PRO TOOLS ? ? ?

ok my boy gave me pro tools le 5.3.3
im new but what is a m box and is there shuch thing as getting a pro tools version for your pc,without a m box????
what is pro tools softwere
or is hardwere involved too???
help im clueless

The MBox is basicaly a 2 in 2 out USB audio interface made by Digidesign specificly for Pro Tools Le software. The only version of PT that will work without Digi hardware is PT Free and it won't work with Windows XP. Pro Tools is the number one adio multi tracking software in use right now, keep in mind I didn't say the "best" software, just the most widely used professionally. For the most part to run PT you need Digi hardware(002, 002 rack, MBox, AMIII card) 5.3.3 will only work with the MBox, there's an upgrade(6.1, 6.1.1) that will work with all Digi hardware.

PT Le is basically a 32 track audio multi tracker with everything you need to record , mix and master your music.(I sound like a fuuckin' commercial) I've used almost every multi track program out there and PT just makes the most sense to me with the way it functions. It also has a midi sequencer but the real meat of this program is the audio.

ok
so how much you looking at for all dat,and should i just be saving up for a mac innstead of keeping my pc,i just want to be able to make quality sh??
i got acid pro and it just aint cutting it

First, I'd suggest sticking with a pc, we use a G4 Dual 1.25ghz and it's garbage compared to the Athlon 64 system I just put together for a grand. Don't get it twisted the Mac works but it's nice not hittin' the ceiling while working on a session. As far as the hardware, it depends on what you want to do. If you need more then 2 inputs, then you'll want either a 001-500.00-600.00(these are no longer in production but you can still find them), 002 rack-1100.00-1200.00 and the 002-2100.00. Go to http://www.digidesign.com and check out the specs.

i dont mean to be a prick but can you put that in "child terms"
im having a hard time understanding, basicly i got my pc ,a mpc 2000xl, a keyboard, some mics ,ect.
what do you reccomend and what are some options

cocaines a helluva drug

I've also been thinking about getting the MBOX and protools. I've used it before and loved it. I was looking into getting a MAC, but I dont know what specs I should look for. They have some G4's on Ebay for real cheap, but I dont know if they have the right harddrive size, processor, memory ect......
What should I look for? Thanks

Do you have a steady income for now? Good credit? If you do, go for the new G5. My boy just copped a 1.6ghz and that thing is a beast. I was so impressed I got a loan and copped the dual 1.8ghz G5. The loans are extremely easy to obtain through Apple's website. MBNA will grant almost anyone a loan, as long as you have some sort of previous credit history. One of my homies had a base credit line of $500 on CC, and got approved for a $5000 Apple MBNA loan.

The G5 has set a new standard. Not to say that other systems are obsolete now, cuz they're not, but if you are hust buying one now, get a G5.

see that is the whole thing i got the program pro tools and no m box
when i try to load it it says you need a m box and digisomthing.
so should i go invest in a m box or would there be other ways to get my beats to pc with high quality,like i said i just want to make my beats,throw down some vocals, and master it on my pc so i can burn it on cd

Buying things on loan is tempting, but really dangerous if you're once steady income goes away. High monthly costs are not fun to deal with on a non-existing budget.

But don't let me spoil your fun.

i got an amd cpu w/516mb ram

can you also reccomend maybe a good soundcard or somthing to make my cpu better for my music

I'm working with about a grand right now. I dont know about a loan, I'm, already in mad debt. Is it possible to get a decent Mac and Mbox for a 1000 bucks.

It depends on a lot of things, but mostly budget and needs.

The soundcard market is mostly divided up in budget segments.
You've got your consumer cards, like soundblaster and stuff. They will work a while, but you'll have to move audio around because of latency.

Then you've got prosumer cards like the M-audio audiophile range. They will also work a while and even though they have pretty decent (i.e. low) latency, they tend to have just average AD/DA converters and/or very little in the way of expandability (such as adding more inputs as need arises).

And it continues like that, up the price ladder.

And since I'm not you, I can't really give any good advice but to read up on soundcards, check the marketplace and ask about a specific model, since there's almost always someone who has used- or knows someone who has used a specific model, that way you'll be able to get decent advice.

Monthly payments through Apple/MBNA loan can be as low as $10 a month, which is how much my boy is paying. I've been saving for a minute, and I've actually paid off over half of my loan already in the first month to avoid high interest rates.

It all depends on you though, and how far along are you in your music career. View everything as an investment. Is this a smart investment for you? Will this purchase pay itself off within the next year (from sales/releases of your music)?

And to the guy who asked: yes, you do need Digidesign hardware to run ProTools.

CueBiz wrote:I'm working with about a grand right now. I dont know about a loan, I'm, already in mad debt. Is it possible to get a decent Mac and Mbox for a 1000 bucks.

Yeah, it is. I sold my G4 for a $1000, but they mostly go for around $600-$800 now. An Mbox is around $400 retail I think, but you can talk those guys at GC down a bit. If you have a contact at GC or Digi, you might be able to get an MBOX for as cheap as $200, and that comes with PTLE and an assortment of plugins/demo programs.