Suggestions for Digidesign regarding Pro Tools LE April 29, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Digidesign, Project Studio, Troubleshooting , trackbackMany people would agree that Digidesign needs to make some fairly significant changes to the Pro Tools LE market in the near future in order to keep the product competing with the many other fine native DAWs. Unfortunately, many of these suggestions are flamed in forums, presented within language of “poor taste”, etc… Well here is your chance to present your suggestions.
As sort of an initial suggestion to Digidesign, I really think the LE market could use a gesture of good faith from Digidesign when this Leopard compatible update finally comes out. No matter who is to blame, the Mac-using LE community is really taking a kick in the pants here. The constant announcing “1-2 weeks” and then pushing back (etc.), the changing of dates on forum posts to push back covertly, (etc.) are all leaving a sour taste in the LE market’s mouth. Many people feel as though the “big corporate Digidesign” doesn’t care about the LE users. While I personally don’t think that this is true, some sort of bonus or gesture would help turn the market back towards their favor.
What would you like to see changed/added in Pro Tools 7.5 or even Pro Tools 8?
Please note that I would like to keep the tone of this discussion towards “Suggestions that will help Pro Tools LE (a great program), stay competitive” rather than “Pro Tools LE sucks!”. 
Here are a few big obvious ones that we have been asking for for awhile:
- Automatic plug-in (and routing) delay compensation
- No restrictions (or less restrictions) on track count/voices
- OMF/AAF import and export, MP3 export
And here are some other (most smaller) suggestions:
- A chorus/flanger plug-in (not just the AudioSuite one)
- A pattern gate (love the Digital Performer one)
- If the dependency on LE interfaces continues (which is fine), please give us DSP chips for headphone routing only (better low latency monitor mix capabilities)
- Surround support
This is a hard trail for Digidesign, in my opinion. Their software has MILLIONS of lines of code, and its all originally based on hardware/software interaction (such as the delay compensation and voices in Pro Tools HD).
Let us know your suggestions in the comments here.
C
The Studio Files
Comments»
Hey Connor,
Great topic. I know you’ll get lots of suggestions. We may even be able to print a few of them.
But seriously, I am not sure how Digidesign can keep bundling this software “for free” and keep up. They have milked it for all it’s worth in the low-end prosumer hardware market. I feel that they should disentangle themselves from the proprietary hardware model and sell the updated software for $300-$400 standalone. Apple may not be letting them go that route, which would be a shame.
I bet they would sell licenses to serious hoobyists and pros who would want the flexibility and compatibility installed on their workstations (I would be in, absolutely), but have never liked the fact that the digi drivers don’t play nice with other software–or having to spend another $1500 bucks to get digi hardware that’s remotely compatible with what they already have.
My initial $.02
Damon
The Studio Files
Yep.
Unfortunately (since its been the basis of their whole product line), I think Digidesign would be in a great place if they could ditch the hardware requirement (which would help out both of our suggestions).
Seeing as Apple have thrown in so many more plugins and software instruments and slashed the price for Logic Studio, maybe its time Digidesign should also be giving us more for the money, maybe even throw in the Music Production Toolkit for free? It would at least be a start and I’m sure it’d please a lot of LE users, Multi-Track Beat Detective, up to 48 tracks up to 96 kHz, as well as plugins such as Smack! and SoundReplacer would all make a nice addition.
^^Yeah, I hear you.
The only problem is that for anyone who recently bought extra plug-ins or the MPT, they would now feel pretty “cheated”. Personally, I got the AIR instruments, MPT, and a factory bundle recently, and wouldn’t be too happy if everyone else in the world got those for free next month
But, if there were some sort of “bonus” for people in my situation, that would be totally fine.
Ah ha, I see, maybe Digidesign should get more creative and design a load more plugins in a similar vein to Apple, basically expand further on what they already have but at the same time keeping the quality of them as best as possible (something which I think Apple sacrifice a little).
I am usually pretty happy with Digidesign’s plug-ins, simply because the ones they have (especially the new III series) sound pretty darn good for stock plug-ins.
I wish they had a pattern gate and an insert chorus plug-in, but other than that, I don’t have many complaints. My worry is that if they include too many plug-ins, the quality may go down a bit. In Logic, there are some plug-ins that I really really like, but there are others that I find to just take up space.
Wow, I never realized how much feedback this article got here.
Well I was just struck with an idea. I would like Digidesign to have a mode you could put Pro Tools in or a hotkey or a button on the channel strips during mixing so that when a track is selected all of its plugin and Aux send windows open. That way I don’t have to click on each individual thing when I want to fine-tune how something fits in my mix.
Digidesign… please make an interface for LE like an 003rack plus/console that is 24 bit 192k, that actually has really steller AD/DA converters. This would keep people from jumping ship and buying interfaces like fireface 800 to use with cubase. Pro Tools le users should not find it necessary any longer to buy modded interfaces from black lion. Plugin delay compensation would be nice as well. Pro Tools 8 looks cool and its additions were much needed, but I agree that MP Tool kit should be included from now on in PT. There is to much bang for the buck with other daws right now. i want to be loyal but it is really hard.
^^I hear ya….
People have been asking for something in between LE and HD for quite some time.
I wouldn’t count Digidesign out on something like this though. Recently, they seem to be really taking more of a concern with the direct requests of their customers (evidenced by things like Digi actually acknowledging that we want ADC, and promising that they are working on its implementation…)
With the power of native systems growing, I can only assume Digidesign is taking note of the changing market.
I would like digi design to take a million dollar board ,then capture the sound and build a LE board to sound like it. it would be like them getting a million dollar ssl or what ever and designing a mini board to sound like the big studio board. Same LE board but all new super future guts to it.Thats what i would like . If they ever take on the idea make sure they give me a free one for the idea.
^^Technically they are already doing that in both hardware and software form.
The plug-in bundles (such as the Waves SSL or API bundles) that are made to emulate “famous” recording gear actually all sound really good (and very true to the original hardware). Additionally, most of the big manufacturers (SSL, API, Neve, and the like) are all releasing smaller format consoles right now (like the AWS 900 or API 1608). As a final option, all those companies offer rackmount versions of their preamps, EQs and compressors (etc…)
There are really great sonic options at almost every budget, usually the hardest part is picking one…. or two if Santa is good to us.
I am hearing alot about the plug-ins, but what really needs to be addresses is the hardware. The only reason I stay with protools is the software. But what about the converters. Converters are everything. I know they are costly to incorporate in an LE version marketed to home studio users with lower track counts. But What I really want to see is a way to use an Apogee that will actually interface with the 003. The light pipe is limited to 48k. Doesn’t use smux. Which limits options for higher end converters. I don’t need the dsp from HD systems. I just want to use a better converter and still use the software. Forget all the other I/O just the fire wire that will support smux and will actually do AT THE VERY LEAST 8 in 8 out light pipe at 24 / 196 or even 24 / 96. All the other developers are doing it. Why cant Digidesign?
I’d like to see Red book Mastering like Sony’s CD Architect built into pro tools. I’m sitting here working on a 62 minute session… It would be nice if i could just bounce it down with all the tracks as seperate songs and keep my crossfades the way they are in between… Do you guys get what i’m sayin???
@Bryan
Unfortunately, I don’t think this is a direction we will see PT go. However, you could just bounce your whole session out as one long file, and then use a CD creation program to drop track start/stop markers where needed.