Pro-Tools, system requirements...

Zombienosh

Hey

This is probly noobie,,, but anyway, I want to start using pro-tools, ive never used it before, whats stopping me from getting pro-tools is i fear my laptop cant handle it, so i might need a new one first. what should i look for in a new laptop if its gonna just be for recording/production. anything specific or just a shed load of memory and a decent processor?

MilanPan!c

I would highly suggest that you look at something like Reaper instead.

Pro Tools isn't better than any other DAW, in most cases and the lite version has very very significant issues.

Specs are kind of a red herring, these days.

Get the best machine you can afford. Audio won't kill your processor (more or less), but software synths and FX plugins will.

I spent 500 on an HP which is my only PC. It's not optimised at all, but I have nice enough monitors and a nice enough external soundcard.

I can EASILY play back 25+ tracks of audio with FX and SoftSynths in the mix.

People that say, spend 2K on a Computer are either setting up a professional studio or just have too much money.

Zombienosh

thanks for the heads up, i only really want pro-tools because im gonna go do a music production course in september and wanna get a headstart.

henessjon

check out the pro tools website for users duc

just check that the lappy is compatable for pro tools 8 if you dont own old laptop (assumed) pro tools you will need to be buying a hardware interface??? mbox or 003

Zombienosh

yeah probly gonna get mbox, would like to afford the firewire one but dont think i can

flyswatter

If you're getting a new laptop it will most likely have Windows 7. Pro Tools is only compatible with XP and 32 bit Vista at the moment (Although the latest Pro Tools update brought support for W7 in beta mode but I've heard it's still not fully stable). You could downgrade to XP or wait for full W7 support but you could be waiting several months, like me.

MilanPan!c

flyswatter wrote: »

If you're getting a new laptop it will most likely have Windows 7. Pro Tools is only compatible with XP and 32 bit Vista at the moment (Although the latest Pro Tools update brought support for W7 in beta mode but I've heard it's still not fully stable). You could downgrade to XP or wait for full W7 support but you could be waiting several months, like me.

This is exactly the kind o nonsense I'm refering to.

Such a shame people think this is he thing to learn and that courses teach it as a reasonable standard.

IMO of course.

henessjon

MilanPan!c wrote: »

This is exactly the kind o nonsense I'm refering to.

Such a shame people think this is he thing to learn and that courses teach it as a reasonable standard.

IMO of course.

the guy only asked about how to run pro tools


he didnt ask what to buy

of course I wouldnt buy a windows machine anyway Im an apple man

flyswatter

MilanPan!c wrote: »

This is exactly the kind o nonsense I'm refering to.

Such a shame people think this is he thing to learn and that courses teach it as a reasonable standard.

IMO of course.

I was only making the OP aware of the system requirements.

I wasn't advocating the use of Pro Tools or anything like that.

It's entirely up to him what they he wants to use.

MilanPan!c

Sorry, I hope no was worried I was infering that they were advocating using PT.

I was also just talking directly to the OP.

Zombienosh

so if i want to become a producer/engineer, like i do, i shouldn't need to learn pro tools?

even if i dont want to use it, shouldn't any producer have a basic grasp of all major production software?

MilanPan!c

AlcoholicA wrote: »

so if i want to become a producer/engineer, like i do, i shouldn't need to learn pro tools?

even if i dont want to use it, shouldn't any producer have a basic grasp of all major production software?

There are hundreds and hundreds if successful engineers and producers that don't use PT. In fact you're just a likely, when you're strting out, to go to small studios and NOT find PT.

I have no problem with the idea of familiarising yourself with it, as part of a board undersanding of the main DAWs, but if it's gonna be for your use, I see no point in spending too much to get less than you'd get from a widely used competitor.

Just trying to make your life less stressful and more productive.

Besides, the basics of DAWs are also the basics of The recording part of engineering. Signal flow, mixing, Eqing, getting good levels, etc.

All of that could be done with tape.

If you wanna see what real professionals out in the world are using an what they think about the different DAWs check out gearslutz.

jtsuited

MilanPan!c wrote: »

If you wanna see what real professionals out in the world are using an what they think about the different DAWs check out gearslutz.

that should read "check out very very very specific parts of gearslutz".

DamagedTrax

@ OP

do yourself a favour and dont listen to all this BS.

if you're starting a course in september that uses pro tools then do as you originally wanted and get PT. otherwise, i guarantee you will be left behind. ESPECIALLY if your course involves the protools exams. you will need to be able to work thru the book with PT open infront of you... unless you have a photographic memory...

if you get an mbox then you get PT le free with it anyway. if at a latter stage you decide protools isnt for you then change.

a lot of us use differant DAWs for differant purposes. i mix in reaper but i still do all my edits in PT. i do any productions in cubase (because i like the midi implementation and have been using it since atari days and know it inside out now).

as far as the laptop goes you need to go to the digi website and follow their recommendations to the tee. this is a production machine that you're building. not a gaming machine, not a net machine.
yeah people will bitch and moan but if you want PT to run properly then thats just what you have to do.

Zombienosh

DamagedTrax wrote: »

@ OP

do yourself a favour and dont listen to all this BS.

if you're starting a course in september that uses pro tools then do as you originally wanted and get PT. otherwise, i guarantee you will be left behind. ESPECIALLY if your course involves the protools exams. you will need to be able to work thru the book with PT open infront of you... unless you have a photographic memory...

if you get an mbox then you get PT le free with it anyway. if at a latter stage you decide protools isnt for you then change.

a lot of us use differant DAWs for differant purposes. i mix in reaper but i still do all my edits in PT. i do any productions in cubase (because i like the midi implementation and have been using it since atari days and know it inside out now).

as far as the laptop goes you need to go to the digi website and follow their recommendations to the tee. this is a production machine that you're building. not a gaming machine, not a net machine.
yeah people will bitch and moan but if you want PT to run properly then thats just what you have to do.

Thanks DT, I will be doing PT exams so I need to get it either way. Right now I use Ableton Live and I'm happy enough with that. As for the laptop thats my original question if i want to get a laptop for production only, im sure someone here has done that, so whats the best buy in laptops if i want a solid production investment.

DamagedTrax

AlcoholicA wrote: »

Thanks DT, I will be doing PT exams so I need to get it either way. Right now I use Ableton Live and I'm happy enough with that. As for the laptop thats my original question if i want to get a laptop for production only, im sure someone here has done that, so whats the best buy in laptops if i want a solid production investment.

custom built is you're only real option.

personally i'd go for:

intel i7 920 processor
3gb ram minimum
windows xp sp3
texas firewire chipset
ATI 128/256 graphics (nvidia can give a lot of problems with protools)
no onboard sound (onboard soundcards always seem to conflict with protools and latency)

have a look at the synergy range from "digital village". im running one of their i7 desktops and its sweet

http://www.dv247.com/synergy

or if you know someone who can do a build for you then even better.

theres a great thread on the digi design forum on how to build an i7.

i should also say dont discount mac books. a powerful one will run protools nicely.. they arent my cuppa tea but they can do the job just as well as a pc... cept they look gay ;-P