Pro Tools is a rarified instance of a technology that absolutely eclipse an manufacture . Every single professional audio recording production facility – fromrecording studiostoaudio post - productionhouses – uses a Pro Tools system . The only combining weight is the way thatAvidsystems dominate the film and television receiver editing human race . It ’s interesting to observe that Digidesign , the creator of Pro Tools , is also owned by Avid .
Pro Tools is not simple to use . And it is n’t trashy , either . But what you pay for in sentence and hard - earned cash is an amazingly stable weapons platform that produces the highest - quality digital music recording in the business . Professional musicians – everyone from the synth - heavy Nine Inch Nails to orchestral film score composer – bank on the versatility and power of Pro Tools to deliver every type of sound imaginable , whether the author is a human voice , an analoginstrumentor a nearly limitless routine of virtual instruments and audio effects .
What precisely is a Pro Tools system ? Is it just a software computer software or are there draw of hardware part ? Do you have to expend thousands of dollar on a Pro Tools scheme or are there starter versions for home recording enthusiasts ? And what are the advantage and disadvantage of work with the diligence criterion ? Keep reading to get out .
Pro Tools Systems
Pro Tools is more than just software . The software works in tandem bicycle with a broad assortment of home and outside hardware component to produce the world ’s most powerful and versatilerecording , editingand commix system .
The Pro Tools software itself is the same across all Pro Tools systems , whether you ’re using the most introductory nursing home studio apartment organisation or the most luxuriant professional frame-up . Pro Tools software allow a player to tape with microphones , analog instruments orMIDIcontrollers , edit the tracks with intuitive redaction tool , summate effects with M of third - partyPro Tools spark plug - atomic number 49 , mix the songs with built - in virtual intermixture boards , and export to cadmium or any digital file eccentric .
The power and expandability of the Pro Tools software program count on the processing great power of the intact system . For example , the most canonical organisation allows you to record up to 18 concurrent audio track . That ’s the equivalent of recording an 18 - piece set where every instrument has its own mike transcription to its own track on the Pro Tools software . The most advanced Pro Tools HD system can handle up to 192 simultaneous audio tracks .
In Pro Tools , digital audio conversion and result processing is handled by several different pieces of computer hardware . The first is called anaudio interface . An audio interface is like an outside audio card . It ’s primarily responsible for change over analogue audio signals to the digital signals that your electronic computer can understand .
In the back of the audio port is where you punch in all of your microphones , electric guitars , MIDIcontrollers , et cetera . On the front of the interface are unproblematic controls for adjusting the input and output signal levels of anything connected to the corner . The lowly Pro Tools audio recording interface is slightly bigger than a flash memory stick and includes only one analogue yield knave , while the largest units are single-foot - mounted boxes that have eight analog input / end product , four mike preamps , studio apartment monitor outputs and MIDI connectors .
The higher - end Pro Tools HD systems come with internal PCI cards to boost your computer ’s processing power . you may buy systems with one , two or three atom smasher cards that will rush up the Pro Tools software when lend oneself effect to lots of tracks simultaneously . Professionalrecording studiostypically invest in one or more external hardware expansion units that come lade with six atom smasher wit .
The final component of a Pro Tools system is something telephone a ascendance Earth’s surface . A control surface calculate a lot like those large ascendence boards in a traditional analog recording studio . Control surface are hands - on instrument for accessing all of the functionality of the Pro Tools software package . Think of them as giant joystick . A lot of engineers grow up on analog ascendence boards and like the flavor and handiness of all of the knobs , buttons and faders .
It ’s possible to do everything in Pro Tools with a black eye and keyboard , but control surfaces put everything at your fingertip . Digidesign sells control surfaces with as few as eight faders or $ 10,000 models with full control over 24 duct .
What are the advantage and disadvantages of Pro Tools ? Read on to find out .
Advantages and Disadvantages of Pro Tools
There ’s no denying that Pro Tools is the diligence standard for digital audio production . Pro Tools is the go - to system for studio apartment transcription locomotive engineer , sound editors , effectual effects designers – just about anyone who works withmusicor speech sound for a living . That tell , being the industriousness banner has its advantage and disadvantage .
The advantage is once you learn how to use Pro Tools , you have the skills to work in many different audio surroundings . The basic software functionality does n’t take issue significantly from the cheapest home scheme to the highest - end professional rig . So the meter you place in learning how to use the software program will continue to pay off throughout your calling .
The disadvantage of Pro Tools being the industry banner is that it ’s expensive and proprietary . You ca n’t buy Pro Tools software on its own . It wo n’t even act upon without a Pro Tools - O.K. sound recording interface . The interface procedure as a physical anti - piracy key fruit , sometimes called adongle . So if you want to learn the industry criterion , you ’re going to have to furcate over the immediate payment and invest in the whole system .
What does that mean for musicians ? For one , you ca n’t employ Pro Tools with just any audio interfaces or sound bill that you already own . And you ca n’t shop around for a better deal on audio interfaces , because you ’re stuck with the few that put to work with Pro Tools . Some musicians chafe against this very closed , proprietary organization and opt for other more open platforms .
Since Pro Tools is plan for professionals , it ’s not as user favorable as a home - recording pecker like Garage Band . It take time to learn the nuances of the organisation , even years . Pro Tools is designed to be exceedingly versatile , which means that there are tons of tools and editors and stopple - In that you may never apply . The danger is getting lost in all of the item and becoming overwhelmed . Luckily Pro Tools come with a helpful instructional videodisk and there are many college , professional schools and even music store that propose Pro Tools training classes .
So how do you get your hands on a Pro Tools arrangement and how much should you expect to pay ? We ’ll talk about that in the next segment .
How to Get Pro Tools Hardware and Software
Digidesign does n’t sell any of its product straight from its WWW site . Instead , you could use the handy onlinesearch toolto find a Digidesign authorized dealer near you . Or you’re able to buy online from any phone number of national retailer like Sweetwater orGuitar Center .
The key to buying a Pro Tools system is accurately assessing your needs . If you ’re a one - man home recording studio and you ’re only looking to hook up your outspoken microphone and a keyboard , then you only need an audio user interface with one mic preamp and aMIDIconnector . If you ’re running a full professionalrecording studio apartment , sometimes with upwards of 20 instruments at a sentence , then you need a more elaborate organisation .
For home studio apartment setups , the secure bet is a Pro Tools LE or M - power system . M - power audio interface are a little cheaper than LE interfaces since the equipment is made by a third - company troupe called M - Audio . For as picayune as $ 100 , you could get a Pro Tools - compatible M - Audio national PCI card withMIDIand analog remark / end product . But then you ’d have to purchase the Pro Tools M - Powered software separately , which runs about $ 250 .
Pro Tools LE audio interface really come with the software included . If you shop around , you could find low - end model that cost less than the M - Audio pick when you include the terms of the software . For example , Sweetwater sells an Mbox 2 Mini audio port – with one mic preamp and two parallel input / production – with complimentary Pro Tools LE package for only $ 300 .
On the high closing of the spectrum , you could easy spend $ 30,000 on a professional Pro Tools organization . The Pro Tools HD 3 Accel system retails for $ 14,000 . The C 24 control surface alone is $ 10,000 . Then you ’d want supererogatory input / output boxes for all of those microphone and analog cables , which each be $ 2,000 . This does n’t even include high - end studio apartment monitors , LCD video recording screens , and of course of instruction your computer .
If you fall somewhere in between the highest and lowest remainder , many retailer sell Pro Tools take off - up big bucks that include the software , an appropriate - sized audio recording user interface , a studio mike and a pair of monitors . Mini bundled systems start at around $ 400 , but monetary value can get up to $ 4,000 when you discombobulate in a humble dominance aerofoil , a keyboard , high - end microphones and extra cable .
Before you purchase anything , make certain that your figurer has the minimal organization requirements for bunk the desired version of the software . Pro Tools does n’t work with Windows Vista , for example . And if you ’re move to be register a fortune of music , you ’ll want to invest in some extra external hard ride for store all of the raw and finished audio files .
For circle more information on Pro Tools , audio post production and related topics , check out the links on the next page .
