Where is ProTools heading?

[spearson8]

I'm a Digi003 user on a MacPro with 13gb RAM.

I have been dreaming of a PTHD upgrade for years, but should I just hang tight?

Using and HDX card sounds great, but if PT 11 is 64-bit, couldn't I save a huge chunk of change by buying HD/Native and allowing my CPU to RAM cache and finally take advantage of the RAM I have to help with DSP?

I want PTHD for the higher clarity, fidelity and IO flexibilty.

Should I blow 12K and get HDX, or blow slightly less and get HD/Native?

PS., in either case I hope to use HD OMNI from Avid.

[Oblivion777]

Aaaaah the eternal dilemma. Seriously I completely understand your frustration. The answer is, I am afraid, not simple...well depends on the perspective really. There are applications for which investing into an HDX rig is straight out and Native is the way to go. Then there is the other side. Now personally I was confronted with the same dilemma and I have decided to go HDX...well HDX2 in fact because of:
Greater flexibility in the future (I am free to choose DSP and Native PIs)
Greater voice counts (especially in higher kHz)
Greater CPU off load (similar to point #1 but not identical)
Lower latency
Hope that AAX-DSP will come (sentimental, but hope dies last...still I am feeling things are headed in the right direction)
Various other reasons

Now it all depends on your needs and expectations. And budget. I had the luxury of investing into an HDX2 system and I do not regret it. This however still does not mean I need it. Do I? Well...that is another story for another day.

[25ghosts]

Originally Posted by spearson8

I'm a Digi003 user on a MacPro with 13gb RAM.

I have been dreaming of a PTHD upgrade for years, but should I just hang tight?

Using and HDX card sounds great, but if PT 11 is 64-bit, couldn't I save a huge chunk of change by buying HD/Native and allowing my CPU to RAM cache and finally take advantage of the RAM I have to help with DSP?

I want PTHD for the higher clarity, fidelity and IO flexibilty.

Should I blow 12K and get HDX, or blow slightly less and get HD/Native?

PS., in either case I hope to use HD OMNI from Avid.

Get yourself a MacBook Pro Retina along with a decent Thunderbolt Interface and ProTools Software. Those new MacBook Pros are nothing short of a super computer. You dont really need Protools hardware today. Add an Apollo perhaps if you plug-calculation -- Although I doubt that there is anything that you could throw at the Retina that it could not handle...

I have an HD3 system and where that maxes out incl. the use of TDM Plugs this where my MacBook Pro Retina 2.6 GHZ barely reaches 30% == Just for fun I opened a really intensive Protools TDM HD3 project on the Retina... As I said, 30% and the MacPro 16 Core 2.26 Nehalem with TDM HD3 maxed out... Just for giggles I added a 30 Inch Cinema Display to one of the thunderbold ports while PT was playing the mentioned session... The I opened Final Cut X and start doing some VERY intensive Color Grading (Full Screen on the 30 Inch) /// No hickups no nothing.

I was so blown away that I immediately made the Retina my main Studio Computer.... The TDM system has been sitting in the shade ever since and I am selling it.

Protools Software is second to none the hardware is third to many. Surely there are situations where some folks would need 3 HDx cards but I stronly doubt that ONE HDx card in a normal nehalem Mac Pro could ever achieve what the MacBook Pro Retina does....

Good Luck


PS - The Apollo PreAmps are very very Good and so are the converters. Lots of choices today and that is great ;-)

[Dism]

Originally Posted by 25ghosts

Get yourself a MacBook Pro Retina along with a decent Thunderbolt Interface and ProTools Software. Those new MacBook Pros are nothing short of a super computer.

Dear sweet lord, no.

Avoid the Retina like the plague. It is not a "Pro" machine by any rate. Can't do any upgrades yourself, the screen resolution is not supported by much of anything (which means a lot of static plugin windows will look painfully small), and everything is basically glued together (the battery, in particular).

Get the full sized Macbook Pro. Has far more I/O options, and you can swap out the optical drive and put a REAL SSD in it. OSX on the SSD and everything else on the 7200RPM drive. NOW you have a Pro laptop for audio production. The Retina is just glitz and glam.

Originally Posted by 25ghosts

\ Surely there are situations where some folks would need 3 HDx cards but I stronly doubt that ONE HDx card in a normal nehalem Mac Pro could ever achieve what the MacBook Pro Retina does....

Doubtful. Probably something you should ask of someone who actually uses HDX...

Besides, comparing any Mac Pro to any Ivy Bridge chipset computer is not a fair comparision. Mac Pros are dated and a waste of money. Of course a Retina will outdo it in terms of power, but so will most other modern i7s. The Retina isn't as impressive as you think. Just about any laptop with an i7 and an SSD should perform just as well.

[spearson8]

@Dan,

'MacPro a waste of money'??

I can certainly see why you think them over priced, but alas, that's Apple for ya. I have had my Pro for a few years now and PT hasn't faltered but a handful of times. That said, I couldn't imagine making a MacBook Pro or ANY laptop for that matter running long (HOT) hours upon hours sessions. Many moons ago I used a laptop...under powered, granted, but it was uuuugggly.

I have a PC running i7 chipset, but my Mac Pro still kicks some tail....for now...

[25ghosts]

Avoid the Retina like the plague. It is not a "Pro" machine by any rate

Oh my God..... I make a living off Music and Film.... Doing it on a Retina...

Professional means that you make a living with it... Nothing else... Think you have been a little indoctrinated by all the apps with a |PRO| word to them )))))

Just about any laptop with an i7 and an SSD should perform just as well.

I have one infront of my me.... And trust me it is VERY VERY impressing.
Never thought it would be / bought for mobile Film Editing. It is the first time in history that I can do everything on a laptop...

Edit RAW video... no Problem
Playback 60 Tracks 96KHZ in Protools... No problem and that with a plug on each channel.

Oh... Did I mention that BOTH ABOVE are done from the System SSD Drive..

Sure... The parts are glued together... But 16 GB of RAM and 768 GB SSD will get you along way along with 2 USB3 and 2 Thunderbolt... Latter you can even get an PCIe expansion for and run HDX should you need more than 100 Tracks of audio with plugs on each channel....

Some folks need more than others...

I know this, my retina smokes my HD3 system by FAR I can run about 4 times the amount of effects on the retina in comparison. And I can carry it all in a small lap top bag....

You should TRY the Retina before judging it....

[Dism]

Originally Posted by spearson8

@Dan,

'MacPro a waste of money'??

I can certainly see why you think them over priced, but alas, that's Apple for ya. I have had my Pro for a few years now and PT hasn't faltered but a handful of times. That said, I couldn't imagine making a MacBook Pro or ANY laptop for that matter running long (HOT) hours upon hours sessions. Many moons ago I used a laptop...under powered, granted, but it was uuuugggly.

I have a PC running i7 chipset, but my Mac Pro still kicks some tail....for now...

Yes, but you bought it a couple years ago.

I mean buying a Mac Pro brand new right now is a waste of money, because the technology is already 3 years old. A $1000 Ivy Bridge i7 PC will run circles around a current Mac Pro.

A Retina Macbook Pro also outspecs most Mac Pros.

[Dism]

Originally Posted by 25ghosts

Oh my God..... I make a living off Music and Film.... Doing it on a Retina...

Professional means that you make a living with it... Nothing else... Think you have been a little indoctrinated by all the apps with a |PRO| word to them )))))



I have one infront of my me.... And trust me it is VERY VERY impressing.
Never thought it would be / bought for mobile Film Editing. It is the first time in history that I can do everything on a laptop...

Edit RAW video... no Problem
Playback 60 Tracks 96KHZ in Protools... No problem and that with a plug on each channel.

Oh... Did I mention that BOTH ABOVE are done from the System SSD Drive..

Sure... The parts are glued together... But 16 GB of RAM and 768 GB SSD will get you along way along with 2 USB3 and 2 Thunderbolt... Latter you can even get an PCIe expansion for and run HDX should you need more than 100 Tracks of audio with plugs on each channel....

Some folks need more than others...

I know this, my retina smokes my HD3 system by FAR I can run about 4 times the amount of effects on the retina in comparison. And I can carry it all in a small lap top bag....

You should TRY the Retina before judging it....

I have tried it. It's not that it isn't impressive, but for the price, you can do a lot better. I'd rather have something I can replace the parts in.

The thing is, I USED to be indoctrinated by Apple's "Pro" line, but not so much anymore. They did away with a lot of the things that made them Pro. Notice how they stopped selling regular Macbooks? They all have the "Pro" moniker now. This suggests to me that anyone can be a "Pro" just by buying a laptop. The Pro line used to be a real step up. Now it's just the basic consumer line.

I'll take my Hack over any current Mac right now. For the $2500+ you spent on a Retina Macbook, I could have built two of my current tower, and it doesn't need a breakout cable for ethernet and firewire.

Also, it's a bad idea to do all your reading and writing to a single SSD. It will die fast. I have 4 drives in my tower for a reason.

Just my O.

[25ghosts]

Originally Posted by Dism

I'll take my Hack over any current Mac right now. For the $2500+ you spent on a Retina Macbook, I could have built two of my current tower, and it doesn't need a breakout cable for ethernet and firewire.

True that, however / hard to carry in a Bag when moving about
you could buy almost three retinas for the price of 1 worthy Mac Pro and with VE PRO that would smoke the Mac Pro and any HDx... Plug/in Wise... an HDx is like 7 big ones. And it will run LESS instantiations of plugs than a Retina via VE PRO. You could buy 3 retinas for the price of ONE HDx and still run MUCH more DPS processing. Plus you would have 3 great displays too ;-))))) This option will be MUUUUCH more viable for anyone working with VIs.. And a lot cheaper to... Of course if you need to mix a 292 track Avatar Feature Film an HDx is probably what you need.

Also, it's a bad idea to do all your reading and writing to a single SSD. It will die fast. I have 4 drives in my tower for a reason.

Interesting indeed.... I keep mine backed at all times.

[YYR123]

Dan - what is ur mobo and CPU model and specs ???

It sounds like a nice setup