Pro Tools 8

(Man, my 2 weeks of Thanksgiving was fun! I had a ton of family in town,  there were over 30 people on thanksgiving at my grandparents house. We also celebrated 5 other nights last week since so many people had flown in from all over the country for the holiday… but now it’s back to business!)

When Pro Tools LE (with the Rack+ 003) first came to my doorstep, about 6 months ago I was really excited, I opened the box and got it on the computer as fast as I could. After about a minute of using it I wanted to go back to Tracktion 2, simple and easy to use Tracktion 2. Pro Tools is sure a complex program compared to some, but the best programs are never easy to learn because there’s like a million features! Eventually I had used it enough that I started enjoying it and seeing how all the features actually made it faster and better once you learn how to use them, it just takes some practice and getting used to.

Let’s face it, Pro Tools is the industry standard, most professional studios out there use it. And why is this? Well because it’s the best, it’s not the only program that can create a good finished product, but according to many pro’s in the industry, it’s the highest quality, most advanced, most efficient tool for recording, editing and mixing. Have I tried every recording program on the market? I’ll be honest, I haven’t, but I have used a few and seen many. Pro Tools takes the best features and all the different things you could want in a program and puts them together, and after some practice it really is easy to use!

This new version of Pro Tools is better than ever before, and looks really awesome with the new design!

The Positives

• Great quality
• Lot’s of good plugins (plus each plugin has tons of great pre-sets)
• Tools that make editing very efficient
• It has tools for making video soundtracks
• I’ll come back and add more when I think of them, or feel free to tell me some things YOU like about this program!

The Negatives

• When you automate volume there is no overall gain control
• Other than that, I haven’t really ran into any issues, but I will add to this list if I find any more

If you go for it and get Pro Tools, there are some other things I would highy recommend:

1. Dual Monitors, although it’s not neccesary it helps alot to have the mix screen and the edit screen open at the same time
2. The Digidesign Music Production Toolkit 2, Some really awesome plugins, virtual instruments etc. Plus it gives you up to 64 (without it you only get 48)
3. If you really want to get a good mix you should look into the ARC system (by IK Multimedia), it’s a room correction program that will help make your mix sound good anywhere you listen to it.

So Does it Rock? Yes, if you want to create music in the most effecient and proffesional way, this is the program for you, that is if you have lots of money to spend. Actually with Pro Tools you have a few different options though, so you don’t have to brake the bank, so look at your options, M-Powered, LE, and HD, and the different Upgrades, packages, interfaces, etc. and make your decision, what’s gonna work best for you and your wallet.