Pro Tools 12 — I don't care about the release date, because...

[JFreak]

Have you folks completely ignored the fact that Avid is giving PT away for free (PT|first) so anyone can collaborate with "the big boys"...

[Park Seward]

I'd like to know the limitations. You can't output anything but a stereo pair from PT First so how does that work in a collaboration?

Seems they will open up PT First:

"The Cloud Collaboration features are coming to all versions of Pro Tools in 2015, including Pro Tools | First. One of the reasons behind launching Pro Tools | First is that it will allow anyone to download the app and participate in the new Cloud Collaboration features with other Pro Tools users, including other Pro Tools | First users, making it possible to play and write music with your friends and colleagues wherever they are in the world even if you have never used Pro Tools before or if you are using another DAW."

"You cannot import or export a Pro Tools session file with associated media with Pro Tools | First. You can import or export audio files."

[paul007]

Originally Posted by JFreak

Have you folks completely ignored the fact that Avid is giving PT away for free (PT|first) so anyone can collaborate with "the big boys"...

3 sessions? No video?

If you could only buy a Complete Production Tool Kit for it, I would love it ....

[upscaps]

Originally Posted by noiseboyuk

I think you're missing my point.

No-one is suggesting any post or high end music facilities will throw all their PT hardware in the skip on December 31. What I think will happen (if Avid's current policies continue) is a client-led slow migration away, initially in music but then in post as well.

You can pretty much run any other DAW side by side with PT at almost zero cost to a facility. With music, the projects are client led. So if the producers and engineers themselves begin to baulk at the heavy mandatory upgrade costs, lack of features or proprietary hardware, then they'll start bringing in Cubase projects, not PT. No problem for the studios - they have both. As time goes on though, the clients using PT will begin to dwindle, and the cost of upgrading will become hard to justify. PT would remain, but for legacy projects. From reading posts here, that's exactly what has already been happening for some time at the bottom end of the market, my view is that this phenomenon will rise up the food chain.

With post there's less impetus to drive the change. But actually PT already isn't quite as dominant globally as some think. In the UK, Sky exclusively use Fairlight. Across Europe, Nuendo is becoming more popular. PT isn't a given even in Post. Market forces may work glacially there, but glaciers do move, after all. Also that slow rate of change also works for and against Avid. They're the clients least likely to want to upgrade at all, so especially the lower end of the market may just begin to opt out of upgrading anyway. Often when I ask larger facilities if they've considered PT11, they give me a funny "don't be absurd" kind of look.

The point you glossed over is that high end facilities with avid hardware have already been on support plans forever. Nothing has changed. Business as usual. There is a misnomer by forum folks that the industry changes and upgrades to the latest and greatest and are affected by every whim. No need to upgrade anything if your current TDM rigs, Icons are stable, your billables are fine, and you are meeting your deadlines. I know facilities still on 8 and 7. That doesn't make you any less of a Avid user/facility. Producers have been bringing in sessions to high end facilities in Logic/Cubase/DP, etc, forever. That's nothing new and hasn't changed a thing.

You are adding a bunch of "so if's" and "what if's" that are not representative of the current real world industry. You are also stating your version of the future as a given. Which it isn't. You can go back 15 years + and find the same "if's" and "avid is dead" qualifiers online. The norm is every time Avid does something people online default to them.

BTW, every high end facility I have worked in the UK, Germany, France, Japan, China, Russia, etc. over my time in this business has been pro tools. Sure Nuendo "may be becoming popular" somewhere. Fairlight is something I have heard about in my 20 years but I have never seen one in person, anywhere.

[JFreak]

I cannot comment as I haven't used PT12 or PT | first

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by paul007

3 sessions? No video?

If you could only buy a Complete Production Tool Kit for it, I would love it ....

ProTools | Crippleware, 16 tracks, and it can't read or write current Pro Tools sessions, and you have to repurchase any plugins you already own, and you can only work on the last session opened if you are offline, and... Ah fugetaboutit...

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Ah fugetaboutit...

I also enjoyed a beer a moment ago :)

[jasonthurley]

Just a coule of thoughts on the free PT... do you either have to fork out $50 for the Ilok? OR do you have to be a cloud subscriber?? Free? Unless they change either the Ilok necessity (maybe since its a free version??) or you dont have to be connected via internet to a Network license from say an Avid server.... I dont know how it will be free.

[JFreak]

I don't know which universe that is but where I live it is either PT session or a bunch of sync'd WAV tracks

[jasonthurley]

Originally Posted by JFreak

I don't know which universe that is but where I live it is either PT session or a bunch of sync'd WAV tracks

What are you talking about?