Avid! I bought LE, an M-Audio interface, I ain't buying M-Powered as well! Upgrade?

[RhysC]

I've used PT LE for almost 2 years and I love using it, but the compatibility sends me insane. I only have an M-Box and I need to start recording drums so I've ordered an M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R, but I'm not going to be able to use Pro Tools LE. I'd have to either effectively RE-BUY Pro Tools (as M-Powered) or switch to Reaper for recording and do all my editing and mixing in PTLE.

Avid should be making it easy for us to use products we've paid good money for. I bought LE, now I'm buying an M-Audio interface, I shouldn't have to then buy M-Powered just to use it. They've already got enough of my money. And if Reaper's good, I'll make the switch. I love Pro Tools, but I'm sick of jumping through hoops to use it!

I think Avid should introduce a cheap (like $50) or free upgrade to M-Powered for those who've bought LE and switch to an M-Audio interface. That'd convince me to stay on team Pro Tools. Logic has the right idea.

Anyone else in the same boat? I realise there's a thread dedicated to Reaper (and I posted this in that), but I feel that this is an issue which should be made known (unless there's already a thread).

[albee1952]

I see you're a new member(welcome to the DUC) so you likely didn't know that this is an old complaint. While I happen to agree, it is really no secret. Its simply one reason that M-Audio interfaces are so much cheaper than Digi/Avid interfaces. You could sell your Mbox and LE software and use that cash to pay for the M-Powered software

[nst7]

Maybe you can return the Fast track, and have a couple of options:

1. Sell your Mbox and buy a 003 rack. Audiomidi.com has them on sale but I think they're out of stock.

2. Trade in you mbox for a 003 rack through Sweetwater. They have it on their site for $895.

3. Sell your Mbox and buy a used 003 rack.

Any of these would probably be a decent solution.

[Dism]

M-Audio stuff isn't really all that much cheaper since you have to buy the software separately.

Of course... it's good to do a little research before you buy something...

[RhysC]

Firstly, I did a search.
The 003 is pretty sweet, but it's only 4 XLR inputs and I need 8. I don't want to have to get yet another piece of gear to run 8 tracks. Plus I'm in Australia and 003s go for way too much anyway (over 2k).
I just think if they made "upgrades" available it would make Pro Tools more accessible for amateurs, they should be embracing amateur users, rather than making it difficult for them. The Mbox was great to begin with and I did a bunch of research when I bought it, but I'm beginning to see its limitations. I will probably have to sell it and buy M-Powered unfortunately. And really, is the Digidesign gear that much better than the M-Audio stuff?

Side Question- If I sell my M-Box locally, will someone else be able to use all of the software and plugins without authentication issues (as in, are the access codes locked to a digidesign user account?)? So if I gave them all the access codes would they have any problems?

[nst7]

Are you saying the 003 is over 2k, or the 003 rack is over 2k? Because if you're talking about U.S. Dollars that sounds about the same as here.

Digi does have a trade up program which I briefly mentioned in my post. Unless it's for U.S. only. I've never checked on that.

You can sell your mbox with the software and you and the buyer fill out a hardware exchange. This means he will be eligible for trade up programs, etc.

If you do decide on a 003 rack, you could also look at the 003 rack plus. It has 8 preamps instead of 4. However, you'd do just as well to get the regular 003 rack and expand it with something like a Presonus Digimax FS.

[RhysC]

Yeah, I was talking about the 003 rack. They've actually dropped in price now over here, they seem to go for around 1500 and the plus for 2000. They used to be ridiculously expensive. Aargh, just about every piece of gear doubles in price by the time it gets to stores here, thankfully I discovered ebay. So $580AU for the Fast Track Ultra 8R is probably the cheapest I'll be able to get some decent recordings done. Maybe one day when I'm old and have a real job I'll be able to afford some 'real' pro tools gear, but until then I'll stick to the M-Audio stuff. As long as it works I'm happy, it's just getting it to work that's the frustrating bit.

Thanks for the info on hardware exchanges, I'll look into it.

Hooray for ranting!

[nst7]

As far as the hardware exchanges, they seem to come and go on the Digi website, but Sweetwater.com has them on their site as currently available. I don't know how Sweetwater deals with international shipping, and if there would be import taxes, vat, etc. so I don't know how much it would help.

[Bob Olhsson]

I just tracked something with a ProFire 2626 and the results were amazing compared to the 003s and the Presonus stuff we had previously used. If the mike pres in the Fast Track Ultra 8R are anything like that, you are going to be very very happy!

[RhysC]

Thanks. I'm really really happy with the Fast Track. I've switched to recording in Reaper which runs seamlessly (unlike Pro Tools) then I'm mixing in Pro Tools. So I may make the jump eventually to M-Powered but for the time being I'm doing most of the work in Reaper.