ProTools LE vs. Cubase SX

[Haigbabe]

Greetings vb101,

Yeah thats true, BUT with a new powerful PC ie: an XP2200+/ P4 2.4 or above its possible to have larger sessions than 32 tracks quiet comfortably.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Yeah, I think I might be aware of that.

However, in PT6 you will be able to run more than 32 tracks.

And if you're talking about adding a Powercore card and using SX with the 001, you're now in the league of a refurbished Mix system dollar-wise. And if so, you'd probably be using much better A/D/A than the 001 anyway.

Best regards

[minimoog]

Originally posted by vonbleak101:
Some peolpe say LE is more for audio while SX is more for midi, this is complete crap, the Mix/Edit engine of SX is just as powerful, if not more so, than LE.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">well, it is more of an audio tool. and it's dead easy to use - two windows, three basic tools that do pretty much everything and a couple of extras to do what the main three don't.

sure, LE is foolishly retarded compared to the TDM software but it does everything i need with audio. command fucus mode would make life easier.

I started on LE and it was a great learning field, but i found it a little limiting, 32 track and no real soft synths got anoying after a while.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">perhaps you should follow yavuz to the wonderful land that is an apple...

Again for the price an LE setup is very good value for money, a good SX setup will cost more, but you get what you pay for.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">very true. for more money, you can buy a mix system.

[jeffgtr]

I was going to purchase an m-box with protools le until I discovered it wasn't compatible with my Dell Inspiron 8100 (I'll never buy a Dell again). So I purchased Cubase SL with a US-244 interface and am quite happy. There is a learning curve, but really it's not that bad. Using Kontakt and Battery within Cubase is a real joy. Cubase seems to be a little more open ended than PT LE which will inherently make it more complex, however for me it's wonderful. As one poster mentioned, as a songwriter you will find Acid useful, I use it for drums and then bring them into Cubase, it works very well.

[vonbleak101]

"However, in PT6 you will be able to run more than 32 tracks."

Where did you hear that?

Also the thread is talking about PTLE vs SX not TDM vs SX, and i will stand firm in saying that SX is a far more flexable and powerful DAW than LE is.

And as far as moving to a MAC to use soft synths with LE, why would a swap to a platform thats more expensive and less powerful than the one i have now, it makes little sense.

The way i see it is that if you get LE your whole setup needs to revole around that, IE only a max of 18 i/o only a MAX of 32 tracks etc, while SX can evolve as your studio grows, ie: Start with only 8 i/o and only using 16 tracks to using a MOTU setup with 48 i/o and running as many tracks as your comp can handle. SX can grow and adapt as your studio grows.

Again though, for the money LE is fine and as long as you are aware of, and are prepared to live with, the limitations of it then you will love it as its rock solid and easy to use. If however you can afford the extra initial cost and want a more flexable DAW, SX is a better option. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Voideco]

My $0,02:

I deeply regret having sold my Digi 001, I'd say a combination of SX (+ a Layla, RME etc) with PTLE + 001 would be best. I join those who say PT's midi capabilities are limited if not crippled, but as the new ASIO driver comes, the 001 will be compatible with Cubase and I heard Digi is going to improve LE's midi functions too. Having said that, I daresay you will be best of if you go for the 001 and await the developments. In the meantime, you can learn about midi (in PTLE) and you have a gorgeous audio setup. This is why I regret having sold my 001, it so good with audio .... A few days after I sold the card, I heard about the ASIO driver for 001 that is to come. If you buy a 001, you can use Cubase with it, and this combination will improve by the time (which is only my personal estimation but Digi is already working on the ASIO driver, so.....). If you go for a Hammerfall, or a Layla or so, you'll have a splendid audio device, and Cubase will probably work fine with it, depending on your system, BUT Pro Tools is the standard in many professional audio studio's. Every studio I see on tv, where they show their HD rec. system, I see it's Pro Tools. You can take your own PT arrangement to a professional studio and have it mixed there. I bet that won't be such a widely available option with Cubase.

I'm not a Digi salesman or fanatic, but consider the things in this post here, you'll have a splendid audio combination and my believe (check that out) is that PT's midi will improve gradually.

And as a songwriter, recording vocals (and perhaps some acoustic instruments), where is your biggest interest?

Good luck and wisdom!
Voideco

[pmklein]

Hell, get them both! I've got the 001 and Cubase SX. You'll have the best of both worlds and you'll know you are compatible with studios that use Pro Tools if need be. The ASIO driver works great wtih Cubase SX. Even if you get M-Box and Cubase SL you're only paying around $800 for both platforms.
Have fun!

[drunton]

I have a Layla24 running SX and the 001/LE. I just recently used a Layla laptop adapter with a Tango A/D and recorded 14 tracks at once for a live performance. I had to use SX for this to be on the laptop so I have stuck with SX for the mixdown.

Here are a couple observations:
1. SX group sends are mono, if you have a stereo send, then you need to use 2 of the sends to get to the Left and Right - I was wondering why my short tap delay was only coming out of one side...

2. Plug in delay compensation on SX is not there - although it is supposed to be coming, if you bus to a subgroup, then there is a delay, which stinks if you are trying to add a Chorus effect, all kinds of wierd delays in the audio path. Never had this kind of problem with LE.

3. Editing features for Audio are nearly similar, just in different keyboard/menu locations.

4. It was a live recording, so mic placement was not an option - so, with Ren Comp/Ren EQ on each of the 14 tracks and subs (bass sub - DI and mic, bass compress-sub, drum sub, drum compress-sub, vocal sub, with effect subs: 2 ren reverbs, 1 trueverb, 2 delays, pitch shifter - maxed out my XP1800+, not sure how this mix would work in PT, but either way a far cry from 32 tracks.

Short summary - pick the software that gives you the features you need.