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Total Newbie--Looking to make the switch

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:23 pm
by sandswillis
I've been using Cubase LE and Audacity for many years for my audio recording and feel like it is time to take things up a notch. I have a couple of VST software that I'm able to use with Cubase LE. I've been in e-mail conversation with a fellow arranger and he says he uses both Digital Performer and Pro-Tools. What's the difference between the two? When do you use which?

Re: Total Newbie--Looking to make the switch

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:59 pm
by malditoyanki
Pro Tools is still the king of audio for me...but for sequencing it's still pretty dreadful. DP is still good for audio, but NOTHING (I've tried almost all of em) beats DP for sequencing. It's got the professional style audio routing of PT and it interfaces beautifully with 3rd party VI's and plugins.

Re: Total Newbie--Looking to make the switch

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:47 pm
by cuttime
As of the latest version, AUs are only supported, not VSTs, however, there really is nothing in the VST format of note that is not available in AU format.

Re: Total Newbie--Looking to make the switch

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 4:09 pm
by mikehalloran
DP will take it up more than a 'notch'. Once you learn to edit in DP, you will be reluctant to do it in anything else. And then there are its MIDI and VI handling...

There are many flavors of ProTools and it can cost you many thousands of dollars for the versions that require dedicated hardware.

DP, currently in version 7, is a software only product that can work with any hardware supported by Apple Core Audio (nearly everything). If you qualify for upgrade pricing, it's $395; otherwise, most resellers are getting $489 for it. All versions include a print manual. DP 8 will be out soon; if you get 7 now you will be elegible for a free upgrade.

B&H has the Competitive Upgrade for $325 and the web site says that any version of Cubase qualifies. With MOTU cross grades, the package will load and install. You mail in the qualifying info to DP to register and qualify for Support and Upgrades.

DP 8 will support VSTs in the PC version; we don't know about the Mac version. 8 will be the first version that ports to the PC.