lost in a sea of info

[staring-at-sound]

Helo, I have just purchased Pro Tools 3.4 from someone and am finding the PDF's on the disk confusing as to what else I need to get in order to get myself set up with a home recording situation. Finding what I need is seemingly impossible on this site. For the record: I have a Mac G3 266 (not the blue and white one, a desktop) and system 8.5 (or 8.6? can't remember right now). I realize I will need an external drive with the right speed, but am confused as to waht kindo f audio card I have to get. I plan on connecting this setr up to my Tascam reel-to-reel 4 track. As you can see, I might as well be using duct tape....haha. Anyway if someone could point this ignoramous in the right direction i would LOVE you for all eternity. Also, info on how to set up a basic MIDI interface would be great, plain english preferred! Thanks.

[Gary Stadler]

You might be hosed...3.4 is a standalone version protools that uses the Macintosh inputs and outputs, and does NOT require any other audio hardware. It will work with an audiomedia III card if you want higher audio quality, but it doesn't need any audio hardware at all. The hitch (I'm pretty sure) is that the digi init that is required by this version is a vintage which won't run with system 8 or higher, and your computer won't run with anything lower than system 8... You might try it, but if you can't get it to run, that's probably why. In that case you'll have to either get newer software, like protools 4.3 with DAE powermix, or get an older power mac, like a 9600.

If you get a drive that is 7200 rpm (and get one that you see on Digi's "approved drive" list...my favorite is a quantum atlas II 9 gig) you'll be able to mix 16 tracks no sweat.

PT 3.4 and midi? no comments....

Good luck!

[CCash]

whew... well, we've run 3.4 on OS 8.0. Never tried a higher OS, though.

Thing is, if you buy an Audiomedia III Card, you might as well buy a "Toolbox", which will have a newer version of Pro Tools. Of course the new ones have PT 5.0, but take a look at e-Bay or something if you want one cheap. Should be able to get a 4.3 version with AMIII Toolbox for under $300.

And that bastard that sold you 3.4 needs a talking to... Digidesign was GIVING them away a few years ago!

[Gary Stadler]

CC- yeah, weird....I've been watching ebay lately, and $50 seems to be the going rate for 3.4 !!! But actually it's a good deal in a way...it's extremely stable, zero bugs, and if you import audio generated by an AMIII or a 2408 system like I used to, and export it via CD, it's an amazongly versitale and powerful tool for that 50 bucks!! I bought a mixplus and 5.0, but I kept an entrely separate computer with 3.4 in it, because for a lot of things, I still like it WAY better than 5.0!!! (and what a joy to actually own a DIGI program that does NOT have a key disc....)
...Go figure...I'm betting that Digi wishes they never made it....

[CCash]

Gary, talk about opportunists! I couldn't believe it was free back then... I remember ranting about "I don't understand the software business! How can they do that??" But guess what... they lured us in, huh?

The only problem we had w/8.0 was that on the pan and volume sliders, zero was always kinda scribbled out... made it tough till I figured out some keystrokes.