PT 8.1 Feature Requests (from a film composer)

[PTcomposer]

Having used PT 8 for composing for a while now I've come to depend on the notation view for pre-editing scores before sending to a copiest or editing myself in Sibelius. I've got a few requests for simple features that would make workflow much easier...

- more busses in LE. I heard a rumor we get 64 in 8.1 ... hope it's true. We need them to print stems.

- persistent instrument track names in score editor view. must be viewable at the side of the staff FOR ALL PAGES, not simply the first page.

- better performance out of the notation displays....they're just too friggin' slow compared to Logic, Sonar, DP.

- when "Sending to Sibelius," please have it either an option or the default that ONLY the tracks I have selected get exported! Right now, tracks selected get imported in "Focus mode," which is ok for quick editing but as soon as I need to leave focus mode i get slammed with 150 midi tracks on the page I don't need.

- an option to "record" into the score view; i.e, I want to make a note change and want to input that change via my midi keyboard. Let me select a note and change it via striking a key on the keyboard.

- there is a bug regarding refreshing the order of staves as they appear in the staff/midi notation view. I have yet to nail down how/when it occurs, but somehow the track order in the staff view differes from the track order in the edit window. Anyone else encounter this?

I find PT to be an excellent interface for composing, despite pre-conceived notions held about it pre ver 7. Nevertheless, the above workflow limitations combined with general poor VI performance compared to Logic or DP still leave PT at a disadvantage, and I consider switching every day. We'll see what happens....

[Obsidian Dragon]

I don't do composing (I wish I knew how to) but I just wanted to comment that this is a very good post. Very positive and constructive. It is nice to read this as opposed to some of the Avid/Digi bashing we see around here.

[gdugan]

Originally Posted by Obsidian Dragon

I don't do composing (I wish I knew how to) but I just wanted to comment that this is a very good post. Very positive and constructive. It is nice to read this as opposed to some of the Avid/Digi bashing we see around here.

+1

[PTcomposer]

Thanks guys! ( : Now lets see if Avid thinks so too and implements some of my requests....can't find the "add a feature" ticket on the new website.

[AlainZagar]

Great post, although I'm not sure I feel the same about PT for composing. Probably me and my old eyes.

I'm still waiting for my dream system with a fully integrated and powerful score editor like Sibelius and a seamless workflow between the two.

I really like Sibelius and so I've tried to workaround some of the shortfalls of the Midi and the score editor in PT ie using virtual midi ports from Sibelius to PT with very little luck.

These two programs are both huge memory and resource hogs and it's really hard to get them working and synced. Maybe with two computers it may be possible? Being stuck in WinXP 32 doesn't help either.

While we're on the topic, wouldn't it be nice to drag and drop from PT into Sibelius? Maybe the other way too?

Cross your fingers that some bright programmers at AVID will figure this out soon and also the marketing guys will see the need.

I'd be willing to pay $$ for this kind of workflow.

[lyricalico]

Has anyone figured out how to change the order of the tracks in the score/notation view? Or is this a bug?

[PTcomposer]

It's definitely a bug. When I get a chance I will post instructions on how to re-create it...

[lyricalico]

Seems like I stumbled on a solution. If I arrange the tracks how I want them on the left panel, and then save my work and close out pro tools completely, when I open Pro Tools back up, the tracks are in the order I put them in.

[Darney]

Originally Posted by Obsidian Dragon

I don't do composing (I wish I knew how to) but I just wanted to comment that this is a very good post. Very positive and constructive. It is nice to read this as opposed to some of the Avid/Digi bashing we see around here.

+1