Advice on purchasing Macbook pro and pro-tools???

[UgLy KoeRner]

Hello everyone, my name is UgLy...I am just about to drop some money on the Macbook-pro. I am also interested in pro tools but can only go as far as the M-box pro I suppose. I see theres alot of conflictions and things I just do not understand. Can U all help me and give me the low down.

I am also confused as to this pro-tools 7.4 why is it cheaper then the m-box, cause the M-box is actual hardware.

Any help would really help set my mind at ease, as I am going to drop some serious money and I will just die if I get home and nothing is working lol.

Thank you.

http://www.myspace.com/Deadsex

 

[junior]

You can't use Pro Tools without Digidesign's hardware.
Pro Tools comes free when you buy their hardware, in your case the mbox.

After this, you'd be paying for upgrades of the software. If I were you, I'd wait a couple of months because it's pretty much confirmed that they're going to be showing PT 8 at the AES show.

 

[WinterMute]

I have the same set up for my portable rig, the M-box pro is the best of the M-box line, particularly as it's the only one that records and plays back 96Khz 24 bit recordings. This system works well enough for tracking and editing but isn't too hot for serious mixing, as it tends to runn out of steam quite quickly with the heavier plug-ins like Altiverb and Autotune. I tend to print those to audio once I'm happy.

There will always be new versions of everything coming out, you could wait on the rumours of the new MBPs too, but no-one knows when they will arrive.

Budget for an external FW800 drive too, you should never record audio to a system drive.

 

[UgLy KoeRner]

Ok great thats the set up I am going for, I was useing a PC with Sonar cakewalk and I just want upgrade my studio all around (well home studio) I agree no matter what there will always be a new upgrade...I am going to drop money aon the macbook pro today and ill get the 4 G of ram and ill get the external hardrive.

Question - Once the hardive gets full like lets say a full record on it, does it slow everything down for the computer and pro tools?

External hardrive size recomend 1 terrabyte?

And the other thing is how do you go with everything set up...Mbox pro is a firewire, so where would the external drive go into? the USB?

and the other thing is you say seriuos mixing, do you then recomend taking my final mix to a proffesional studio after to be mixed, I have done this with my other projects and it really changes everything for sure.

And can the pro tools like this M-box pro able to transfer onto the same pro tools the Profesional studios use?

Umm also U were saying about the "Autotune" how do U find all the effects and such in the pro tools, I feel that this will all make for a much better reocording process from me useing Sonar cakewalk what are your thoughts everyone.

Sorry for allthe rambleing im not the best talker on the computer, but im a ball of hunger for making my art the best I can before I die one day..

Thanx for all the info. so much appreciated.

 

[Derwood]

How is Tools under Leopard now?

I haven't heard or read anything for a while (not that I've been looking particularly - v.happy with Logic Pro 8 at the moment). Digidesign get it running solid and stable yet?

I'd hang on for a bit and see about the rumored MacBook/MBP refresh on the 14th Oct.

Derwood

 

[Derwood]

Question - Once the hardive gets full like lets say a full record on it, does it slow everything down for the computer and pro tools?

Nope. And yes. If your system drive is within 10% of full capacity then you might start encountering some problems as the system disk is used for virtual memory allocations (page-ins/page-outs) and cacheing of any temp/log files. As a good rule of thumb, try and keep 10% capacity free on your system drive.

External hardrive size recomend 1 terrabyte?

As much as you can afford really. Depends also on how valuable a back-up is. You could get a nice raid external, for example, if money's no object...

And the other thing is how do you go with everything set up...Mbox pro is a firewire, so where would the external drive go into? the USB?

MBox 2 Pro has two firewire prots but I can't find anywhere in the documentation about whether the second port provides throughput or is for meeting the power requirement of the device with an appropriate Y lead (as you would a USB external for instance).

And can the pro tools like this M-box pro able to transfer onto the same pro tools the Profesional studios use?

Yep. Not a problem.

 

[UgLy KoeRner]

Great thanx alot for all the info...I did today drop some coin on the Macbook pro should be here next week, I got the 4 gig of ram and I got the 300 hardrive, also its the 176 inch..Hope it all works out, thanx again for the info, I am sure Ill be back for more.

-UgLy

 

[WinterMute]

Re: Firewire.

The MBP has a 400 and an 800 interface, I use the 400 for the Mbox and the 800 for a LaCie drive with an 800 interface, works a treat.

You can, however, chain a drive off the Mbox if needed, thats what the 2 ports are for.

Protools isn;t blessed with a huge number of plug-ins "out of the box", but you should get a decent enough pack if your buying an Mbox Pro.

You can check out compatible plug-ins on the Digidesign website, but the folks on this board will be able to give you some pointers as to the good stuff. Be aware that some plug-ins are very expensive....

My personal favourites atm are Altiverb, Echoboy and the Sony Oxford EQ/dynamics.

Here for plug-ins: http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?navid=115&langid=51&mkt=all

This is the bundle currently available with the Mbox Pro: http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=51&navid=101&itemid=4957

 

[Chairman Plow]

I have the same set up for my portable rig, the M-box pro is the best of the M-box line, particularly as it's the only one that records and plays back 96Khz 24 bit recordings. This system works well enough for tracking and editing but isn't too hot for serious mixing, as it tends to runn out of steam quite quickly with the heavier plug-ins like Altiverb and Autotune. I tend to print those to audio once I'm happy.

There will always be new versions of everything coming out, you could wait on the rumours of the new MBPs too, but no-one knows when they will arrive.

Budget for an external FW800 drive too, you should never record audio to a system drive.

I second this. Although as of late, I've resorted to tracking in PT, but mixing in Digital Performer.

 

[WinterMute]

I'm lucky enough to have HD equipped studios at my disposal, so I'll just open up an LE session in HD and run from there if I'm mixing seriously, but I have friends who track in PTLE and mix in Logic.

 

[UgLy KoeRner]

A few people have said they do not mix in pro tools, I don't understand? I mean I guess if you want to release something pro U get it pro mixed and mastered...But whats the big deal with not mixing in pro tools...I am trying to get to a point where I dont need anyone to put a cd out, but myself. I know alittle weird but I am tired of relying on people...So any explanations would be great...Thanx guys.

 

[junior]

A few people have said they do not mix in pro tools, I don't understand? I mean I guess if you want to release something pro U get it pro mixed and mastered...But whats the big deal with not mixing in pro tools...I am trying to get to a point where I dont need anyone to put a cd out, but myself. I know alittle weird but I am tired of relying on people...So any explanations would be great...Thanx guys.

Those that choose not to mix on Pro Tools are the ones that only have LE. In LE you have to worry about manually compensating for delay with plugin and hardware inserts, while HD does that all automatically. That's only one of the many problems with the purposely crippled LE. There are the obvious others like track count, mix engine, old plugin code (AU&VST are far more efficient than RTAS), etc.

But at the end of the day, if you're good, you won't have a problem doing it all in Pro Tools LE.

 

[MowingDevil]

Those that choose not to mix on Pro Tools are the ones that only have LE. In LE you have to worry about manually compensating for delay with plugin and hardware inserts, while HD does that all automatically. That's only one of the many problems with the purposely crippled LE. There are the obvious others like track count, mix engine, old plugin code (AU&VST are far more efficient than RTAS), etc.

But at the end of the day, if you're good, you won't have a problem doing it all in Pro Tools LE.

Actually, people who choose not to mix in ProTools are more likely people who prefer to go through a proper board, say an SSL for example. There's no doubt that mixing through a physical board adds something to the sound that you cannot get when mixing digitally in a DAW.

For people like the OP who wants to be self-reliant there's nothing wrong with it, it comes down to personal taste and budget.