The 001 Learning Curve

[3rdstory]

As a serious prospective buyer of 001, I have read with interest numerous threads on the DUC - the devotees and the complainers. I really enjoyed the HAPPY votes on link's recent survey.

I'd like to ask the 001 community to comment about a real issue, one all of you have experienced - your learning curve. What was it like? How long did it take before you felt comfortable with this host based system? Was it easy or exasperating? Was it worth it? Does the technology get in the way of your music - or enhance it? I am currently using a Roland 880EX which has a pretty serious learning curve, (and notoriously lousy manual) but once I got the basics down, it's easy to turn it on and create - which is what I want to continue to do with 001 - only much better. I am reasonably Mac savvy, but I'd rather not get hung up in lots of hardware / software problems after my purchase. I just want to create music.

I'm a songwriter / musician first, a techy-out-of-necessity second, and a rank amateur engineer. I would hope 001 will help me grow in all these areas, not lose me in bytes and bits. I did a search on this topic. No subjects by this name, but I did find useful comments about this issue brought up while discussing related matters. I thought it might prove interesting to give "the learning curve" it's own thread.


[This message has been edited by 3rdstory (edited October 24, 2000).]

[misrule]

I went from a Fostex 4 track cassette machine to the Digi001 with very little professional studio experience. I did have a lot of Mac experience, including stuff like Photoshop.

It took me about 3 full days of very carefully setting up, reading the manual and then actually recording and exploring features before I was truly comfortable, but I had no major problems or hair-tearing experiences at all. And the results have been simply amazing. Just make sure that your computer is 100% compatable with the Digi001. Check this conference for which hard drives, amount of memory etc. you should be using.

[bassmac]

The 001 is very intuitive, especially if you’re a Mac user. Use this board to make your hardware decisions. As far as the software goes, you don’t need to learn it all at once, just learn the things you need to as you go along. The video helps alot too. I was tracking much sooner than I thought. I’ve only had mine less than a month and I’ve got about five songs in progress, I figure I’ll learn bouncing to disc, mastering and all that other junk when I need to. In the mean time, I’m having fun creating music. Life is good!

[SonOfSmawg]

I got my 001 back in February, along with my first computer, a Mac G4 400. I was up and running in no time. It is a learn-as-you-go
process, just like life. You start out basic, and keep on learning. I am very happy and satisfied with my purchase and results.
I also have a PC, which I use for the internet, but wouldn't want to be stuck on it for audio production. In my humble opinion, PCs suck. You should also consider that ProTools is pretty much the standard of
the industry right now, so if you ever want to take your tracks to someone else, it'll
be compatible.

[crowdog]

My 1st recorder was a VS-880 & although I did make some good music on it, I think it was much harder to get "next to". I think they try to cram so much into such a small box that the interface is a bit claustophobic.
We are also visual by nature as humans (most of us ), so the openness of the PT mix/edit windows was a breath of fresh air. As far as the learning curve - it seemed like I was able to use it almost right away for tracking & putting ideas down, but there's a deepness to the PTsoftware that keeps me going back to the manual time after time. It reminds me of the learning curve of music itself where you study, then use, then analyze & process,then incorporate, ad infinitum - it takes time & persistance. You have to remember the learning curve of engineering too! Which is a whole other but totally related can of worms!! But the joys of creative freedom are great and can be pretty immediate too.
Good Luck
Crow

[lwilliam]

I had most recently been using Cubase with a 1212 card. I was always worrying about when the sytsem would crash (notice I didn't say "IF"). This is especially infuriating with clients present.

I did ONE free project for some friends on PTLE (after reading the manual cover-to-cover), and was very comfortable with it then, but I still pick up tricks after almost a year.

Now I just don't worry that it's going to crash and time is spent MUCH more productively on the music and on getting the sounds right.

Except for when I'm screwing around on the Mac, PTLE just doesn't seem to crash, so I am much more relaxed about the session and get on with other things.

...like which plugin, mic, preamp, converter, compressor, synth, sample disc, acoustic treatment, yada yada, to buy NEXT.

WAIT!!! DON'T BUY IT, DON'T BUY ANYTHING!!! - IT'S A BIG BOTTOMLESS MONEY PIT.

At first, is just a better mic cable; then pretty soon it's a new preamp; then pretty soon YOU'LL START DROOLING OVER THOSE $5000 MICS and GIVE UP EVERY CENT YOU MAKE FOR MORE EQUIPMENT, AND...GO BACK TO A RADIO SHACK CASSETTE PLAYER.

...NO...REALLY....I'M FINE... ...more coffee.

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LW

[This message has been edited by lwilliam (edited October 24, 2000).]

[3rdstory]

Thanks to all. Keep the comments coming.

Crowdog, yes, you're right on the money - music has a learning curve too - and I guess there's no reason to treat a tool like 001 any different. I never stop. My chops keep getting better and more reliable. My ear hears things this year that it didn't last year. My fingers are stronger and dance a little lighter on the fingerboard each month that goes by. And, yes, just like my 880EX, I expect to take it one step at a time, and learn by doing. And from the sounds of it, I'll being DOING with Digi 001 sooner than later.

LW, thanks for you thoughtful and sage advice....but.....it's too late. I'm always thinking about the next piece of gear, and as you know, there's no turning back. That's why I'm looking into this piece. After my Roland VS purchase, I realized that I wasn't getting the results I wanted initially because it was just a box, a starting point, and that key pieces of outboard gear and their relative quality level were going to make a huge difference in the kind of results I achieved.

But as gear goes, host based digital recording is a big step up, and one whose time has come for me.

[MichaelK]

I won't say it's smooth as silk, because it's not. I needed some tech support for a day or two to get up and running properly. But I bought the system less than two months after it was released. The most recent FAQ and installation notes cover a lot of the problems I had. I did not encounter a problem that could not be solved with a little support and experimentation.

I felt reasonably comfortable laying basic tracks and MIDI sequencing within a few days. There's a lot of capability in the software, but you can learn as you go. For me, the technology is a fantastic tool - definitely has added to my music.

I think if Digi had been made by Roland I would have returned it within a day. If you've made it through a Roland system to the point where you're enjoying it, Digi will be cake.

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- Michael

[iddybiddydude]

Hey ThirdStory,
I purchased the 001 and a MAc G-4 in April 2000 with no previous recording experience(outside of someone elses studio) I think once I got the parts and pieces together I began recording a tune the first day. Of course learning to make the most of Pro Tools is an ongoing process. I did have a few days to read the manuel before my G-4 arrived which helped tremendously.And I also wished that IWilliam had warned me about this invisible compulsive gear thingy that ships with the 001. It must be gaseous because it permeates every pore of your body as soon as you open the package and what's worse? My visa card folks just up-ed by limit another 5000.00. What were they thinking? One of the best things about Pro Tools is all the helpful folks on this board. I've only called for tech support once because the generous folks here offer so much good advice. (Oh! I guess this would be a good time to tell everone thanks!)

[Slovenec]

I haven't got the 001/G4 combination yet but after checking it out in the shope a couple of times, I'm blown away at how straightforward it is to do anything with Protools LE- after using Logic with an Audiowerk card for recording midi and audio on a couple of projects, this software is a breath of fresh air and really is 'logical' to use thanks to only 2 main windows- mixer and edit. With Logic, Cubase etc, you are forced to open up all these extra windows just to acces the piano roll editor or sample editor whilst in LE it's simply a matter of enlarging the track!!!! How logical is that????? Very as far as I am concerned. No I'm not rubbishing Logic Or Cubase because they are also extremely capable in their own ways particularly when it comes to midi stuff and in the case of Logic, it's great plug ins but really, I'm also a muso first and don't want to problem of getting into all the technological stuff like when the Audiowerk card driver decides to **** itself when your client is there to pick up his/her work (yes this has happened to me- on a PC of course!).

I am getting 001 because whilst it doesn't offer everything (and nothing ever will!) particularly with regards to midi processing and a limited number of audio tracks (24 is enough for me thankyou after having to deal with only 8 tracks on a blackface Adat for 5 years!!!!), what it does offer is very well implemented and integrated in terms of hardware and software and it sounds great.

All the major magazines have given it the big thumbs up particularly Sound on Sound, Keyboard, Recording and The Mix- read their reviews.

I can surely see myself turning into a hermit when I get my 001 system!!!!!