Recording From a Sequencer and/or Sampler into Pro Tools

[funkhaus]

OK, so this may come as a weird question. But first off, the main reason I have to ask it is because Steinberg *apparently* doesn't offer a demo version of Halion. I mean really, who doesn't offer a demo version? Kontakt sure has a demo version...Well anyway enough of that.

So just a question about Halion and say a Cubase/Pro Tools setup (Mac ). Let's say you worked out some midi tracks in Cubase SX, wanted to play them through Halion and route the audio out in Halion so as to be recorded in Pro Tools audio tracks. Is this possible? I know this sounds like a weird setup--but it might just possibly go down if I wanted a couple bandmates to record live through an 002 into Pro Tools while a midi drum track played from Cubase also needed to be recorded in Pro Tools at the same time...or something like that.

Then again, maybe my best bet would be to just OMF export the Cubase project with the midi tracks and open it in Pro Tools, and then just play Halion from Pro Tools (VST-RTAS adapter)?

Anyone here do similar stuff? By which I mean mainly, using big time samplers like Halion/Kontakt with Pro Tools?

[C00kie]

First sort out weather you want to use Cubase or Protools. They both can do the same job: play midi through VSTi's and record/playback audio streams.

Then your question becomes obsolete, 'cause Halion is just another VSTi sampler, and probably will play hapilly in both Cubase and ProTools.

[funkhaus]

Yeah, that's a very good point, one I'm still trying to figure out--whether to use Cubase or Pro Tools. The thing about Pro Tools, is that you can't do hard core midi "notation" style editing, which I'm big on. I mean I need to be able to record audio and live performances, but I also need a program that I can use to say, play in a quick midi track and print sheet music. Cubase seemed like a good bet on that end. I don't really have either right now...I used to use Sonar on the PC, but just bought a new Mac laptop. So Sonar's out . I also need an interface, and damn if the Digi 002 rack doesn't look beautiful! (But does it work with Cubase?) Thanks again for the advice.

[neverwhere2012]

unless you have fxpansion's vst-rtas wrapper, you won't be using VSTi's anytime soon in Pro Tools. what you want to do is create your sequences in cubase on HALion or whatever VSTi you want, then render the loops/tracks to audio within cubase and then load them into tracks in a pro tools session. simple as that. never do midi in pro tools, unless it's the most basic of basic sequencing.

however, while i totally respect the idea of wanting to use pro tools for mixing, you'd totally be better off just using Cubase SX3 if you want to do a lot of midi stuff and audio. pro tools is absolutely worthless unless you plan on getting HD or if you're doing nothing but tracking live instruments. you'll pay more for the hardware, pay more for a smaller selection of plugins that often aren't as good as some of the free VST/VSTi's out there, and get stripped down extremely limited software. explore the possibilities of Cubase and Logic as much as possible, or even Live 4, all of these have more than adequate audio features and give you a thousand times more power and flexibility than digidesign stuff. once you get stuck with digi hardware, you'll grow to hate it. the digi 002/002 rack have sub par converters, even worse pre's and are rather cheaply made. leave your options open. check out some MOTU hardware. the 896HD runs the same price as the digi 002 rack and sounds infinitely better.