No sound from Pro Tools

[Darryl Ramm]

Pro Tools can be fussier than most DAWs to set up, it does a lot, has some legacy baggage, etc. The just beautiful thing to me with Pro Tools is the user interface for working with audio, the analog console behavior. Pro Tools might not be some users first choice for say MIDI composition (Logic Pro on Mac would score high for me there) but you should see how it works for you.

Avid kind of messed up with Avid Link, trying to make things easier but it has too many problems at times, many of us just uninstall it immediately after installing Pro Tools. And although it is a bit of a pain, you are probably better off manually installing plugins and keeping them up to date etc.

Here is the compatibility information: https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...tibility-Chart

If you are running an older PC as long as the Windows version is compatible you should be OK, if the PC is underpowered you will eventually get CPU errors. Sample based VIs can be some of the more demanding workloads, on any DAW. But all depends on what you are doing.

To get the best performance out of a PC, follow the optimization instructions under "help us help you" up the top of each DUC web page.

Set the Pro Tools playback engine to your interface and set Windows sound to use your PC soundcard/motherboard sound to avoid conflicts.

Oh and check out freeze and commit features in Pro Tools, they convert a VI to audio... handy for reducing load from VIs.

[K Roche]

Well nobody can say what DAW is best for you But If you record any audio as well as Midi ?.. PT is hard to beat for Great Audio and basic midi .
I personally have tried Reason -Reaper and Studio One and honestly for what I do (and likely because I am so used to PT work flow) I did not find any of those to have Midi features that would make me want to use them for Midi over PT Now granted I do 70-75 % Audio and only use Midi about 25- 30 % of time so take that FWIW.


But just for your info,, here is one Project where I did it entirely in Midi = my cover of Chariots of Fire theme
https://youtu.be/vjIbzN4CfMA?feature=shared


As noted probably best to download from your account page "View my Products" and open the PT version (not sure if the demo version is Studio or Ultimate ) in any case once the PT version window is open
go here




Then download both AIR downloads the Instruments and the Effects

[marcel2]

Hi,
I finally had time to give it a new try. After deinstalling everything I installed just Pro Tools first. Tried to import an audio file and it worked. Then I installed Air instruments and Air effects, restarted my PC and my Steinberg UR22 wasn't functioning. After another restart it worked again. I then disabled Air Link from Autostart.
I imported the MIDI file I used before, but though Air effects seem to be available, Air instruments cannot be selected in Pro Tools. It works with the few instruments available though.
How can I tell Pro Tools that Air instruments is on my PC?

http://www.sk600.de/files/PTAir.jpg

[Darryl Ramm]

Hi Marcel

Sounds like good progress... but I'm not following what the problems is.

The packaging here is very confusing (And Avid Link does not help with this confusing mess) but the "AIR First Instruments" bundle is just the following plugins.

Boom.aaxplugin
DB-33.aaxplugin
MiniGrand.aaxplugin
Vacuum.aaxplugin
Structure.aaxplugin

And Xpand!2 is a separate installer.

And I see all those plugins in your screenshot. So what is missing?

[marcel2]

Ok, I thought the Air instruments were actually a full set of instruments. Hard to create Music with 5 different sounds.
How would I get a full set of instruments for rock/pop and classical Music?

[Darryl Ramm]

There are no end of choices out there. It takes a lot of work and real money spend to produce these high-end VI products so they are typically not given away with any DAW.

Vienna Symphonic Libraries: https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Product_Overview/VI_Series

East West Sounds: https://www.soundsonline.com

Spitfire Audio: https://www.spitfireaudio.com

NI Kontakt: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/catalog/software

Rock/Jazz etc. Drum VIs from many players, but the leader likely is Toontrack, who also make other VIs: https://www.toontrack.com

VI plugins from any number of general plugin vendors, e.g. UAD have very a well regarded piano VIs etc.: https://www.uaudio.com/uad-plugins.html

Other plugins from AIR Instruments: https://www.airmusictech.com/virtual-instruments.html.

If you start a new thread with an appropriate title and ask for details of what you are after folks here can likely make much better specific recommendations.

[marcel2]

Thanks for the recommendations. I've installed Expand2 and looked at a few Youtube Tutorials regarding this and Pro Tools in general but I'm not sure I'm getting a lot out of it.
I guess I start a new thread to clarify if I am approaching all this with false expectations.

[K Roche]

Originally Posted by marcel2

Ok, I thought the Air instruments were actually a full set of instruments. Hard to create Music with 5 different sounds.
How would I get a full set of instruments for rock/pop and classical Music?

Huh "5 different sounds" you do realize all of those bundled instruments "different sounds" are only limited by your imagination. They all have not only multiple presets , but multiple adjustments as well, meaning the "sounds" potential is in the thousands and by the time you add in all the bundled FX plugins you are now talking hundreds of thousands of possible sounds ---- if you can't produce a staggering rock opera the issue is not the number of sounds ........

Now granted there are some great 3rd party VI's that are not bundled with PT


But given you have a :
Drum machine
An organ
A piano
A synth
And a sampler

Also I believe now PT now offers Groove Cell drum machine,, Synth Cell Synth VI,,, and Play Cell another sampler also separate downloads
So that is actually 8

Which seems plenty to make music with

But seems to me you first need to get a bit more squared away with how to use midi in PT

Your first screen shot showed no actual VI instrument on any of the instrument tracks.
Midi notes with no instrument to convert them to audio is not going to work, in any DAW

Second importing midi notes made with other VI instruments or samples can be very hit and miss because of possible note mapping differences

[K Roche]

Originally Posted by marcel2

Thanks for the recommendations. I've installed Expand2 and looked at a few Youtube Tutorials regarding this and Pro Tools in general but I'm not sure I'm getting a lot out of it.
I guess I start a new thread to clarify if I am approaching all this with false expectations.

False expectations probably not Not understanding the PT midi work flow maybe

This was made with 3 VI's PT Synth Cell and Vacuum, and with UVI Falcon

https://youtu.be/vjIbzN4CfMA?feature=shared

This was made with only the bundled PT Vi's
Mini Grand
DB-33
Xpand2
Structure Free
Vacuum
Boom

Perhaps not your cup of tea style wise but does show the potential

https://soundcloud.com/kevwind/noregrets?si=ba7a8dc3458b4fa6ae1307ee77898cda&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing