My Cd is on hiatus, I am upgrading to Pro Tools but I need Help!

[D]

I am tired of my equipment being a detriment to my songs, So I am going to buy a new computer and Pro Tools, that way I can make the highest possible quality music.

But I need some help.

Is there any special type of computer I should go for? GB's etc???

Remember I am bout illiterate when it comes to shit like this.


Also

My Studio has a hard drive and u can burn the memory onto CDR's the whole master copy of everything U've done, So Can u take something like that and burn it into your computer and use Pro Tools on it?

How does that work?

Cause some songs like Altaration, Welcome To Reality, I would love to be able to load what I have into Pro Tools and fix them up some that way without having to record them from scratch?

any ideas??

Plus what are some major advantages with using pro tools over the multitrack digi recorders?

[*Izzy*]

Computerwise you just need a good processor and sound card, I haven't got a clue about protools though, is it software or is it some kind of external thing?

[Christos AG]

It's software.

You definitely need a good pc, lots of gigs, memory and a good sound card.

You'll have a hard time learning them though.

But if you do, then you can do miracles.

[*Izzy*]

I think 80 gig would be enough memory, but if you're doing lots of editing and saving different takes of songs (In WAV) then you might even need a bigger hard drive, it depends on how much material you have really

[loretian]

For some clarification:

If you go with any of the Pro Tools LE packages (I detailed those in the PM), you don't need a nice sound card, your sound card isn't used.  Basically, anything besides Pro Tools Free negates the need for having a sound card at all.

Memory is not the same as hard disk space.  You do want lots of hard disk space, at least 80 gig as Izzy mentioned, but in addition to this, you want at least 512 megs of memory/ram, preferably 1 gig.

If you could afford a Pro Tools HD system, you don't need such a nice computer, but those are a little pricey. 

Christos is right, it will take some time to learn.  Taking a class on it is a good idea.  Not only will it take some time to learn, it usually takes some time to install and configure.  I usually plan on setting aside at least a full day when I'm setting up a new Pro Tools system.   But it's worth it!

[AdZ]

Hell if you're buying protools you might as well buy a mac..

[loretian]

Hell if you're buying protools you might as well buy a mac..

In my opinion, there is no great advantage of using a mac if you're going the Pro Tools LE route.? There's just as many PC RTAS plugins available as mac, maybe even more, and it's possible to get it running faster for less money.? The only major mac advantage is the ease of the MIDI setup.

If you're doing a full Pro Tools HD setup, then yes, definitely buy a mac, but with LE, a PC is comparable functionality wise, and will cost you less money.

Also, as I understand it, with each new release of Mac OS X, you have to get a new version of Pro Tools, and often times, the plugins, which can be a huge pain in the ass.   Though, my mac pro tools experience is rather limited, so please point out if you disagree with this.

[Timothy]

The only real advantage of going the Mac route. is the system is less likely to crash on you.

Plus I think it comes with Garage band which I believe you can load your songs to and put up on Itunes.


 like it has already been said  ,just make sure you have altleast a 80gig hard drive and 512on the ram side. Though I would suggest upping that to a gig. ram .

[D]

Im not gonna buy a cheap ass computer, I want to make sure I have exactly what I need, cause it would suck to spend a ton of cash on a piece of shit, so if i gotta spend 3 or 4 hundred more dollars to make sure everything runs good, Ill definitely do that.


A college up the road here offers a ProTools class. it costs 100 bucks to take it, but its totally hands on and they teach u well.

they have a beginners course which ill take and then an intermediate which ill take after that.

I will only have to work 2 days a week so that gives me 5 days a week to really learn about it, Im gonna buy books on it and really study to know the ends and outs but to be able to record top notch sounding CDs, I think it will be more than worth it.

The set up I got now is ok, I have a Tascam 8 track digital porta studio, but at times it buzzes and it makes my tones sound kinda shitty.

Plus I only have 8 tracks, I am obsessed with layering and texturizing music, I will have so many different parts for a song but the 8 tracks limit me to what I can do, so i want something where I can have more tracks to play with.

Plus if u look at some of the weak points of my Demo songs, excusing the one take vocals

u mainly notice the sound quality as being the number 1 complaint, the distortion tone, the drums, just something like that.

Im tired of it, I want to be able to really create and give my songwriting ability an unlimited range.

I am a one man band and my setup often leaves me handcuffed on what I can do.