Lesson 8 - Posted on 2013-11-02 by Aaron Castro

10-28-13

10-12am

Lesson 8 - Intro to Pro Tools

This week was a busy week, mostly because of all the hassle with downloading and installing Pro tools. The chapter in the book was all about the history of Pro tools and the requirements and suggested settings you needed to have in order to run pro tools successfully on your computer. It was an easy chapter since I’m used to and good at understanding “computer talk”. What I found kind of difficult was the actual downloading and installing of pro tools. I mean, are you kidding me?! They guard that program like if it was part of national security. They make you give them all your info, then you have to send them your I.D. card and then some kind of proof you’re a student… and if that’s not enough, you have to then make a iLOK account and then they have to look you up and determine if they will grant you access to pro tools AND THEN give you a code which you have to have to transfer into your iLOCK and have it connected to your computer every time you use Pro Tools. I’m telling you, I was thinking twice before determining that Pro Tools was going to be my DAW of choice. If Apple ever makes an update for Logic that makes it comparable to Pro Tools, I’m sorry but I’m switching teams. Anyways after some trouble shooting with all my computers plug-ins, virtual instruments and settings I finally got Pro Tools to install on my mac and work. Another thing I find TOTALLY stupid from avid is that Pro tools DOESN’T accept VST’S! Until now I haven’t really found anything Pro tools can do that other DAW’s can’t, so I’m sticking with Logic for now. I mean I’m still gonna work with pro tools since it is the industry standard, unfortunately, but for my own personal projects I prefer a daw that does accept all the plug-ins and virtual instruments that I have spent so much money on. With all that said, I have been getting the hang of Pro tools and apart from all that nonsense I just mentioned, it is a very nice piece of software. It’s good I have it at home now too. That way I can practice the things I learn at the studio. Oh I also found out that The Recording Connection isn’t offering an interface with pro tools, it was replaced by that stupid “key”… the iLOK. That was a bit of a letdown since that was something I saw on the website and was looking forward to it. Well hopefully all my frustration and trouble pays off.