M-Box / DIgi 002 quick questions for ne1

Ok, man, I guess I am going to make the move to PT, I dunno if I really want to do it, but I got little choice since the people I split the cost of gear with want to move to PT and I am outvoted

but that means I need some advice as I know enough about the specs and most of what pt does, but little about the "user tricks", as in stuff users notice about it.
these questions are for PT LE on anyplatform. I think we will be sticking with one of the 5.X editions since a pc we already have access too is set up for PT is using the digi 001.

I think we are gonna go:
Digi 002 with a P4
and a
Mbox with a laptop, probably a PC one.

some quickie ?'s

how does the combo of a midiman 2x2 and the mbox work? any issues you found with the laptops at all using two usb ports to both power audio and sync midi?

any issues with the MBOx creating audio artifacts in the outputs (ive heard this one before, that the mbox has some audio problems that create unwanted noise due to faulty constuction of the mbox)

Any issues with latency, midi delays etc. I dont really plan to use PT to sequence anything, maybe some VSI's but not many, so any prblems with simple, "slave PT to external sequencer via midi, lay down tracks until you've got them all laid down in midi sync"? Basically we dont plan to use PT as the master, only the slave., this is for both the digi 002 and the MBox, more so the mbox since the 002 has a midi interface built in, I am more concerned with PT working on a midi level with a midiman piece since I know Digidesign stuff likes to work with its own fellows, and sometimes dont like to work with other peoples stuff.


I assume it takes .wav's and aiff but what other sound types can it handle?


now I know that there is a 164 samples of latency in all tracks so after I lay down two, i gotta manually move them back to the front end 164 sqamples so that when I run the midi sync to lay down more tracks its gonna remain in sync (this is friggin annoying, I can see it now....)

any other issues? funny performance, problems using plug ins, etc.?


I head that the MBox cannot use real-time-Plug ins, is this true? (if so why even cop one, so I think its a lie, but I wanna be sure)

what computer would you reccomend for both the digi 002 and the Mbox? any platform and why, cost is not an issue, but performance is.

Basically, we plan to keep the digi's at my friends house and use the mbox for mobile recording.

I will have to give up my beloved CEP since it will no longer work with PT, I mean, I can import the wav files into it, but It will be too much trouble, so I will have to just give up and go back to mixing and recording at thier places until we get another 001. anyway, thanks y'all,. ne 1 wanna buy a Red Rover? hahahaha

I thought I would never see this day. Just busting your chops Doc. You wont be disappointed. I've only seen the TDM at work but considering that pcu are getting so powerful they should do the job and them some.

Uno/1

gams

word. I know! I cant believe they want to spend all this loot and move to a Pc setup for beats, sheesh

I pointed out we could cop a Motif AND a Fantom for what we were droppping on this ish and have $$$ left over to expand them but they aint trying to hear it. They seems to want to move to a more "virtual" profuction rig, and start using plug-ins and instruments and ish, I tried to talk them out of it but they seem insistant and we all decided back in the beginning that we would all vote on the mutual funds we ponied up and go that way, and I lost da vote, so now I gotta find out as much as I can about PT. my boy who has the 001 already knows how to use it so now I gotta catch up. Sad, I'm giving up my much loved CEP, although if we go the pc route, I'm 1000% sure I'll find a way to sneak CEP 2.0 onto the pc and happen to have a usb audiophile SC when we go out portable with it, hehehehe

still, holla back on the ?'s I got some-one.

Pro Tools is more user friendly than any other DAW in the market in my opinion. You'll catch on in no time Doc.

Uno/1

gams

Glad to see your making the move to PT, you won't regret it. It may take a while for you to get used to it but once you do you're going to wonder why you waited so long.

Alright, as far as latency, it shouldnt be a problem, especially if you buy the right computer to run it. I suggest an Athlon based system as these are outperforming everything(including Macs) right now. Check out Digidesigns website, in the user forum they list what systems are working best. You can adjust the buffer settings in PT to achieve very low latency so this won't be a problem, the only problem with low buffer settings is if you're CPU can't handle it but as money is not an issue you shouldn't have that problem. Just make sure to get the most powerful processor you can afford, PT is a VERY cpu intensive program.

As far as the laptop, I would suggest a Centrino based system as these are even out-performing some desktop systems with PT. The MBox is notorious for being picky about what USB port it's plugged into but once you find the right one it's no problem. I've used a USB midi interface with the MBox and haven't had any problems with it. Also, I don't know who told you about the real time plug-ins but they lied to you. The MBox is capable of everything the other hardware can do except for the in/out variations and monitoring.

As I said earlier, you should definitely check out www.digidesign.com> click on the support tab> click on the user conference tab> go to PT host systems> Go to the PT for windows forum. Everything you want to know is in there including the best systems for under a grand and the best laptops for PT. Good luck!

word good looking out dog.

I still dont want to give up CEP....

But que cera cera, I guess.

damn, i didnt think i would see the day either. do you get the bozack now? just kidding man.

but yo, i hooked my mpc up at work on a tdm system and my audio actually came in early when laying down tracks. i had it hooked up using beat clock with the mpc as slave and it came in uber tight, no latency. but i think there was a midi offset going on to compensate for other synths and software. pt takes sd2 files, and can convert quicktime and mp3 stuff too. as far as the mbox goes, i know nothin about it, or the midiman. actually, we have two midisport 4x4s running connecting to the pt midi i/o and have no problems with them, but there is still a digi piece of hardware in front so i dont know if that really answers your question. plugins in pt are sweet tto, look into the waves stuff, they the bomb. i got a friend with the 001 and a pc running xp so i can cross reference future questions thru him later. he just got it hooked up so i will relay any newbie probs he has to you. good luck, i think you will enjoy it.

"Wellity wellity wellity" ...
Look who's coming over to protools' house for dinner! Oh man, you'll love it! I firmly believe you can do whatever you want on pretty much any platform, but as far as beats, you may not want to sell your samplers. Even though I rock PT as well, I feel much more creative when I have the MPC on. Yeah, a software sampler is going to be much more powerful than an MPC, but not as intuitive.
Once I dump my tracks from the MPC though, I feel the midi is much better for advanced keyboard parts on PT than on an MPC. And, if you rock PT 6.O, the midi is even better. To top it off, there is an acid-like beat stretch function, which automatically time-stretches samples that you drag onto the BPM grid in the edit window. I don't actually rock 6, though, cause I have a lot of pluginz that work with mac OS 9. So, check out 6.0 if that's what you guys are copping. Keep this in mind: If you cop HD, or 002 rack or contol version, you will not be able to run cracks. I am in no way endorsing cracks, I'm just giving you the heads up on that. Even if you go PC instead of mac, with PT 6.o or higher, you will probably have to spend $500-$2000 on pluginz IF you are doing professional level mixing. Now, yeah, you could import to other programs, or process shit, but that defeats the purpose of an all in one system. If you do have to drop a huge bundle to cop plugins, you will not be dissapointed.
Software synth vs keyboard? No comparison, and you know that, dog. Processor power should go to your multitracker, not three different things at once. And what's the benefit of software synths anyway? OK, save table/rack space, and, if your lucky, about $300 on a new unit. But, Compare the virus, one of the only REAL quality synths that has gone software as well. The soft version is 300 dollars less, but then, that doesn't give you hardware knobs, etc, and it's a hit to your processor power. Your choice, and your boys votes, tho'.
Protools 6.o is super convenient, though, because the file management is upgraded. That is, there are little digibase windows that you can open, and just drag the file right into the session. Right intothe edit! Smashing. You You can use Soundesigner II (Digidesign/Protools proprietary native ausio format), .WAV, .AIFF, quicktime, and MP3, with the mp3 option installed. However, 6.0 may have even more compatibility, so don't quote me. With my Digi 001/5.2 setup, I've been able to import alot of stuff, but I just have to convert at the protools level. With 6.0 and higher, it's even quicker.
The Mbox is ok if you are just using PT to track vocals from outboard gear and want to use the software, and/or you are using a laptop. Of course, HD is the hot sounding shit, but of course the most expensive, and thats tower based only. The 001 is discontinued. If you want that, you will have to have sam ash order one from some factory in wissconson, or cop a used one. That PCI (tower-based) only.
That is by far the best value, if you don't need a control surface, as you get 8 ins, or 16 simltanious ins if 8 are from a digital board! And, it's cost effective, as there are plenty of pluginz 'available' for that setup on the eirlier OSs.
But, if you want to go the next step up, even if you want to use a laptop (must have a firewire to connection), I would seriously consider the standard Digi002. That's the black tabletop joint with control surface. You get 8 ins, 8 outs (16 if you have another inpot source w/ adat outs). You also get two focusright preamps (not the greatest, but better that the 001). You also get the control surface; 8 hardware faders, rotary encoders (for panning and assignable use) and 8 channel lables (digital 'scrible-strips' that show the track name, etc. The faders and hardware flip assignment with the touch of a button , to acess however many channels you are running, up to 32 tracks, in sets of 8. And, it has a mixer only mode. So say you want to use faders and eq on 8 chanels to make a beat, you don't have to strat up protools to do it. You can use the 002 controller as a standalone, 8x2 digital board! This thing will cost you $2.200 on average, but you can certainly get it for less. The 002 rack has a couple more inputs, four goins on the front panel, and runs about $1,700. No contol surface.
Of course, if you are going over the 2G mark, but want more inputs, your going for the used, expanded TDM. TDM is the older professional rig, with more options than LE, and will give you access to many 'available' pluginz as well. Keep in mind, both the TDM and new HD systems are hardware based. That means two important details: you need a pci slot, so they're tower based, and you will need cards sitting in the TDM setup for plugin power. Also, if you get a TDM system used (since it's out of production), I would NOT recomend a PC. Macs were the ONLY way to go when TDM was the mainstay, and so PC was given little support and therefore remains an unstable platform for TDM.
If y'all are balling out of controll and/or are going above the 5G mark, then you want the HD rig. The HD 2 is somewhere in the middle of the line, and runs a max of $8000. That gives you a core card (again, no laptop action here) accessing 32 in and outs on the hardware converter, as well as enough dsp to run 96 tracks with alot of plugins. If you want to be able to run as many plugins as you have tracks, you will have to drop another $10,000 on a DSP HDaccel card to upgrade, but they may make an integraded packege with the card and breakout hardware in one, making the 200 voice, ultra plugin monster a bit cheaper.
YOU WILL NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH LATENCY, at least not latent audio (ha, ha...ha). Even with the 'home' versions like 001/002 with LE, you can enter 'low latency' mode. The trade off is, on the track you are recording on only, it will bypass the effects opened on that track during record function only. There are quick insert workarounds to that drawback tho', and I've never had a problem.
MY PERSONAL RECOMENDATION: Get a G5, the fastest speed they make. Or, get a used g4 on the cheap. Don't **** with dual processors. I have one, and it was a dupe, man. OS 9 can't access the dual function, and if you are running audio on Protools, YOU WILL SEE NO MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE FROM A DUAL PROCESSOR, EVEN WITH OSX. That is also a direct quote from a Digidesign Technical assistant. GET A SINGLE PROCESSOR, FAST G5 or G4. Get a 002 control surface, and an mbox as well if you want to run that second mobil rig, or loan it to cats on the team to mix with. Your ability to run live plugins is dependant on processor speed, not hardware. That 164 millisecond latency is bullshit as well. That's also dependant on processor speed. At any rate, you will never haev to "move tracks back into place."
The great thing about OSX.6 w/ Protools on a Mac is, it auto-allocates memory for you. XP does this as well, but XP is trash and doesn't always allocate properly. 'F' it, I'm a PC hater. That being said, I won't wish you good luck, cus I don't believe in "luck". I'm sure your expertise will render fantstic results, especially now that you are adding the big guns of protools to your arsenal. Like the saying goes, you get what you pay for. ProTools can get expensive, especially if you are buying plugins, but it is well worth it, dog. Go get em.

Yeah Protools is hot . Everybody and there mommas use PT. You should check out the digidesign user conference. It is a awesome place to find out anything about PT. www.digidesign.com , then go to support and then user conference. You can do a searchand find the answer to almost anything. I only use my Protools to record not to make beats. Good luck . One

yup yup yup , i have owned a mbox and digi 001. both ran on a mac , i ran 5.whatever and 6 on osx. i like the new pts 6 its cool , i would get the 002 rack firewire joint and a mac g4 with a lot of ram. then as far as plug ins the waves gold or platinum bundle are tight. with the 002 rack u would not need a mbox or want to waste the dollar$. mbox is soooo wack to me , i don't care who says what portable whateva , unless i will say it again u are quote '' ballin '' i would have a mbox just to listen to pro tools tracks to do mixes on a laptop . foo u are the main pro tools hater and 4000 hater , sorry i called u a hater. u still know whats up in my book. i think u will love pro tools when u start getting involved and moving up to bigger systems with more power ie PTS HD. regardless what u think it will open your production/engineering game up. the motif is hot i am with ya there holla back