Pro Tools LE and HD Comparison Chart?

[Dizzi45Z]

Several months back I stumbled across a chart on Digidesign's website that had a list of features that only exist in Pro Tools HD. I have spent the last hour and a half trying to find that list. Can anyone direct me to where I can get information on what features are missing in LE, M-Powered versions? Thanks.

[emilano]

They do make it notoriously difficult to see the complete differences between the two systems... I don't remember ever seeing such a chart.

[Dizzi45Z]

I know they had a list like that because when I was deciding which Pro Tools system I wanted, I was seriously considering an LE system with the Music Production upgrades (I thought the only differences at the time was the track limitation, Beat Detective on multiple tracks and the DSP Cards), but their website had a list that said upgrade to HD for more than 200 additional features. I remember going through the list and deciding that LE was just going to be too limited for me. There are a ton of differences between an LE and HD system.

I have had a ton of Book Audio editing projects lately and I am sooo thankful that I chose HD for the option to have Pro Tools treat the audio files as if they had fades at the beginning and ends of audio files. That one feature alone has saved me hours on hours of work and an LE system does not have that feature. HD rocks, LE would be frustrating.

I know the user manual points out the many, many differences. I just wish I could get access to the list that they use to post on their website. People are always wondering what the exact differences between the systems are, and I would love to be able to point them to that. Maybe Digidesign took it down because they felt like it discouraged people from buying Pro Tools LE.

[JFreak]

TDM systems: guaranteed performance.
Host systems: guaranteed problems.

'nuff said?

Theoretically TDM and RTAS plugins should sound the same. Given the same AD/DA converters the systems should be identical. However, in real world, it seems TDM systems sound way better once you go beyond 32 tracks. Must be something to do with mix buss headroom.

Point being, differences are minimal as long as you're able to compare. As soon as LE cannot handle your session, naturally there's no comparison.

(Few words of herecy: people in the Nuendo-land have been putting out quite impressive mixdowns. It's a host-based system and it sounds good. Protools is not The Only Choice, but as long as you want to mix with tacticle control surfaces, then it really is a must.)