TDM vs. Native please explain the difference?

[justin3am]

You setup a PT:HD TDM rig because without it your studio is being passed over for contracts where the client requires project-level compatibility. Unless this is an issue, there's little point beyond ego stroking for an independent studio, let alone an individual, to invest in TDM.

+1 this is pretty my reasoning behind the investment.

I'm actually starting to get clients that know the difference between PTHD and PT M-Powered.

[Compyfox]

Justin3am - are there audio quality advantages to HD systems - like summing on the Protools dedicated Cards? Im wondering what the advantages are other than the DSP and a few non native plugins....

First of all, ProTools HD has a different CPU load due to the DSP chips. For ProTools M-Powered or LE (MBox, Digi003), you should definitely have a DualCore system at least - single core gets you nowhere.

Another advantage over M-Powered and LE is the fact, that you can have unlimited channels, while the LE/M-Powered versions (who're the same btw, just a different name and locked differently to hardware or an iLok key) are locked to either 32mono or 32 Stereo channels only. This can be upgraded with the seperately available Producer Pack, which enables you to run up to 48 mono/stereo channels, and virtually unlimited sub-groups/busses.

I'd say this is a great advantage. Additional to that, the better compatibility to professional studios who used more than 32 channels for their production - which still doesn't save you from throwing out a lot of money for the very same plugins, that other people are using, if you want to be high-compatible. And you're limited to certain hardware modules for recording. Doesn't mean that ProTools LE isn't professional though and you miss out on contracts!


I'd say, only invest in ProTools HD if you're planning to build a very large studio and have the funds to pull all that off. The smallest HD system is like 10grand (1 DSP card, 1 I/O, ProTools HD, no additional Plugin stuff), so that is a lot of wood already. Control units and additional TDM plugins all extra of course. With a MBox or M-Powered (which I'm not really fond of to be honest) system however, you can at least start into this realm, but are limited to like 4 inputs (middle price section). So not that cool if you want to record a real drumset or something of similar size. But you have the advantage of being mobile.

I paid like 500bucks for my MBox (not even the Pro!) just for being able to pull off my academy homework. And I can't even use my 8-track recording card with it, while Cubase can use the MBox, my EWS88MT, and the Line6 GuitarPort without problems. Or, look for alternatives like Reaper, who is said to be very ProTools like - but to face the truth, not a studio standard like Logic, ProTools and Cubase/Nuendo.

[Dean Aka Nekro]

www.digidesign.com

[Nonplus]

+1 james0tuscon

that's the only reason.

but it's really awesome/helpful that starting with PT LE 6, one can open TDM sessions and "see" all the tracks. so when some asshat gives me some rock session with 80 tracks (it's happened), i can open them in PT LE and make stems and/or export them to ...a DAW i like better.

[Compyfox]

This is actually something I like on ProTools, too.

LE, M-Powered, HD - the sessions are interchangeable. Unlike other hosts I know with their "limited versions". And it's working crossplatform wise, too.

Try that with Cubase SL and Cubase SX. While it works crossplatform, it's not really working inbetween.

[Nonplus]

Compyfox:

digitally this is true. but in the physical world, this is only true if you are deaf. that's not an insult, that's a mathematical fact. since TDM systems use completely different mixing styles (24b tracks, 48b output vs. 32bf) sessions irrefutably sound 'different' and channels that were clean in LE can clip in TDM.

it's a minor thing, but it is an important distinction.

if you dig hard enough in the digibase, you will find this 'possibility of clipping' officially documented and it's quite obvious if one understands the math. i'm not talking shit. it's just the facts.

[Nonplus]

And yes: TOTALLY! the Cubase limitations between versions piss me off! it's sooo stupid. because it would make perfect sense for me to work with a vocalist or instrumentalist who was using a 'lite' version of Cubase for tracking. Ableton is similarly asinine with version incompatibility.

[AngeloTaylor]

I see -- nobody know about differences, but I know. I mean hardware TDM version, it have cardinally differents. I will no explain, I will just attach the doc from Avid, explained, how operate PT mixer, I have bad English, sorry! Just download this doc from Yandex server!

https://disk.yandex.ru/i/mSu8x8lm6fxBCg

Ok, as You see - native DAW CAN NOT OPERATE, AS PRO TOOLS! Checkmate!

[Ploki]

I see -- nobody know about differences, but I know. I mean hardware TDM version, it have cardinally differents. I will no explain, I will just attach the doc from Avid, explained, how operate PT mixer, I have bad English, sorry! Just download this doc from Yandex server!

[redacted]
Ok, as You see - native DAW CAN NOT OPERATE, AS PRO TOOLS! Checkmate!

What the hell dude it’s a 16y old thread, TDM doesn’t exist anymore

[whyterabbyt]

To anyone reading this pointlessly necro'd thread; dont be f**king stupid enough to download whatever dodgy document this arsehole has linked to.

[whyterabbyt]

What the hell dude it’s a 16y old thread, TDM doesn’t exist anymore

can you maybe take his russian website link out of your post, the whole thing is dodgy as f**k

[Ploki]

What the hell dude it’s a 16y old thread, TDM doesn’t exist anymore

can you maybe take his russian website link out of your post, the whole thing is dodgy as f**k

i know what you mean but i actually clicked it and it's really just ProTools TDM manual.

edit; Also the file appears to be clean

whole thing is bizarre

[Dirtgrain]

Test run for something sinister?

[kraster]

He's been waiting 16 years for this.

Give him his moment.

[martinjuenke]

zrtysret

Covfefe...