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Post by anarkissed on Jul 9, 2011 22:47:18 GMT -5
What do you know about Pro Tools? My son just got Pro Tools 9. He also has a Fostex MR-8mkII 8-track recorder. Should he be able to send an audio signal directly out from the 8-track to Pro Tools, or is that going to require what they call a "digital interface"? Can Pro Tools open up .wav files recorded onto an SD card through the 8-track? This software looks like it has a lot of possibilities, but I don't have a clue...Very little helpful in the way of manuals or anything provided with it. Know any good books? How about that "Pro Tools For Dummies"? Though I think I need "Pro Tools For Complete Dumbasses".....
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Jer
Beagle Scout
Posts: 1,182
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Post by Jer on Jul 10, 2011 8:21:45 GMT -5
Anarkissed - Pretty sure you will need a PT supported interface to get a signal into or out of ProTools. There may be some exceptions, and some of it depends on OS and PT version, but that interface is as important as the software itself. You can get cheap, 1 input interfaces and really expensive multi-input, great preamp interfaces. From what I've seen and used, you'll get what you pay for, so pick the one that best fits your budget and needs. You can integrate a mixer with the interface, and they also offer mixers that are interfaces. I just use the interface and the mixer in ProTools. My PT won't even start if the interface is powered off, so my experience is that you need an interface. Protools can open just about any kind of file you can throw at it. Certainly WAV, etc, but I've even seen it open iTunes proprietary files. I got this book www.protoolsformusicians.com/ (it's on Amazon for $25) which was recommended for me and found it to be a fantastic way to learn how to use PT. It's well written, easy to follow and comes with access to sample PT sessions you can mess around with. I think the book is written for PT7, and I am running PT8 LE and was still able to get through all the examples and lessons. You are a version up from me, but I suspect it would still be valuable. I'm running PT8 LE through an Avid Digi 003 Rack + Factory interface into a Mini-MAC running Snow-Leopard server. I've had it for about 9 months, and feel like I know my way around PT maybe 25-50%, but even with that I have been really happy with my ability to accomplish what I need and the results I get. I'm no expert by a long shot, but happy to help if I can.
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Post by FreeRider on Jul 10, 2011 9:29:34 GMT -5
Good luck with it....like Jer said, you need an interface to get the files from the 8 track and imported into PT, some sort of analog to digital converter or some firewire USB cable device to take the signals from the 8 track into your computer.
Don't feel too bad; I'm just as lost with computer based recording stuff. I have an old version of Cakewalk (version 4) and I can barely tap into the potential of it because I don't have the time (or patience) to master all the nuances and how to make drum maps, etc, so i have a real bare bones understanding of how to do a basic recording....hell, I still haven't even got a MIDI keyboard for half of the virtual synth stuff loaded on there! Oh, and I use a M-Audio USB interface with the computer.
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Post by anarkissed on Jul 10, 2011 21:23:47 GMT -5
Thanks for the information...If I have an interface that has inputs for mics and instruments, does that make the 8-track redundant or unnecessary? Or can I send a signal from the 8-track through the interface into PT? Would there be any use in doing that? I guess I was thinking that he (the son) has certain options through the 8-track that could then be refined or expanded upon in PT...
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Post by GtrPlyr on Jul 10, 2011 22:59:14 GMT -5
Thanks for the information...If I have an interface that has inputs for mics and instruments, does that make the 8-track redundant or unnecessary? Or can I send a signal from the 8-track through the interface into PT? Would there be any use in doing that? I guess I was thinking that he (the son) has certain options through the 8-track that could then be refined or expanded upon in PT... Yeah, once you have the interface he can record straight to the computer harddrive, probably won't want to use the 8-track anymore as ProTools has higher audio resolution, better editing capabilities, etc...
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Jer
Beagle Scout
Posts: 1,182
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Post by Jer on Jul 11, 2011 5:59:40 GMT -5
Thanks for the information...If I have an interface that has inputs for mics and instruments, does that make the 8-track redundant or unnecessary? Or can I send a signal from the 8-track through the interface into PT? Would there be any use in doing that? I guess I was thinking that he (the son) has certain options through the 8-track that could then be refined or expanded upon in PT... Yeah, once you have the interface he can record straight to the computer harddrive, probably won't want to use the 8-track anymore as ProTools has higher audio resolution, better editing capabilities, etc... gtrplyr is right. The only reason you might want to hook up the deck is to get tracks that were recorded onto the deck off of the deck and into protools for editing and mixing (or additional recording). I have an old fostex x28 deck that i plan to hook up to bounce tracks into protools. You can run an external mixing board with the interface if you want - that's what professional studios do. Then you can use the physical faders, buttons and switches for automation, headphone levels, input adjustments, and whatnot, mostly for tracking, but PT has all that stuff built in too, and it's probably adequate for most home recording.
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