Dig 002 Rack-Pro Tools LE track limitation

[jaaypeso]

somebody told me that you could only have 16 stereo tracks open at a time. Is this true, and if it is, is there any way around it, cause that's a horrible limit for something that costs 1200 dollars. Please clarify this for me.

[BrettB]

Pro Tools LE has a limitation of 32 voices, which means 16 stereo tracks or 32 mono tracks.

This limitation is build in to keep a difference between the expensive TDM system and the much cheaper LE. Most other DAWs offer unlimited tracks however, they don't always give the same advantages as Pro Tools on other fronts.

[jimbob]

Yeah it is annoying, you can also have 32 Aux tracks, i think.

even though it can be annoying, i love the ease of Pro tools, for editing, writing and all that

[albee1952]

You can get around the limit by submixing. Say you have 10 stereo tracks of orchestra, bounce them to a new single stereo track and import it into your session(or buss several tracks to a new stereo audio track and record them), then disable the voices of the originals. That way you still have the tracks if you need to fix saomething, but they don't burn up your resources. I just finished a 40 track session this way.

[Chris Cavell]

Yeah it is annoying, you can also have 32 Aux tracks, i think.

You pretty much have unlimited auxes (I think it's actually 128 or something like that). You can get around the 32 voice limitation by using a second app that can contain audio tracks and is a rewire host sent into those auxes...like the new ACID, or Ableton, etc.

[VanDerGraf]

You can get around the 32 voice limitation by using a second app that can contain audio tracks and is a rewire host sent into those auxes...like the new ACID, or Ableton, etc.

Learn something new everyday, here! Thanks Chris.


Van

[jaaypeso]

Could you dumb down the terminology a little on that process you went through, i'm new to the whole Pro Tools world(especially the buss and auxiliary terms). Also, after u finished this way, could u still make changes to any of the 40 tracks you wanted.

Also, could I just as easily drag and drop tracks from Protools to another multitrack recording software and vice versa, as long as I don't have more than 16 stereo tracks open at one time in ProTools. I know these are a lot questions, but I want to be able to get around the 16 track limitation.

[Shan]

A workaround that I use (and others here) for more tracks is to use Ableton Live. You can stream 16 more tracks thru Rewire on Aux tracks and then add your normal plugins to those Aux tracks. If you need exact details do a search or email me. I hope to program an "Audio track player" VST plug. We will then be able to get audio tracks on our Aux tracks. Then it would be up to the power of your computer.

Shane

[JMS40]

but I want to be able to get around the 16 track limitation.

Here's the obligatory "old fart" remark.
32 mono tracks doesn't have to be limiting.
Much has been done on less.

Now I'll totter my way back to the overstuffed chair by the fire.