings might not function and all. its better to get everything at home and you can keep prasticing on the software as well as generate ideas.futhur more i feel with the technology i have at home i would be able to start doing some freelance stuff.

yup