Pro Tools First: Whats the catch? Long time Reaper user.

[michaelray1284]

I'm thinking of giving Pro Tools a shot. I'm currently using Reaper in which gives me all I need with out hassle and professional results. At the same time I am not declined to try a new GUI and experience from another DAW.

I was notified about Pro Tools First as a free DAW with the ability to purchase plug-ins. I will give this a try once it is released but what exactly am I limited to in detail? All i really need is a decent compressor, precision EQ and reverb and hope Pro Tools first has this. If it does not come with EQ III then I'm not even interested in trying it out.

Reaper is a great application in which I will not explain why but I am getting bored with the GUI and need a new look. Hopefully, Pro Tools will fix that for me.




Windows 8.1, i3-4130, 16GB RAM, R7 260X, Focusrite Scarlett, Reaper, Pro Tools (?)

[sw rec]

1. You don't install it on your computer, by strictest definition. it works off of their cloud.
2. You're limited to three projects at a time.

[albee1952]

I thought I read somewhere that Reaper can be "re-skinned" to look more like PT?

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by sw rec

1. You don't install it on your computer, by strictest definition. it works off of their cloud.
2. You're limited to three projects at a time.

By strictness definition you absolutely do install Pro Tools First on your computer, it is application software just like any other, it uses the cloud for storage and collaboration. According to Avid you can continue to work with the latest session you are editing while completely offline.

You are limited to three free projects, any more than that you pay. Pro Tools $ First.

[michaelray1284]

Originally Posted by sw rec

1. You don't install it on your computer, by strictest definition. it works off of their cloud.
2. You're limited to three projects at a time.

Ifs its all cloud based with no application to download on client side, I pass. Processing audio over the cloud is a bit too far fetched considering the bandwidth its would eat up. Surely, you have to process client side to be secure.

[michaelray1284]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

By strictness definition you absolutely do install Pro Tools First on your computer, it is application software just like any other, it uses the cloud for storage and collaboration. According to Avid you can continue to work with the latest session you are editing while completely offline.

You are limited to three free projects, any more than that you pay. Pro Tools $ First.

Yes, I was about to say that processing over the cloud would be terrible because of many potential issues in which one of them would be the bandwidth it would eat up.

[michaelray1284]

Originally Posted by albee1952

I thought I read somewhere that Reaper can be "re-skinned" to look more like PT?

Yes, the re-skins are nice.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by michaelray1284

Considering its all cloud based with no application to download on client side, I pass. Processing audio over the cloud is a bit too far fetched.

There are many reasons to pass on Pro Tools First, but this is not one if them, you were told completely wrong information.

Amongst reasons I would pass are...

Inability to use existing Pro Tools session files

Inability to use plugins I already own/have purchased

Inability to flexibly work offline with more than one session.

It does nothing better, and many things worse, than other DAWs, the cloud/collaboration stuff that Avid is hyping has *negative* interest.

If the product stability is as bad as has been seen with Pro Tools 11...

And beginners are much more likely to be better served with existing easier to use that Pro Tools DAWs, everything from Garage Band on up.... Especislly on the creative/composition/VI side where Pro Tools is already weak. Avid has struggled and failed before to do a low-end DAW version that was successful (definition of fail is they keep releasing and abandoning products. What happens if they abandon First? How do you keep your content? In editable form?). Products like Pro Tools SE were a mess, too complex for new users, too simple for others and terribly poorly supported. So being "free" it might get traction with some users, or it might just be a way for lots of users to experience difficulty getting started using a DAW and software instability from Avid, and no effective free support from Avid for newbie users. We will have to see...

[WKG]

Originally Posted by michaelray1284

Reaper is a great application in which I will not explain why but I am getting bored with the GUI and need a new look. Hopefully, Pro Tools will fix that for me.

One of the things I find most cool about Reaper is the ability to add and modify themes.

PT First is really just cheese in the trap....

[lexaudio]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

There are many reasons to pass on Pro Tools First, but this is not one if them, you were told completely wrong information.

Amongst reasons I would pass are...

Inability to use existing Pro Tools session files

Inability to use plugins I already own/have purchased

Inability to flexibly work offline with more than one session.

It does nothing better, and many things worse, than other DAWs, the cloud/collaboration stuff that Avid is hyping has *negative* interest.

If the product stability is as bad as has been seen with Pro Tools 11...

And beginners are much more likely to be better served with existing easier to use that Pro Tools DAWs, everything from Garage Band on up.... Especislly on the creative/composition/VI side where Pro Tools is already weak. Avid has struggled and failed before to do a low-end DAW version that was successful (definition of fail is they keep releasing and abandoning products. What happens if they abandon First? How do you keep your content? In editable form?). Products like Pro Tools SE were a mess, too complex for new users, too simple for others and terribly poorly supported. So being "free" it might get traction with some users, or it might just be a way for lots of users to experience difficulty getting started using a DAW and software instability from Avid, and no effective free support from Avid for newbie users. We will have to see...

So basically, PT First is just like a movie preview.

A few minutes to get you interested and if you want to see it then you pay for a full license.

It doesn't really sound like something I can see new users getting onboard with really.
There are plenty of cheap DAWs that do more, Reaper, Studio one, Garage band ect.

I think you are right. AVID is trying to tap into the low end market thinking it will get people to spend 900 on the software, which is crippled anyway.

That being said, if there is a group of newbies, let say 4 of them, and they all try PTF and then goto buy the software, does AVID really think they have 900 dollars to plunk down?

You are looking at a tech savoy generation that probably already knows of mulitple DAWs already.
Pro Tools will be the last choice if even a choice. Logic 200 bucks? Yep, Reaper 60 bucks? Yep.
Studio One? Yep.

All do more that PT vanilla.