The Future of ProTools LE?

[RolandK]

continuous scroll of the edit window during record/playback (that one seems really silly to me, but its there)

If I understand what you are saying correctly, PTLE does that.

operations/scroll options/page scroll during playback

[Cliffy_Boy]

Continuous scroll in TDM means the cursor stays put and the whole screen scrolls. This is nice since the cursor is always in the center so its easy to see where you are.

[lemix]

..me brotha beat me to it...

[RolandK]

Damn, you guys are fast! That would be cool.

[funkyghoul]

the new PS and xbox are both using what is basicly an advanced multicore G5. now isnt it strange how apple are ditching IBM hardware with their advancements on the horizion in favour of intel who are yet to release a true 64bit processor for the general market

Actually the the PS3 Cell processor is a joint venture between Sony, IBM and Toshiba. This new processor is going to leave em all for dead. The cell is no way an advanced multi G5 chip, it is a totally new design for co-operative processing.

[bb_aus]

..me brotha beat me to it...

just about every other package does it

[mixerboy]

I see it like this:

I think there is a limit to the amount of power we need for audio recording.
I mean in the very near future we are going to be able to run a 100 tracks at 196khz with countless plugins on a basic PC. History tells us this is the case.
So where does this leave TDM? Who is going to want a 1000 tracks at 1000khz and a 1000 plugins? It just gets silly.

At the moment we have a divide between us the home/semi pro users and the pro users with no limits on budget but I see this divide becoming smaller with each year.

I don't believe Digi can continue its current strategy and the addition of M Powered has only confused its product range. I wouldn't be surprised if in the short term M Powered replaces LE. This would allow as others have said for M Powered to offer you an upgrade path to a mid range system through M Audio hardware which leaves Digi still in control of what hardware can be used with pro tools. But as time goes on this gap between home/semi and pro cannot continue.

And then you have the competition. Nuendo with the might of Yamaha behind is gonna be a tempting platform for LE users if Digi don't deliver.

[joop]

Reading through, lots of things make sence. I think that PT needs the LE market very, very badly. Without there will be no PT anymore. I see the market as a four layer cake. The bottom is the home user with in the middle Sound Blaster stuff and as upper may be a digi 001 or digi 002. Then there is a middle low area with at the bottom the serious amateur and in the upper corner the small paid amateur or professional. Then the middle high area with in the bottom small studio's. In the upper part those who complaint that a digi 002 is too small, some have more pro stuff like a small TDM setup. The top layer are the big guys. But this market isn't enough for a proper r&d on a scale you might expect with PT. In the bottom TDM users and in the upper layer TDM users. In the bottom a small farm and in the upper big farms. Those users will never go to the pc market. It just change too fast. They need dedicated stuff which interact with everything without a hitch. If you are there you don't want to change every 2 or 3 years. There are not that many who will go from the middle part to an upper part. I'm financial and the steps are too big. From SB to PT 002 is a big step, from PT 002 to TDM is a big step, every time for a complete setup about tenfold in money. So LE with PT 002 isn't a step up market for TDM, there will be some, but this will be not the gain for PT. Its more for users who get involved with PT stuff on pro level and want to do some work at home. Some kind of service. No, the LE market is a market on its own and because this is a big market, PT can sell lots of units and will get enough money to keep the things going. The link with the M-stuff is just one for getting more cashflow. So if PT wants to go on, they have to listen to you and make what you want, otherwise it will going downhill rapidly. On my question what to buy they advice me to stick with a RME solution and Cubase. Its cheaper, can do much more, does have latency compensation but doesn't have tight integration of a thing like command8. And RSI is a thing to think about. Better a little less quality with a tight integration of stuff than loose sand with ups and downs but higher quality. Today, the hardware is compatative, its just only some things in software. If you don't believe it, look whats happening with creamware and what they do with marketing. They give away a piece of development software which did cost a fortune only a few years ago and want to attract users with this stratergy. But why buy a "closed" thing if you can buy an open platform with the same power for the same money, but with upgrade protection in future? If the market with PCI-X is going to boost and the mobo's with PCI aren't there anymore, what are you then going to do with those Creamware cards which aren't cheap if you have the big ones? I'm still puzzeled and busy figuring it out, I can do this because its just for fun while many of you need to earn a living from it. Than its a whole other ballgame. My advice, buy as little as possible which is depended on buss topology like PCI. If you're a pro, you probably write off in 3 to 5 years. So new stuff isn't a real problem. But if you are an amateur, than this will hurt a lot. Just my two cents..

[bigbubbaj]

It is true.

For ALL of my projects LE has been GREAT.

Think about it. Mixing star wars ep3 takes a little more horsepower than some high school kids who want to be rock stars.

Do we really need TDM?

Let it be said.

If money was no object I would have an hd6 system and an 192 channel icon.

There. It has been said.

I have made great sounding records in PTLE with mic selection, placement and great performances. Like this album by Dan Walker and The Sky which was mastered by Chris Cavell.

I have more processing power than I need most of the time.

I know a lot of this is convincing myself that its not worth mortgaging my house to get into a HD6 system with a 192 channel icon (that will be obsolete in 5 years).

Professional studio with 40+ hours booked time per week...TDM makes sense. LE basement shop like me...I get by just fine

[myfm]

I think Digidesign needs to release more hardware just for the PTLE line. The fact that there are only 2 pieces of hardware available is sad. The fact that there are more for PTM is sadder.

They already have three lines on the go and if one could go, it would be the PTLE line. Other people may want more power. I don't want to see PTLE swallowed up by PTM, to forcus on a perceived better sounding level of product. I'd like to see the PTLE line offer more hardware than the PTM line with improved software.

Newer hardware always sounds better.