semi noob

[SimpleJack]

Semi noob! I'm just getting started again with ProTools 11. I have used ProTools before, but it had been a long, long time ago. I had the Digidesign 001, and a PC that run off of coal oil, way back when ram went by MB. I found out back then you were better off staying off the internet and downloading other programs, etc... The past few years I've been a apple fan, and I've been wanting to get ProTools going again. My oldest boy is starting to play guitar wanting to "make it big" someday... He likes to play on the computer all the time, I figured it would be a whole lot better for him and more productive for him to play with Pro Tools, instead of games all the time.

So.. I got the Eleven Rack bundle with PT11 a year or two ago. I recently picked up a 5.1 Mac Pro 2.4 8 core. I just got finished making a Desk for all the equipment. I've been reading some of the post, I've went through the list of optimizing the computer for PT. I've recorded a few tracks, no problems there yet! It's just a little overwhelming being that I haven't messed with it in a long time. I got the Eleven Rack thinking that re-amping might be cool? for Christmas I got me and my boy a used EVH 5150II and it sounds great!!! so really I don't need the Eleven for guitar, but might be useful to get a different sound someday? and it might be useful for recording MIDI from the Alessis D4 and then use the Superior Drummer for better sounds? I also just got the Soundcraft 12MTK thinking that it might be useful recording multi tracks at once, but after I got that I got a soundcraft fx16ii for live sound, and it has direct outs on each channel. That could be useful for recording also if I had a Focusrite 18i20 or something like that? Don't know about that- just thoughts?

Right now, what I am wondering is the best way to set up everything I have, with the easiest way of using it all without having to change the main I/O and playback, etc.. reloading protools, changing monitors back and forth etc... Is it possible to hook it all up under Protools Aggregate I/O with the monitors on the Soundcraft or Eleven rack and hear everything? or am I going to have to get a Monitor controller to A/B switch them back and forth as well as having to change the setup I/O every time I use a different interface. Any suggestions on setting this up or any inexpensive equipment suggestions that I should get? Thank you!!

[SimpleJack]

Sorry, my equipment list didn't post, I thought it was in my signature. Here it is:

Mac: Mac Pro 5.1
OS X Yosemite
Mac Pro (Mid 2010)
Processor 2 x 2.4 GHz Quad Core Intel Xeon
32 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC
1-TB WD Black Drive for OS & protools
G-DRIVE ev ATC 1-TB Firewire

ProTools Version 11.3.2
Avid Eleven Rack
Superior Drummer 2.0/ Allesis D4
SoundCraft 12MTK
DBX 376 tube channel strip w/digital out
JBL LSR25P Studio Monitors/ Sure Headphones

other gear: EVH 5150II, several guitars, several pedals, Ampeg BA115, 5-pc drum set, Soundcraft fx16II, JBL MR series mains and monitors.

[musicman691]

After having G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome) you really need to ask yourself what you want to accomplish.
Are you really going to do live sound?
Are you going to record that sound?
How many channels do you really need? It's neat to have tons of I/O but if you don't realistically need it then aggregate I/O is more a pain than it's worth. And if you do decide to go aggregate then you will need a monitor controller to manage things.

As to the 11 Rack I too got the 11R/PT bundle some years back as it's a great relatively inexpensive way to get into PT11 and get decent I/O. Notice I said decent and not spectacular. I don't reamp through it as once I got past the 'neato' aspect of the modeling I realized it couldn't give me decent non-high gain sounds no matter the guitar I used (3 different Strats, Les Paul with old DiMarzio humbuckers). So for amp modeling it's either IK Amplitube 4 or NI Guitar Rig 5. Also not fond of the fact that by design when recording guitar through the 11R even when you record dry is that the level is low to accomodate reamping later on. I just use it as an audio interface using the line ins and bring my guitar in through a UA Solo610 tube preamp/di. That gives me a nice warm tube sound and allows me to record at a decent level; it also accomodates my Jazz Bass better than the 11R.

I don't use the MIDI at all because I have a separate 8 port MIDI interface.

You will definitely get a better sound using either Superior Drummer or some other drum vi like BFD3 (which I use) than what's built into the drum brains of the Alesis. I'm confused about something - how are you getting MIDI out from the D4? It's just a sound module unless it has some way of transmitting as MIDI any possible internal patterns it may have.

One more thing and that's about your system specs. What a lot of us do is to put them in our profile page with a little tag line in our sig file saying to look at the profile page for system info (like I do). There are some that know enough HTML to make it a clickable link - that's one of the few things computer-wise I haven't figured out yet.

[SimpleJack]

With my drums triggered I believe I can use the D4's midi out to send the midi notes to the eleven rack for recording in pt11. Then use the Superior Drummer 2.0 to throw in a good sound to that track? I believe years ago I used ProTools to record the midi notes from the d4, at that time I just used it to change the different drum sounds in the D4. I could be wrong, if I am I'll be seeing a set of Roland's soon. But I believe I can make it work?

One of the things I'm not sure of is if I should have got the 18i20 or something like it instead of the Soundcraft MTK, but I used it the other day to record two tracks at once, and it worked out ok. no problems there yet? I just had to switch all of the settings from the Eleven Rack. It would just be nice and easier if I could use the eleven rack to record the drums midi, and the Soundcraft to record the other tracks at the same time? But then again someone is bound to mess up and have to re-do, so... in all, maybe it would be better to record one at a time?

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by SimpleJack

With my drums triggered I believe I can use the D4's midi out to send the midi notes to the eleven rack for recording in pt11. Then use the Superior Drummer 2.0 to throw in a good sound to that track? I believe years ago I used ProTools to record the midi notes from the d4, at that time I just used it to change the different drum sounds in the D4. I could be wrong, if I am I'll be seeing a set of Roland's soon. But I believe I can make it work?

One of the things I'm not sure of is if I should have got the 18i20 or something like it instead of the Soundcraft MTK, but I used it the other day to record two tracks at once, and it worked out ok. no problems there yet? I just had to switch all of the settings from the Eleven Rack. It would just be nice and easier if I could use the eleven rack to record the drums midi, and the Soundcraft to record the other tracks at the same time? But then again someone is bound to mess up and have to re-do, so... in all, maybe it would be better to record one at a time?

I'm even more confused now with what you wrote in the first paragraph. Are you saying you're triggering the D4's drums with an external controller or are you trying to send note patterns from the D4 to your computer? If the latter you'd have to read the documentation for the D4 to see whether it can transmit it's internal patterns (if it has any) to a computer. Just because something has a MIDI output doesn't mean it will transmit MIDI to a computer - you need to provide MIDI input to the D4 to have it come out the MIDI output.

As I wrote earlier you have to decide for yourself what exactly you want to do. It's certainly possible to work with the combination of hardware you have but it may well not be necessary.

[SimpleJack]

I am sorry, I am not the best at explaining things, but I'll try. What I would like to do with the D4.-- Attach the D4 triggers to my drums, have a friend who is a real drummer, play what ever needed or whoever and go out of the midi output of the D4, send those notes to the midi input or through input of the eleven rack, and hopefully the computer/protools can read it. Then use Superior Drummer 2.0 to lay down some good drum sounds. Before when I did it, I had a PC and had the D4 hooked to the midi on the sound card. I am almost positive that the D4 can send those notes, because I believe I have done it in the past with the 001 Digidesign ProTools, but can't remember for sure it was a long time ago, but I am almost positive that the D4 can send those notes, and the salesman at Sweatwater who does some recording and said I can could do it that way, but I am hoping I can.

Now to why I would like to be able to run them both is because it would be nice for him to play the drums with the band if he wanted to, and why not go ahead and try to record someone else at the same time? The Soundcraft is a I/O interface and can do multiple tracks at the same time, but it has no midi interface. The Eleven Rack is the only interface that I have that can send midi info directly to the computer (I believe it can?). What I would like to be able to do is have the Eleven Rack hooked up to the Mac and the Soundcraft at the same time, record Midi with the Eleven Rack & D4 for the drums, and use the Soundcraft for all the vocals, bass, guitars, etc... and record a couple at the same time if I can, that is what is was designed to do. Maybe record them live sometime down the road, but I would like to know exactly what I am doing before I ever come to that road, if you get what I mean?

I would like to be able to do that without re-doing the Protools setup, and going through the I/O setup and all that. I would like to be able to just select which input I want to use on what ever track I create, and change it there, without going through the whole setup restarting the Mac and all that stuff back and forth. If I have to get a Monitor controller to A/B between the Eleven Rack and Soundcraft I'm cool with that if I can use them both!

[Ben Jenssen]

You should really use the return key more, man.
I can't read those bulcks of text, it's too tiring.
Paragraphs are your friend.

[SimpleJack]

I am sorry! Not the best at this, I believe that is a little better?

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by SimpleJack

I am sorry, I am not the best at explaining things, but I'll try. What I would like to do with the D4.-- Attach the D4 triggers to my drums, have a friend who is a real drummer, play what ever needed or whoever and go out of the midi output of the D4, send those notes to the midi input or through input of the eleven rack, and hopefully the computer/protools can read it. Then use Superior Drummer 2.0 to lay down some good drum sounds. Before when I did it, I had a PC and had the D4 hooked to the midi on the sound card. I am almost positive that the D4 can send those notes, because I believe I have done it in the past with the 001 Digidesign ProTools, but can't remember for sure it was a long time ago, but I am almost positive that the D4 can send those notes, and the salesman at Sweatwater who does some recording and said I can could do it that way, but I am hoping I can.

Now to why I would like to be able to run them both is because it would be nice for him to play the drums with the band if he wanted to, and why not go ahead and try to record someone else at the same time? The Soundcraft is a I/O interface and can do multiple tracks at the same time, but it has no midi interface. The Eleven Rack is the only interface that I have that can send midi info directly to the computer (I believe it can?). What I would like to be able to do is have the Eleven Rack hooked up to the Mac and the Soundcraft at the same time, record Midi with the Eleven Rack & D4 for the drums, and use the Soundcraft for all the vocals, bass, guitars, etc... and record a couple at the same time if I can, that is what is was designed to do. Maybe record them live sometime down the road, but I would like to know exactly what I am doing before I ever come to that road, if you get what I mean?

I would like to be able to do that without re-doing the Protools setup, and going through the I/O setup and all that. I would like to be able to just select which input I want to use on what ever track I create, and change it there, without going through the whole setup restarting the Mac and all that stuff back and forth. If I have to get a Monitor controller to A/B between the Eleven Rack and Soundcraft I'm cool with that if I can use them both!

The D4 does not have it's own triggers - it does have trigger inputs as well as a traditional 5 pin MIDI I/O. You need to provide your own triggers which are attached to the drums and then connected to the D4 (I'm assuming you're talking about attaching triggers to acoustic drums). There are many different drum triggers out there. Some of them can be finicky in setting them up. While those can work and quite well at that, a good set of purpose-built pads would be better. Alesis does make a few different complete kit setups that have the pads and electronics to go with them. Whichever way you go you're in for a good bit of work to make things work correctly and consistently.

And again with the audio interface stuff and mixer ask yourself how many sources are you really likely to record at any one time? That should drive your consideration as to what to do. Rather than having a mish-mosh of audio interfaces and mixers better to have one setup that will do the job - that way you don't have to sweat aggregate setups. There are a lot of interfaces that also have digital inputs that can take like 8 channels of input on one connector. You'd have the interface and a box like a Focusrite Scarlett Octopre https://us.focusrite.com/adat/scarlett-octopre
that would make use of an ADAT connector on the interface. Great way to make use of the unused capabilities of many interfaces.

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by SimpleJack

I am sorry! Not the best at this, I believe that is a little better?

It's a start.