PT9HD path to PT11 (HD or nonHD)?

[Tim R.]

I'm reposting here to avoid the whole complaint threads about pricing. I'm curious what my paths to PT11 ARE. I have PT9HD with a 96 I/O and a Rosetta 800. As I see it:

Option 1: $999 upgrade to PT10HD (with free 11 upgrade when available). This means I can run PT10 and use my existing 96IO/Rosetta interfaces, BUT would have to buy another (3rd party?) interface to run PT11HD on the same machine (right?) sans DSP plugins etc. of course.

Option 2: Buy PT11 (nonHD) standalone or with an AVID interface. BUT if I want/need 8 channels of I/O I would HAVE to buy a 3rd party interface (Unless AVID has other multichannel interfaces in the pipeline)

Any other possibilities I'm missing?

[nst7]

Both are possibilities.

The main thing in your case is that your HD TDM cards will simply not work in Protools 11.

So either way, you need a new interface, even if it's a simple RME adat card to hook up your Rosetta (I'm not sure where Apogee stands on the old Rosetta firewire cards, etc.).

If you buy the upgrade from HD9 to HD11 for $999, you will be able to use that software with any 3rd party interface, and have all the extra software features as if you had the Complete Toolkit.

If you buy just regular Protools, you won't have those extra features, but perhaps that will be fine for you (I know nothing about what you need/use).

Being that just regular Protools is $700, it seems like a no-brainer to just spend $1000 for the HD upgrade and get all the extra features.


The other option would be an HD Native system. Currently, there's no trade in of cards to get a discount, but some dealers who sell used HD stuff, like Alto music, might work out a deal where it feels like a trade in. I.E., whatever they give you for your cards is subtracted from the total of the HD Native bundle.

This would be worth looking into, as HD Native would come with a brand new HD11/HD10 license anyway.

So instead of spending the $1000 on the upgrade, you could just apply that towards the new system, plus trade in used cards, etc.

If you wanted to keep the 96io, it will apparently work with PT11, though not officially be supported.

Several options to think about.

[Tim R.]

Thanks for the clarification. Couple questions still. One concern (as voiced by others) is will PT11HD without hardware be upgradable to future versions still without hardware?

Also, how does the 96 I/O work (albeit unsupported) with PT11? Does it need an HD Native card to connect to?

Thanks again for the insight.

[nst7]

Well, it still has to be connected to an HD card, and that would have to be HD Native or HDX, since those are the only HD systems that will work with PT11.

If you bought an HD Native system, it would be bundled with an interface anyway. I was making the suggestion in case you wanted to keep the 96 for extra I/O, just pointing out that it should still work for a while.

If you just need 8 in, 8 out, the Omni would give you that, though 4 of the ins would be digital.


I was just thinking that if you bought the HD upgrade, and you had to buy another interface, you'd be looking at at least $1500-1600. Between that money, and selling/trading in the other stuff, it might be just as easy to just get a fully supported, state of the art system with all the features and future expandability.

[Flyingonempty]

I am not following SO....I have pt9 hd with 2 pci HD cards and a few 192 silver (no Blue) i/o's can I upgrade to pt 11 HD using the same cards and i/o's or am i in for sticker schockkkkkk:) I have heard that pt 10 HD will work on PCI cards but there are rumors that it will not...so how do I know what works and what does not
Thanks in advance

[Tim R.]

Originally Posted by Flyingonempty

I am not following SO....I have pt9 hd with 2 pci HD cards and a few 192 silver (no Blue) i/o's can I upgrade to pt 11 HD using the same cards and i/o's or am i in for sticker schockkkkkk:) I have heard that pt 10 HD will work on PCI cards but there are rumors that it will not...so how do I know what works and what does not
Thanks in advance

As I understand it: None of your hardware has an AVID trade-in option. You can upgrade your SOFTWARE to PT10HD/PT11HD for $999. PT10HD will work with your existing hardware/DSP but if/when you want to run PT11HD you'll have to use different I/O (AVID or 3rd party) and run it without any DSP. If you want to run DSP with PT11 down the road, you'll have to buy an HDX card/Interface that will come with ANOTHER PT11 license. Now you've got 2 Yahoo!

[nst7]

Flyingonempty,

As Tim mentioned, HD11 will not work with your system.

There is an exchange program to HDX right now from what you have, but not HD Native.

I'm not familiar with what the silver interfaces are, but if they work with your HD system, they will qualify.

Bascially, you can trade in your 2 pci cards and an interface and get an HDX and Omni for $7000. Or HDX and an HD IO 8x8 for $8000. Or HDX and HD IO 16x16 for $9000.

Or sell your HD system on your own and buy an HD Native bundle.

Either system will come with a free upgrade to HD 11 software.

[Dave Lang]

Hi Tim - it depends what you need to do re: I/O, workflow, who you want to spend money with, etc. etc.

Some options:

1) PT Standalone

Buy the firewire card for the Rosetta (if possible anymore) and if you need more than 8 ins get something to connect to it via ADAT and go from there. Options are as cheap as the Behringer ADA8000 or as expensive as .... well as much as you want to spend probably.

Then buy ProTools standalone and use that. Check the various feature set comparisons to see if it'll do what you need. Sell your existing HD license and Avid hardware to someone else.

2) PT HD with hardware

To do this you need to buy some new Avid hardware. Native or HDX or whatever. ProTools HD comes with this hardware. You'll have to buy a card or thunderbolt adapter and an interface.

3) PT HD without hardware using existing HD system

Could just upgrade your PT HD and try and use what you have "natively" using the core audio or asio (osx or win?) driver just as if it was a third party interface but there's been some question re: whether this will work or not.

4) PT HD without hardware using Rosetta w/firewire

Can get that firewire option for the Rosetta and still use HD with all the HD features but no Avid hardware. Questions exist re: future ability to use HD without HD hardware.

Summary:

If it were me unless there was some really important reason to make a change right now I wouldn't do anything until after ProTools 11 starts shipping and things become clearer.

[Tim R.]

Originally Posted by Dave Lang

If it were me unless there was some really important reason to make a change right now I wouldn't do anything until after ProTools 11 starts shipping and things become clearer.

Do people think AVID is going to change their policy/offers between now and PT11 shipping (end Q2 supposedly)?

[anothercolour]

The main thing in your case is that your HD TDM cards will simply not work in Protools 11.

Be sure your computer will run Pro Tools 11, as well. My 2008 Mac Pro is not supported.