Can this be? Only 16 stereo inputs in PT9?

[MacPC]

Does anyone know:

1. Is the maximum number of stereo inputs to PT9 only 16 without adding Digidesign hardware?

2. Does the Complete Production Toolkit double that number or not?

The reason I ask is that the website material is not clear about stereo versus mono, and appears in some places to say different things about the Production Toolkit.

By "stereo inputs" I mean the ability simultaneously to hear / audition the tracks from an outside source, and then record them all at once in a single pass. I need to be able to split the orchestra up into many sub-groups for later mixing and / or adding live players.

[guitardom]

There is 32 inputs. Cptk is no different. 32 inputs total, so 16 stereo. An input is a physical connection into a converter-interface, That's it. What you do w it inside of pt is a different story. Your track count in pt will vary w cptk though. 64 w/o cptk, I believe 128 with cptk.

[nst7]

There is a max of 32 i/o in PT9, and Complete toolkit does not add to that.

When you're dealing with hardware inputs, there is no stereo vs. mono. It's 32 in, which means for stereo inputs you're using 2 mono inputs, thus that would make 16 stereo ins. Or vice versa.

EDIT: Guitardom beat me to it.

[MacPC]

Thanks for the replies.

The thing is, you're not actually dealing with hardware. It's only software. A MOTU 424 hardware card has 96 stereo outputs and Cubase, DP, Logic -- all of them can see all the inputs you have on this same card, in the same computer. Therefore, it's only PT's software that prevents access to all of those. it's a PT limitation.

And a limitation, moreover, that makes PT9 useless for mixing film music, without adding on a bunch of hardware. You could use it to deliver final stems, if you buy the Production Toolkit in order to get at surround, but that's about it.

[nst7]

Mixing and recording are 2 different things. I'm unclear as to what you're trying to do. How many channels you need to record at one time is not the same as how many tracks you need to have in order to mix.

Can you be more specific as to what you're trying to do?

As far as mixing goes, PT9 has 96 tracks (mono or stereo) and with Complete Toolkit 2 (or HD) it has 192 mono or 96 stereo.

[HD2]

Originally Posted by MacPC

And a limitation, moreover, that makes PT9 useless for mixing film music, without adding on a bunch of hardware.

There are many people using it for "mixing" film music and in fact people are using it for "mixing" complete films with up to 192 tracks.
Now if you want to use it to "record" live music with more than 32 instruments than you will need a HD system. FYI there are people doing that as well with full orchestras but only on a HD system.

[MacPC]

Sorry I wasn't clear -- here goes.

I work on movies, TV shows, and movie trailers. There are two steps pertinent to the PT setup. The process for the composer is typically this:

1. Deliver to the engineer recording the live tracks enough splits so that he or she can meaningfully mix the music (not too many things pre-combined, in other words); and

2. Deliver final stems to the dub stage. These are mixed, but still broken out by sections (percussion, synths, musical FX, brass, strings, etc.). Depending on the production, these may need to be in 5.1 or stereo. If it's 5.1, you would quickly run short of the ability to simultaneously print all the splits required.

However, it's the first part of this, coupled with the ludicrously short time-frame, that demands one have at least, say, 30 stereo inputs available simultaneously. There is no time in that kind of work to record, then change tracks, then record some more. And even if there were, the possibility of accidentally missing out a track is increased very substantially.

So that's the situation.

[HD2]

Well it's still not that clear what you are getting at.
Are you trying to record a live orchestra?
What do you mean by #1? If the engineer is recording the live tracks, what is it that you need to deliver to them in splits?

For #2 you would just deliver a session to the dub stage. It could be a hundred tracks of stems or more if you want. You just print the stems within your session, no need for outputs unless you are trying to go out to a tape format like DA88's or something. Then on the dub stage they would normally have a different HD system for the stem recorder if they are working in protools.

[MacPC]

You deliver split electronic tracks to the engineer before you record the orchestra. Then you record the orchestra, then mix the two. Some of the electronic tracks will be completely replaced by the orchestra, some will survive.

[HD2]

Originally Posted by MacPC

You deliver split electronic tracks to the engineer before you record the orchestra. Then you record the orchestra, then mix the two. Some of the electronic tracks will be completely replaced by the orchestra, some will survive.

Ok but how are you delivering the electronic tracks? Do you need to print them to tape or something or are you just delivering them in a PT session?