Free Pro Tools version (16 tracks) announced

Hi all, any folks who like recording live instruments / vocals / hardware synths might be interested in this:

http://apps.avid.com/ProToolsFirst/

Thanks for the heads up!

I hope this one will install on my system as I recently tried to demo the full version and it just wouldnt. I checked around the net and it appears that some other people on windows machines had the same problem. Something to do with a limit on the amount of sub folders that windows can read and the installer over-running that limit. It would get to a certain point of the install and you had to dismiss a dialog for every sample/ component it was trying to write to disc - Im sure if Id continued clicking it would have gone into the thousands <_< They also stated on the demo download page that they dont offer support for demo issues, so I just gave up.

ProTools First looks like a nice freebee though. It doesn`t look from first glance of that page that it has their notation support which is a shame, but look forward to trying it if installs!

On closer inspection you`d have to put up with this:

http://www.avid.com/US/products/pro-tools-software-comparison-table

Three; projects stored in the cloud; additional projects may be purchased from the Avid Store in the near future

So no local drive storage of your projects…

I had a limited version of iTunes ProToolsthat came with my old m-audio interface, and I gotta say, I kinda hated it. I can’t see how this can possibly compete with Reaper’s offering, even if it is free. The money you save by being able to use free VSTs easily makes up the $60, and you have no limitations.

Not to say that it’s bad, it’ll surely be useful to some people. I just think there are far superior options out there, even beyond Reaper.

edit: Wait, no local storage? AND limited to only 3 projects? Nevermind the second thing I said. Completely and utterly useless.

I actually like working with cloud storage, and in fact I look forward to the day internet speeds are so stupid fast and connections so reliable that your entire DAW can be in the cloud with no latency issues. But right now you need a local copy. Internet connections can drop or suddenly be slow, or be perpetually slow, or not be available at times when you travel. We’re just not there yet. Meanwhile I do sync all my projects to Google Drive and that has been great. Except because the internet is still quite a bit slower than my harddrive speed, if I save a large project twice within a minute, it hasn’t finished uploading the older save and pops an error when it tries to save. That is something that could potentially go away though, if we get external .xrni/samples capability in the next release.

edit2: Somehow I thought “Protools” and typed “itunes.” Then made an edit, and didn’t even notice it. How did this happen?

Doesn’t every decent soundcard come with a bundled DAW that offers more than this stripped version of Pro Tools?

I just got the Roland Quad-Capture card and with it came a bundled license for Sonar LE. Haven’t installed it yet, so i’m not shure if it’s any good. Anyone familiar to Sonar LE?

All i really need and use is Renoise, only occationally i do some work in Audicity and it does the job i guess even though it’s not very effective or convenient. I’ve been thinking about adding Adobe Audition to my Adobe arsenal as i think it might have some nice compatibility features with After Effects, but i’m not shure.

Probably i would be best off with the Sonar LE, with it’s VST support and 32 audio tracks.