Pro Tools....Essential?

[Ultimate Dj]

Hello,
I'm thinking about getting Pro Tools. And I just want to see what everybody says about it. The guy told me that 99% of musicians use it! I dont know if he was just blowing smoke or if its true.
Also this is basically my first real music program that I will use with my Oasys. How hard is it to learn? Whats the main benefits?
Like mainly I want to do some Mastering on my songs. Try to get some volumes right, just clean them up ...etc


thnx


pura vida
The Che

[Fatalmasterpiece]

Cubase is another program like Protools which is effectively the same thing.

99% of musician's do not use Protools. What he should have said was 99% use something like Protools.

It's a great program but certainly not the only one worth looking into.

[Ultimate Dj]

Cubase is another program like Protools which is effectively the same thing.

99% of musician's do not use Protools. What he should have said was 99% use something like Protools.

It's a great program but certainly not the only one worth looking into.

Hmmm...... He implied that Everybody everywhere uses Pro Tools. And that if I wanted to take my music to someone and have them Master it they would be using Pro Tools so it be easier if thats what I was using.

Do you use Cubase? What would you say is the best and simplest to learn?

thanx


pura vida
El Che

[Fatalmasterpiece]

They are both fairly easy.

You can export your files into OMF format and swap between Cubase and Protools. I imagine it is similar with other programs so if you did take it to be mastered somewhere, I think they wouldn't have much of a problem. Even so, you could just give them the raw Wav files and that would work on anything.

They are all easy to learn, difficult to master, much like the piano it's self.

As far as which is better, Pro Tools or Cubase, I can't tell you that, but I do know I find tons of plug ins online that work flawlessly with Cubase VST.

I would just find which one is more cost effective or easily available for you.

[Ultimate Dj]

They are both fairly easy.

You can export your files into OMF format and swap between Cubase and Protools. I imagine it is similar with other programs so if you did take it to be mastered somewhere, I think they wouldn't have much of a problem. Even so, you could just give them the raw Wav files and that would work on anything.

They are all easy to learn, difficult to master, much like the piano it's self.

As far as which is better, Pro Tools or Cubase, I can't tell you that, but I do know I find tons of plug ins online that work flawlessly with Cubase VST.

I would just find which one is more cost effective or easily available for you.

I called Guitar Center and they said that Pro Tools is the most widely used and most popular among studios. Do you agree? So if I was working on a project on Pro Tools and I needed help it would be easier if I had Pro Tools.
And its also the cheapest way to go. Which for me at the moment is very much the most important. I appreciate your help!
So if I've never used music software it doesnt really matter which one because I'm not used to any specific brand, right?
Thanx

pura vida
The Che

[JonSolo]

Pro Tools is very popular among studios. However when I first went pro studio I opted for a native solution and went with Nuendo...which is quite like Cubase. Cubase is a very good choice and it has an organic feel to it. I have used Cubase/Nuendo since the original Cubase VST came out. There are others that love Cakewalk's Sonar. That is primarily for the PC market however.

If you are using a Mac, you may as well go with Logic. Many if not most Mac users/producers work with Logic. Then there is the occasional left field guy that will tell you to go with Ableton Live.

So there you have it. Pro Tools is not REALLY used by most in the market. It is just one of many choices. I would demo each one to see which one fits your work flow best.

Solo

[RVNOak]

I have Cubase and Ableton Live. Ableton Live is a platform that can be used live (thus it's name). Ableton is also a great tool for DJ's who need to make edits and change bpm on the fly when they are performing. I have just begun to delve into Ableton Live as an extra source for my live setup as I play Industrial music. As it has a lot of features to help the live performer, I might me using some of it's VST's and triggering them with my Extreme.

I love Cubase and Nuendo. I tried Pro Tools and Cakewalk and I just didn't like the interface as much. They essentially do the same thing and they all have different price versions of their full software. For instance, Cubase SE 3 costs about $150.00. It's not the full featured Cubase 4 but it will help to get you started. You can also usually just pay for an upgrade if you need more functionality later on. Just be sure to check the company website and see if they offer competitive upgrade options.

[Fatalmasterpiece]

They are both fairly easy.

You can export your files into OMF format and swap between Cubase and Protools. I imagine it is similar with other programs so if you did take it to be mastered somewhere, I think they wouldn't have much of a problem. Even so, you could just give them the raw Wav files and that would work on anything.

They are all easy to learn, difficult to master, much like the piano it's self.

As far as which is better, Pro Tools or Cubase, I can't tell you that, but I do know I find tons of plug ins online that work flawlessly with Cubase VST.

I would just find which one is more cost effective or easily available for you.

I called Guitar Center and they said that Pro Tools is the most widely used and most popular among studios. Do you agree? So if I was working on a project on Pro Tools and I needed help it would be easier if I had Pro Tools.
And its also the cheapest way to go. Which for me at the moment is very much the most important. I appreciate your help!
So if I've never used music software it doesnt really matter which one because I'm not used to any specific brand, right?
Thanx

pura vida
The Che

You have to remember that Guitar Center gives you the facts but they are only from one point of view. It's like saying that a Strat or Les Paul is the most popular guitar so you should get one of those. In actuality, they may be very popular but there are many options out there which should all be looked into.

[Dr.InnoVation]

Hello,
I'm thinking about getting Pro Tools. And I just want to see what everybody says about it. The guy told me that 99% of musicians use it! I dont know if he was just blowing smoke or if its true.
Also this is basically my first real music program that I will use with my Oasys. How hard is it to learn? Whats the main benefits?
Like mainly I want to do some Mastering on my songs. Try to get some volumes right, just clean them up ...etc


thnx


pura vida
The Che

My .99 cents:

I had the 002 rack. Phenomenal headroom, great quality, however it came with "Pro Tools."
These tools are so pro that it was tough as crap to utilize effectively.

-You have to have a blazing PC to be issue free, and have gobs of memory IF you want a trouble, and pop/click free recording, although the "YMMV" certainly applies here...I had a 3.2 ghz PC with 2 Gigs of Ram and I had some issues, using a FireWire External hard drive. -Subsequently my PC crashed-

Enter Some outdated hardware and software: MI4 with Cubase SL 2.0 (circa 2004)
Running on a lousy 1.5ghz 256 MB memory P4.....I have the same headroom, same great quality, and NONE of the Pro Tools' issues to speak of. No crashes with the software as I did with LE too.

However "the guy" is most likely correct. Pro Tools is industry standard and most professionals who mix, master and finalize WILL have PT's, most likely the HD setup. This does not mean that you can't do an export mix down to split stereo setting and import that to Pro Tools because you can...