Long absent DUC member looking for new answers

[bonehead88]

Greetings all - I have not been on since PT9 and I apologize for that but everything has been working well for me for a few years now. I realize that's not the 'community spirit' that this group embraces and again, I apologize. I also realize I could search all of my questions here but thought one message chain would be best?

I hope everyone is well.

I am hoping to get some answers and opinions to my recent desire 'to get current'

As I said, I still maintain a Win7 box and run PT9.05 with a slew of RTAS plugs. I have a hobby studio and recently got a A&H QU32 - the board integrated well (no machine control yet, I haven't tried) but I can easily arm and track 30 channels at once (I mostly do full band recordings w/dubs and editing). life is good.
This downtime has me looking around to upgrade, actually. no one has been coming in and I'm cleaning up the joint.

So, i am considering a new i9 10th Gen Dell box and jumping to PT2020 and paying the $300/year subscription - and investing in the AAX plugs that i use most...yadda yadda - maybe a $2500 investment as it seems

First couple of questions - I do not have my recording PC on the web. Will it be required to run 2020? I realize it's all Ilok and I have one for PT9 so my gut says 'No - the license remains on the Ilok and the internet is not required' - please confirm?

What happens if I decide I can not pay the $300 next year? Do I lose my PT?

How has the learning curve changed since PT9? Is the PT2020 going to send me back to school?

I will probably have more questions - if ya don't mind - but this would be a great start, thank you!

[paul_g]

I pretty much did the same as you, except I went from a 13 year old iMac to a new 2020 iMac.

You should do your homework on the different licenses. Sweetwater does a good job explaining this, as well as youtubes.

1.) There is a full version purchase with annual maintenance fee - > if you do not pay the annual maintenance you have to repurchase if your maintenance lapses.

2.) There is a 1 year lease --> you pay monthly or annually and as long re-up your lease you get to use PT, get updates and support.

3.)There is a monthly rental program --> This is month to month. Months you don't pay, you don't get to use PT.

IIRC I chose option #2 and it only cost me $100 annually because i surrendered my PT 10.x license. You should get the upgrade option and surrender your perpetual 9.x license (since you can't use it anymore anyway).


As far as I know, and I haven't tried it, I believe you have to be on the network for the iLok cloud for PT to work. This is why you would need to get an iLok 3 key. (ilok 1 & 2) are not compatible. Otherwise, if you remain on the network, you do not have to purchase an iLok key. If you get an iLok key, you just drag and drop from the cloud to the usb key. Also, not being on the network is a pia, don't know why you wouldn't... I'm constantly going to youtubes, sending mp3's, pulling down music from friends. Not to mention get updates. There is really no overhead for what you are doing. As a matter of fact, even on my 13 year old iMac, I never had an issue being on WiFi.

As far as compatibility, pretty much the same with a lot of new features and stability, too many to mention here, but your workflow should remain the same. Best thing to do is look at a matrix (maybe sweetwater) or Avid has a compare chart. But as far as features, it's night and day. I mean on version 10 you got low latency monitoring... Loads more features.. only a few times I have to come on here and ask q's on differences.

Hope this helps.

[bonehead88]

This is great info Paul! thank you!

My internet drops occasionally. I use other sw with on-line licensing and I'm notified that for whatever reason 'can not confirm license' and then it goes away.

So, naturally I'm wondering what happens when it drops during tracking? Would it interrupt? anyone?

But thanks you again, i feel more comfy taking the leap solely based on your response!

Cheers!

[The Weed]

iLok 2 works for 2020.12, it's what I use. Do not use the iLok Cloud if you don't want to be on the Internet and/or subject to any connection issues. Some here have had their Internet connection glitch or go down and, because they were using iLok Cloud, Pro Tools stopped working. I always use a physical iLok, YMMV.

If you go subscription, you won't be able to use Pro Tools if you stop paying. You also won't have access to Pro Tools 10, 11 or 12, only the latest Pro Tools version. You will get a discount by turning in your perpetual license, but it's not a forever discount. AFAIK, it's a 2 year discount.

If you purchase a new perpetual license, you will get 1 year of updates and upgrades included. At the end of that year, you will have the option of renewing your update and upgrade plan. If you don't renew that plan, since you have a perpetual license, your Pro Tools will continue to work, but will be frozen at the last version you are entitled to before your update and update plan ran out. If you want to get back in because some new feature or some bug fix is important to you, Avid has discontinued their reinstatement program, which was less than the cost of a new license. Instead, you will have to purchase a new perpetual license.

There may still be some reinstatement licenses left at Avid resellers worldwide, but I don't think Pro Tools 9 would qualify.

If you do move to Pro Tools 2020.12 - or whatever the latest is - none of your RTAS plug-ins will work. All the plug-ins you want to use must be AAX64. Some manufacturers have free upgrades, others you have to pay. Also, some of the Avid RTAS plug-ins you may have used may have changed or been dropped.

Sessions made in Pro Tools 9 should open in 2020.12, but don't count on it. Keep your old computer and Pro Tools 9 if you think there may be issues opening any old sessions.

For your new computer, if you're set on getting a Dell, install Windows 10 fresh to remove any Dell bloatware, do all the Avid optimizations and more. Have a look here. And here.

Make a backup plan. Personally, I use Macrium Reflect and image my OS and Session drives nightly, keeping a rolling three night backup and also image before any install/uninstall/update/upgrade.

As mentioned, YMMV.

[Obsidian Dragon]

Originally Posted by paul_g

As far as I know, and I haven't tried it, I believe you have to be on the network for the iLok cloud for PT to work. This is why you would need to get an iLok 3 key. (ilok 1 & 2) are not compatible. Otherwise, if you remain on the network, you do not have to purchase an iLok key. If you get an iLok key, you just drag and drop from the cloud to the usb key. Also, not being on the network is a pia, don't know why you wouldn't... I'm constantly going to youtubes, sending mp3's, pulling down music from friends. Not to mention get updates. There is really no overhead for what you are doing. As a matter of fact, even on my 13 year old iMac, I never had an issue being on WiFi.

I've taken the other approach. There have been several outages of the iLok servers that rendered all those that use the ilok cloud licensing unable to run Protools. This caused a lot of stress for professional studios and post production houses that had paying clients on site or production deadlines to meet. A physical ilok dongle will work regardless of a server outage, internet service provider problem, or your own internet issues. The drawback is if you go from location to location and forget to bring your ilok or you lose it. Hence, the need for ilok's "Zero Down Time" program (like insurance) and a spare ilok device.

[bonehead88]

Sessions made in Pro Tools 9 should open in 2020.12, but don't count on it. Keep your old computer and Pro Tools 9 if you think there may be issues opening any old sessions.

oof, this may be my dream-killer right here as not only do i have returning 'clients' I also work closer with a few other PT9 'producers' and and we swap sessions

I am so grateful that you mentioned this!

The licensing and iLok info is also extremely helpful guys, thank you! I need to ponder more on this.

Cheers!

[The Weed]

And don't forget, any new features added to PT or new/changed plug-ins, are not going to work or will not be there if you open a 2020 session in PT 9. It will be less of an issue with one computer running PT 9 and one running PT 2020.

[bonehead88]

I'm trying to imagine that process though;

open a legacy session in PT9 and export all tracks as files and import them into 2020.12 and rebuild that entire session with available plugs?

Essentially remix before anything can be added to it?

wow

[daeron80]

I upgraded from 9 to 12 a couple years ago, and regularly open v9 files to continue work. I've never had a legacy session fail to open. The plugins will all be gone, for sure. But the audio files will be there, and the edits should all be in place. Sends will be there. Some fades may not translate, since they're now created real time rather than files on disk, but even that issue has been rare for me.

Any plugins that you might have trouble replicating by ear, you can take screenshots, or print a version of the track with that plugin active.

[bonehead88]

...and to be clear, 12 & 2020.12 is the same thing?

thank you!