Pro Tools M-Powered 8? Is it worth it?

[cfgsteak]

So I have been having a quite a bit of fun with the recording thing, but my demo copy of Ableton is limited...so I have been thinking about getting a recording software package like this Pro Tools thinggy. Is it worth it? What will it give me that Reaper won't? I know it will be more robust the the Ableton Live I am using...and upgrading to Ableton's full package is TWICE as much as Pro Tools M-Powered 8...($500 vs $250)

I want more recording power, but I don't want to throw away good cash...any input is certainly appreciated.

Thanks fellas.

[Mark Wein]

I'm not sure if there is a difference with "M-powered" vs. the regular ProTools 8 LE but it is totally worth it. I use it with my M box and the full version is what 99% of all professional recording studio use. I can actually open ProTools HD sessions, record my parts and send them back.....I say DO IT!!!!

[cfgsteak]

I'm not sure if there is a difference with "M-powered" vs. the regular ProTools 8 LE but it is totally worth it. I use it with my M box and the full version is what 99% of all professional recording studio use. I can actually open ProTools HD sessions, record my parts and send them back.....I say DO IT!!!!

Ok! I appreciate your input Mark.

[Mark Wein]

Ok! I appreciate your input Mark.

No problem....if you have any questions just ask. epending on what you get I might have some goodies for you as well....

[cfgsteak]

Argh...Apparently Pro Tools does not have a version that works on a 64-bit Vista operating system...

DAMN YOU BILL GATES!!!!

[Denverdave]

Another thing to consider is that to use Pro Tools M-Powered you MUST have an M-Audio interface of one kind or another (other than the M-Box). I have one (M-Audio USB MobilePre) but ultimately chose to go another direction because of the Vista thing and the price. You can get Abelton Live LE for about half of what M-Powered will cost you and it will do most of what you would ever need it to do. I say most because it does not have mixing/mastering capabilities. But Ableton is more a software instrument than a traditional DAW. It's worth it to keep the limited one and use it in concert with another more traditional DAW (Pro Tools, Cubase, Sonar, etc....).

Now if you already have a M-Audio recording Interface it does mitigate the price difference a bit. You can get the M-Powered Pro Tools for around $250.00 and some other systems for about $150.00 (Cubase Essentials, Ableton Live LE, Cakewalk Home Studio XL). The interface wil run you another $125.00 to $200.00 if you don't have it. Any of theses systems will have more stuff than the average causal home recording person will ever likely need except for perhaps a killer drum sequencer.

What any Pro Tools system does have going for it is what Mark stated - it is fully compatible with the Pro Tools HD systems that many big studios use and especially if you ever end up working with one of those studios (a real possibility for Mark). My budget ultimately dictated that I go a different direction with my DAW software purchase. The M-Powered system was out of my budget reach.

[Mark Wein]

Another thing to consider is that to use Pro Tools M-Powered you MUST have an M-Audio interface of one kind or another (other than the M-Box). I have one (M-Audio USB MobilePre) but ultimately chose to go another direction because of the Vista thing and the price. You can get Abelton Live LE for about half of what M-Powered will cost you and it will do most of what you would ever need it to do. I say most because it does not have mixing/mastering capabilities. But Ableton is more a software instrument than a traditional DAW. It's worth it to keep the limited one and use it in concert with another more traditional DAW (Pro Tools, Cubase, Sonar, etc....).

Now if you already have a M-Audio recording Interface it does mitigate the price difference a bit. You can get the M-Powered Pro Tools for around $250.00 and some other systems for about $150.00 (Cubase Essentials, Ableton Live LE, Cakewalk Home Studio XL). The interface wil run you another $125.00 to $200.00 if you don't have it. Any of theses systems will have more stuff than the average causal home recording person will ever likely need except for perhaps a killer drum sequencer.

What any Pro Tools system does have going for it is what Mark stated - it is fully compatible with the Pro Tools HD systems that many big studios use and especially if you ever end up working with one of those studios (a real possibility for Mark). My budget ultimately dictated that I go a different direction with my DAW software purchase. The M-Powered system was out of my budget reach.

What I am looking at for the short term is putting a Presonus Firepod system in our back studio to record bigger projects (8 or 16 tracks, I haven't decided which) and budget is the main concern there. I just don't have the money right now for another mac and a Digi 003 or something like that, but I have a ton of students asking if they can have a recording lab added onto thir performance classes....

[cfgsteak]

Another thing to consider is that to use Pro Tools M-Powered you MUST have an M-Audio interface of one kind or another (other than the M-Box). I have one (M-Audio USB MobilePre) but ultimately chose to go another direction because of the Vista thing and the price. You can get Abelton Live LE for about half of what M-Powered will cost you and it will do most of what you would ever need it to do. I say most because it does not have mixing/mastering capabilities. But Ableton is more a software instrument than a traditional DAW. It's worth it to keep the limited one and use it in concert with another more traditional DAW (Pro Tools, Cubase, Sonar, etc....).

Now if you already have a M-Audio recording Interface it does mitigate the price difference a bit. You can get the M-Powered Pro Tools for around $250.00 and some other systems for about $150.00 (Cubase Essentials, Ableton Live LE, Cakewalk Home Studio XL). The interface wil run you another $125.00 to $200.00 if you don't have it. Any of theses systems will have more stuff than the average causal home recording person will ever likely need except for perhaps a killer drum sequencer.

What any Pro Tools system does have going for it is what Mark stated - it is fully compatible with the Pro Tools HD systems that many big studios use and especially if you ever end up working with one of those studios (a real possibility for Mark). My budget ultimately dictated that I go a different direction with my DAW software purchase. The M-Powered system was out of my budget reach.

Great info Dave! I was not aware of that version of Ableton...I think i will go that way. Thanks for the input!

Sean

[Denverdave]

What I am looking at for the short term is putting a Presonus Firepod system in our back studio to record bigger projects (8 or 16 tracks, I haven't decided which) and budget is the main concern there. I just don't have the money right now for another mac and a Digi 003 or something like that, but I have a ton of students asking if they can have a recording lab added onto thir performance classes....

Is ProTools LE limited to only the M-Box or the 003 system? You can get an M-Audio Firewire (ProFire 2626) for about $100.00 more than the Presonus and if that worked with LE you could have the band capability and save some bucks. Or contact the Digidesign rep in your area and let them know you would be using the system in a classroom setting and you might get a educational discount or cheaper on a 003 setup since you will be introducing them into the digital recording world via ProTools and thus promoting their products in a backdoor way.

[Mark Wein]

Is ProTools LE limited to only the M-Box or the 003 system? You can get an M-Audio Firewire (ProFire 2626) for about $100.00 more than the Presonus and if that worked with LE you could have the band capability and save some bucks. Or contact the Digidesign rep in your area and let them know you would be using the system in a classroom setting and you might get a educational discount or cheaper on a 003 setup since you will be introducing them into the digital recording world via ProTools and thus promoting their products in a backdoor way.

I've never been clear on if you can use protools with all of the M-audio interfaces so I figured maybe I would get something based on Cubase since its cheaper, and I have another class idea cooking right now that would benefit from us eventually having multiple platforms available.

I like the idea of contacting the Digi guys, though...I might have an "in"....

[Denverdave]

I've never been clear on if you can use protools with all of the M-audio interfaces so I figured maybe I would get something based on Cubase since its cheaper, and I have another class idea cooking right now that would benefit from us eventually having multiple platforms available.

I like the idea of contacting the Digi guys, though...I might have an "in"....

Yeah. You can get Cubase Essentials for about $150.00....

[Mark Wein]

Yeah. You can get Cubase Essentials for about $150.00....


But don't most interfaces come with a usable version of Cubase already if you get the Firepod or something similar?

[Denverdave]

But don't most interfaces come with a usable version of Cubase already if you get the Firepod or something similar?

Hmmm...I don't know. My M-Audio interface came with Ableton LE and a bastardized version of M-Powered Pro Tools. When I tried to install the M-Powered software it nearly wiped out my hard drive. I had to reformat the drive and get it reimaged at the dealer (I had just bought the computer). I never figured out why it did that, but I never tried to reinstall the software either.

[cfgsteak]

So Dave...am I gonna be able to use LE with my Tone Port? I just assumed I could use my Tone Port with any software...now I wonder if I am smoking crack...

[Mark Wein]

So Dave...am I gonna be able to use LE with my Tone Port? I just assumed I could use my Tone Port with any software...now I wonder if I am smoking crack...

Actually ProTools will only work with the Digidesign and M Audio hardware....the Tone Port should work with Cubase and other programs, though...

[Prages]

But don't most interfaces come with a usable version of Cubase already if you get the Firepod or something similar?

My Firepods came with Cubase LE, which is fully functional, but limits things like the number of insert and auxillary plugins per track. I think it limits you to two inserts and two auxillaries per track, where the full versions are unlimited. LE may also limit the number of tracks you can simultaneously record. I don't think I've tried more than 8 tracks at a time with LE. I'm pretty sure you can do at least 24 at a time with SX, though I've never tried more than 16.

Functionally, I really don't see any differences between LE and SX, though the MIDI functions may be different. I've never done anything with MIDI, so I know nothing about that side of the equation.

[Mark Wein]

Do you know what it costs just to upgrade?

[Prages]

Do you know what it costs just to upgrade?

No idea, but I've got a version of SX that I could send you.

Dave, did you ever get it working with Vista? I've got it on XP, Vista 32 and Vista 64 and it works fine.

[Mark Wein]

No idea, but I've got a version of SX that I could send you.

Dave, did you ever get it working with Vista? I've got it on XP, Vista 32 and Vista 64 and it works fine.

hmm...Thanks but I'll probably get it with whatever interface I end up buying, though...I need to reformat and upgrade the computer in that studio before I do anything and one of my teachers is going to bring in a firepod to leave there for the time being for me to try (he also wants to record his classes in that room). I'm also getting an estimate for a new roof tomorrow. That might put a little crimp in my studio budget. :facepalm:

[Denverdave]

So Dave...am I gonna be able to use LE with my Tone Port? I just assumed I could use my Tone Port with any software...now I wonder if I am smoking crack...

If it is working with the 'Lite' version now it will work with LE no problem. The Tone Port will probably work with most any software outside of Pro Tools.


No idea, but I've got a version of SX that I could send you.

Dave, did you ever get it working with Vista? I've got it on XP, Vista 32 and Vista 64 and it works fine.

Yep its worked. But I ended up buying Cubase Essentials 4 - which is in reality the latest version of Cubase SX. They just changed the name and added that stupid USB dongle in order to start up the software.

[Prages]

Cool. Did you get all the plugins working?

I've got all except the URS Equalizers working on XP, but I can't seem to get any of the Waves stuff to work on my Vista machines.

[cfgsteak]

If it is working with the 'Lite' version now it will work with LE no problem. The Tone Port will probably work with most any software outside of Pro Tools.



Right on...this has made my decision super easy...Ableton LE.

Thanks Dave!

[Denverdave]

Cool. Did you get all the plugins working?

I've got all except the URS Equalizers working on XP, but I can't seem to get any of the Waves stuff to work on my Vista machines.

I haven't tried yet. I have been a bit time challenged on the recording front for the past week.....

[tamoore]

Mackie Tracktion is the best software I've ever used. Not just the best recording software either- the best software peroid. I paid 99 dollars for it, and it has been worth many times more than that. I was recording keeper tracks for my first album with it 5 minutes after installing it.

It's perfect for guys recording themselves. It just works like you think it should. It doesn't use the windows interface, but instead uses it's own interface where when when you click, drag, pull or stretch something, what happens is intuitively exactly what you'd expect to happen from the performed action. It's layout is also amazingly intuitive, with no sub menus or extra screens to navigate: Everything you need is on one perfectly designed screen. It's about 100 times easier to use than Reaper, for example.

If you're looking to spend money on recording software for the self-producing musician, I'd spend it there. It's an amazing product.

My unsolicited input....:o

[Mark Wein]

I just heard of Tracktion yesterday, believe it or not. It sounds like a great deal for the price...