Well ... Protools LE 7.3 is here, and we have been paying through the nose for upgrades that do not even bring us up to the standards of other DAW manufacturers. Many of us have paid well over the price of these competitors products to get our soundcards and software (eg Digi 002R) yet still we are being ripped for new upgrades with apparently minor added functionality.
I am disgusted that Digidesign treats us - its loyal customers - in this way again and again. I thought I was buying into quality and I bought dysfunctional equipment (power couple decay in the Digi002R) and software that requires you to pay more and more to bring you up to the basic specifications of its market competitors. There are continual DAE errors and a sense of betrayal.
Why cant they give free upgrades to their customers who have already paid up? Are we just funding their company's expansions at our own expense? Compare them to all other DAW manufacturers and you get a sense of contempt for their customers.
Pro Tools = Rip Off
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adam standring adam standring https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=72181
- KVRist
- 74 posts since 16 Jun, 2005
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- KVRAF
- 1975 posts since 4 Feb, 2005
You hit the nail on the head when you said "I thought I was buying into quality".
For a long time Digidesign has been behind the curve of DAW functionality (though I will say that it's hardware integration, though dongle-like, is really tops) but the myth of quality perpetuated by the fact that basically every recording studio runs PT ensures that they can charge anything and people will pay.
For a long time Digidesign has been behind the curve of DAW functionality (though I will say that it's hardware integration, though dongle-like, is really tops) but the myth of quality perpetuated by the fact that basically every recording studio runs PT ensures that they can charge anything and people will pay.
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- KVRAF
- 1869 posts since 15 Sep, 2003 from Land of Crazies, USA
$50 for M-Powered users. Nice one. 
You can get a full Reaper or EnergyXT license for that.
sorry, I'll show myself out
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- KVRAF
- 3382 posts since 21 May, 2004 from Deep in the Heartlessness of Texas
I have M-Powered and like it, especially as a mixer. And Beat Detective rocks.
A quick look at the 7.3 upgrade doesn't make me feel compelled to buy it. Still no ADC, still no raising of the track count.
I find myself mostly using Reaper these days. At least part of that is because Digi feels to me very much as though they're just in it to take as much money from their customers as possible, deliberately crippling their M-Powered and LE to keep from cannibalizing TDM sales.
Justin, on the other hand, comes across as being seriously dedicated to making the best damn thing he knows how to make, and getting it to as many people as possible, because he loves music and making music. And he has some awesome competencies to back it up.
The whole bit with how great it is that PT is so tightly integrated with Digi's hardware and is stable and doesn't overload if you buy their systems just isn't that important these days, when a decent DAW can have over 6+ GHz of power with a dual-core CPU. And will be twice that much in a year or so.
The whole idea of deliberately limiting M-Powered to 32 mono tracks unless you buy the $500 MPT is just blatant greed and fear showing through. The DUC has been littered with posts for at least the last year begging them to upgrade the track-count for a reasonable price, but users are just ignored. I think Digi is terrified of having to compete directly with the likes of Sonar and Cubase.
Sorry to sound negative. I actually do think M-Powered is a good program. Just wish Digi wasn't so afraid of having their high-end product 'devalued' by uncrippling the low-end product.
I understand that corporations gotta try to survive, but every year Digi feel more and more like they're just trying to stem the tide, as all the other DAW software gets further and further ahead in capabilities. The 'It's the Standard' thing may hold for another five to ten years, but I think it's a dead-end for them unless they figure out another way to do business.
A quick look at the 7.3 upgrade doesn't make me feel compelled to buy it. Still no ADC, still no raising of the track count.
I find myself mostly using Reaper these days. At least part of that is because Digi feels to me very much as though they're just in it to take as much money from their customers as possible, deliberately crippling their M-Powered and LE to keep from cannibalizing TDM sales.
Justin, on the other hand, comes across as being seriously dedicated to making the best damn thing he knows how to make, and getting it to as many people as possible, because he loves music and making music. And he has some awesome competencies to back it up.
The whole bit with how great it is that PT is so tightly integrated with Digi's hardware and is stable and doesn't overload if you buy their systems just isn't that important these days, when a decent DAW can have over 6+ GHz of power with a dual-core CPU. And will be twice that much in a year or so.
The whole idea of deliberately limiting M-Powered to 32 mono tracks unless you buy the $500 MPT is just blatant greed and fear showing through. The DUC has been littered with posts for at least the last year begging them to upgrade the track-count for a reasonable price, but users are just ignored. I think Digi is terrified of having to compete directly with the likes of Sonar and Cubase.
Sorry to sound negative. I actually do think M-Powered is a good program. Just wish Digi wasn't so afraid of having their high-end product 'devalued' by uncrippling the low-end product.
I understand that corporations gotta try to survive, but every year Digi feel more and more like they're just trying to stem the tide, as all the other DAW software gets further and further ahead in capabilities. The 'It's the Standard' thing may hold for another five to ten years, but I think it's a dead-end for them unless they figure out another way to do business.
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TotcProductions TotcProductions https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=6202 - KVRAF
- 5156 posts since 5 Mar, 2003 from Franklin, NH
Yeah...Pro-Tools LE is a joke from what I've heard. I've worked with the HD version on a mac, and, aside from the midi (keep in mind this was version 6 I was using at the studio when I worked there) it was pretty kick ass. Everything sounded and worked great....I'd never have invested in the LE addition though...the whole thing that makes ProTools so untouchable in the studios is the major outboard dsp processing....well, and some clout, or hype if you will...and you won't really get any of that with the LE...not anywhere near as much at least.
I've been just as happy with my Nuendo setup as ever was with the Pro-Tools setup though. Neundo obviously isn't meant for everyone's budget though...I would say go with Cubase or possibly Sonar 6 if you're looking to replace your ProTools LE setup.
Peace
I've been just as happy with my Nuendo setup as ever was with the Pro-Tools setup though. Neundo obviously isn't meant for everyone's budget though...I would say go with Cubase or possibly Sonar 6 if you're looking to replace your ProTools LE setup.
Peace
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- KVRAF
- 2028 posts since 18 Mar, 2004 from New York, N.Y.
Yeah, I'm probably going to have to invest in it for my next project for compatibility with studios. But I refuse to compose in it. I'd rather compose in Tracktion and xfer to PT. It's just cheaper to buy M-powered and xfer it at home rather than at a $120/hour studio.
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TotcProductions TotcProductions https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=6202
- KVRAF
- 5156 posts since 5 Mar, 2003 from Franklin, NH
Actually Jplanet, i believe Pro-Tools HD comes with a program (you probably have to pay for itjplanet wrote:Yeah, I'm probably going to have to invest in it for my next project for compatibility with studios. But I refuse to compose in it. I'd rather compose in Tracktion and xfer to PT. It's just cheaper to buy M-powered and xfer it at home rather than at a $120/hour studio.
) that converts projects from a variety of hosts to Pro-Tools projects. Not 100% sure, but I thought I remember reading about it somewhere. Peace
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- KVRAF
- 16154 posts since 2 Dec, 2003 from Nashville, TN
Yeah, it does. You get a 30 day demo of it with LE. I don't remember what it's called, but I never used it. I just know it was there.
Brent
Brent
My host is better than your host
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- KVRian
- 888 posts since 9 May, 2005
Digi Translator $500koolkeys wrote:Yeah, it does. You get a 30 day demo of it with LE. I don't remember what it's called, but I never used it. I just know it was there.
Brent
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- KVRist
- 163 posts since 31 Dec, 2004
you guys should really be posting this at the DUC.
I'm a new pro-tools m-powered user myself. I get the 7.3 upgrade free b/c i purchased it after november. I think it's pretty lame that there is only a month one free upgrade period... especially as this isn't exactly a major upgrade.
Either way, I'm happy with the software and purchased it for a reasonable price, ~$180.
I also purchased energyXT in anticipation of energyXT2. But after trying the beta, i've realized that it has a long way to go before it catches up to pro tools as far as audio and midi usage.
I'm a new pro-tools m-powered user myself. I get the 7.3 upgrade free b/c i purchased it after november. I think it's pretty lame that there is only a month one free upgrade period... especially as this isn't exactly a major upgrade.
Either way, I'm happy with the software and purchased it for a reasonable price, ~$180.
I also purchased energyXT in anticipation of energyXT2. But after trying the beta, i've realized that it has a long way to go before it catches up to pro tools as far as audio and midi usage.
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- KVRAF
- 1975 posts since 4 Feb, 2005
I don't know much about eXT, but I will say that Pro Tools has reputably the worst MIDI sequencing of any major host on the market. Audio, though, yeah you're probably right (don't know for sure)parke02 wrote:But after trying the beta, i've realized that it has a long way to go before it catches up to pro tools as far as audio and midi usage.
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- KVRAF
- 1975 posts since 4 Feb, 2005
TBH I haven't used it, I'm just going by what I'm told. I do know that it's very new and not yet highly regarded...
Perhaps I'm Piano-Roll spoilt, though, I think most hosts have a very terrible PR editor.
Perhaps I'm Piano-Roll spoilt, though, I think most hosts have a very terrible PR editor.
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- KVRist
- 339 posts since 10 Dec, 2002 from USA
I once tried protools Free a long time ago when I was still running Win98. It crashed my PC. Promised myself I would never try it again. Now Im all FLS6 + Audition 2. Does everything I need it to do, has practically all of the features PT has, and its a lot cheaper. My DAW has really never had any hardware issues (thank god), so Im happy with it. As many here mentioned, the only reason I see to go PT is to have compatibility with big studios. But again, I can export my wave files to a DVD and take them to a studio. Wouldnt that be the same thing?