Pro Tools 10

jackson wrote:Bought PT9 this MARCH and today in my e-mail I've found... a free upgrade code from Avid.

Now that's more like it.

at the end of the day though... who really cares?

plenty of people care. it is important, especially when people are spending money based on this advice. more on this in my last paragraph.

and plenty of people have done scientific tests to determine that the difference that people here in DAWs is illusion.

please remember: this is not a criticism of your hearing or your perception, AT ALL, so i want to express that i TRULY want to avoid this turning into a personal argument. we are all equally gullible when it comes to hearing different things based on context, etc. the classic audio engineer example is listening to a track, deciding it needs some EQ, adjusting some EQ properties, and then feeling good about the difference in sound -- only to realize that the EQ was bypassed/disabled/etc.

now, different models of MPCs...nobody's done a null test on those yet. i believe that there would be a difference, proving that they do indeed sound different. DAWs, on the other hand, have been extensively researched, as this argument comes up a LOT as people try to make informed decisions on which DAW to purchase.

googling this issue brings up a billion threads, most of which seemingly go unresolved. however, the way it usually ends up is this:

side A: 1-1 = 0. using the null test, we have shown that rendered wavs from DAWs (using the same pan laws/gain structures etc) null (ie cancel out when one wav is inverted and played against the other) to 0 or less than -80 or so db.

side B: 1-1 = magic. i still hear a difference.

i cannot help but go with the math/physics on this one. if i were to trust my life to one of those two options, i would go with A every time.

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now, science aside. IF YOUR USE OF A PROGRAM ALLOWS YOU TO MAKE MUSIC THAT SOUNDS BETTER, DUE TO YOUR TALENT/ABILITY TO WORK THE PROGRAM, then that program is a better choice for you. hands down. you will sound better using that program than any other option. USE it and love it. this is where the "let's just make music" part comes in and in the end, it is the most important.

but to purchase a DAW based on perceived sound quality DESPITE the evidence against such is potentially a thousand dollar mistake... not a big deal to those with huge budgets, maybe, but to 99.9% of the people reading this forum, that is a LOT of money to spend on hocus pocus. i think that is easy enough to agree on.

and just to reiterate, i have absolutely no judgement on the people here who use or recommend Protools at all.
if i can be shown that there is a difference and that all the tests thus far are wrong, i will happily eat my words on this issue. however, digital audio is relatively easy to test against itself. it's hard to attribute this issue to mystery, unlike subtle differences between 808s due to the tolerance of different electrical components, etc...

great post!

def not a personal argument.

science, math, etc...

just make music.

talent is a far greater asset than any piece of equipment you can own. some dudes can make a classic album with just an acoustic guitar, vocals, some mics and a 4-track recorder. Albums better than an artist recording at the most tech advanced studio in the world with all the latest greatest DAW's and Plug-ins.

we're living in a day in age where all these DAW companies are competing with each other. they all offer Free trial versions of their software. Of course what soundcard you are using is going to make a difference, just as good mics, better converters, etc... will make a difference in capturing your sound in a digital domain. Anyone researching for what DAW they should purchase would be stupid to just read articles and reviews. Download trial versions of all the DAW's, try them yourself, listen to them all, see which one is the easiest most comfortable to use for you and your work flow and roll with it.

then, like i said... make some good music.

i know what i like based on my personal taste and workflow and i've been lucky enough to try out all different DAW's over the years. one thing i can say is this... no matter what DAW you put me in front of i will get music done and have it sounding to the best of my ability with the tools at hand.

^ keep up the great work, man. it's a real excellent thing to be so versatile. i definitely am not!

thanks Nym

keep doing whatever you're are doing, cause you're doing it right.

to all... use whatever tools you have to the best of your ability and always try to keep an open mind and learn as much as you can.

jackson wrote:Bought PT9 this MARCH and today in my e-mail I've found... a free upgrade code from Avid. WOOT WOOT! PT 10 looks like a very nice update, can't wait to test some of the new stuff

You serious? They say the only people who get a free upgrade from 9 are those that purchase 9 on or after 10/2/11.

Got a free upgrade email too. Upgraded my laptop to lion and ptx but still waiting to update the main towers to ptx. Ive had a solid os and pt systen for far to long to go jumping into anything, free or not