Customer Reviews

M-Audio Pro Tools M-Powered 8 Software

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am running Pro Tools 8 with Windows 7 64-bit and it works great. Yes, there were a few MINOR bugs with the initial release, but Pro Tools has made it very clear that Windows 7 64-bit is not yet officially supported. Their latest update however works PERFECTLY with Win 7 64-bit. In fact, the application runs very smoothly with minimal stress on CPU and memory. I typically use a lot of tracks and plug-ins. To date, this is the best application I've used in terms of system stress and audio quality.

These bad reviews seems to come from rookies who aren't quite sure how to use Pro Tools. Newer audio production apps are geared toward home studio/rookie musicians. Because of this, these same rookies pick up Pro Tools because it's the "industry standard" and immediately go back to SONAR because it's too complex for them. Just give it some time - learn the application and you'll love it.

Most of the bad reviews I see of PT8 out there seem to be from newbies that think all their audio problems will be solved by getting Pro Tools. So this review is directed towards those who aren't too audio savvy and are thinking of purchasing PT8M-P. If your attitude is one of "I have a descent to fast computer and I just wanna record me and my buds at home and need to have PT cause it's the 'industry standard'" then there are a few things to consider. It IS a bitch to get off the ground running. You will most likely run into a few speed bumps/brick walls. Now I'm not hating on PT, and you may just have what it takes to figure it all out. It's a great program and gives you everything you need. Just know your abilities and don't expect this program to fix and automatically do everything for you, in fact it's quite the opposite. It requires your FULL support to operate properly and to its full potential.

If you are to use this to its fullest potential, it requires at least basic knowledge about the internal signal flow, I/O setups, bit rate/sample rate, time stretching, buffer/delay compensation and each of the many tools offered. If you MAYBE know what one or two of those things are, I would read up or get another program. Sure you can plug in, hit record ready, and record then mix away, but you'll be missing most of what makes this program the "industry standard." There are programs that run faster, less buggy, that come with more plugins and toys, but NONE of them will offer you the recording/editing capabilities that PT does. If you know your shortcut keys, you can FLY through sessions! It takes lots of practice, but so does being good at anything.

Now if you're a MIDI geek, I wouldn't even bother with PT, as it's MIDI capabilities are limited and terribly difficult to maneuver around. BUT if you have another program that you like and will bounce all your MIDI to a stereo track, you can import that into PT and now you're talkin'! But I personally rarely do anything MIDI related in PT. That's not to say great things can't be done, but that just isn't the specialty of this program. It is slightly easier than in earlier versions of PT but not much.

I run PT8.03 M-Powered on an Intel Core 2 iMac and an Intel Macbook Pro and it runs great on both of them. I'm not recording full bands with brass sections or anything crazy complicated. 8 mics is the most I've recorded at once and it had a little latency but I was able to maneuver around it and make it work. I can mix with tons of plugins running and more often than not I'll have no problems with CPU overload. If I do, I work around it. And that's just MY personal setup. At HOME. Yours may vary. Also I recommend you understand your computer's limitations before purchasing. This is NOT Pro Tools HD. That costs thousands more and has dedicated HARDWARE used to process all the audio data. You're basically getting Diet Pro Tools. Your computer's CPU will do all the processing required which can be TONS depending on how big your sessions are, how many/what kind of plugins you're running, and sample rate (among other things). So make sure your computer can handle whatever it is you want to do with it. If you're tracking full bands, you'd better have the CPU power to back it up. But if you're doing some hip hop where usually one mic at a time is used, you won't need a lot of power. Oh and be sure to check the Avid website for proper updates for your computer. Certain versions might work better with certain computers (i.e. Version 8.03 works best with intel based processors, that kinda thing. If you find a version that works and is very STABLE with your computer, I don't recommend updating again. If it ain't broke don't update it).

Now, if you've bought PT8 M-Powered, this means you NEED to have a dedicated audio interface (specifically, an M-Audio interface--the "M" in M-Powered) to handle analog to digital/digital to analog conversion. Pro Tools 8 M-Powered WILL NOT EVEN START if you don't have an M-Audio interface attached. Even if you don't want to plug in a mic, you still need the interface attached, just to start PT. The number of inputs you can record at once depends on the type of interface you get. There is a newer version of PT out (PT9) that does NOT require you to use an audio interface to start the program (and it is not limited to M-audio or anything) BUT if you want to record anything with a mic or instrument cable, you're going to need one anyway. There are also more internal routing options available if you have outboard gear you wanna use. So, if that sounds appealing read up on it. Yup, it requires a lot of work. If you hate reading up on stuff, and putting in time to update, or fix things... not the program for you.

In conclusion, PT 8 M-Powered is definitely not the most user friendly audio program out there. But it is one of the best. Everybody likes to cut down whoever is on top, and PT has been on top for years (mainly because of the terrorizing business model Digidesign/Avid has put forth). If you're recording more for a hobby, or for fun and don't have much time or money invested in audio engineering, then this probably isn't the best program for you. But if you're willing to learn it, put in the time, money, effort and practice, PT is will treat you well.

I had absolutely no problem loading and running pro-tools on my Windows Vista 64-bit system. I went to the M-Audio site, downloaded the 64-bit sp1 and sp2 drivers. Installed both on my computer and then installed pro-tools. It has performed flawlessly. I have had some problems with programming my Axiom 25 midi controller but feel confidant it will work out. My Yamaha Motif 8 works well with it, but I only have used it for audio recording. The midi hook up there will needs a little fine tune as well. Still the range and depth of this program is magnifacent. I will say that if you lack real knowledge on how DAW programs operate with your computer you may have some problems getting up and running.

I'm new to music editing and this is the only software I have ever used. But even though I am new, I found the included tutorial helpful and I am up and running! Great software and powerful!

In The Box: 3 CD's (installations and Plugins), Manuel's, & ilok

Software Interface: Professional & Sleek design (DL the updates for win vista/7)

Software Friendly?: Yes, But dont inspect to know how to use it over night (but gradually) because it's professional.

Worth it?: Depends,if you wan't pro sound recordings then yes. If your a garage band, then recommended. If your still a noob, NO because you will be confused & Frustrated.

Warning: It's hard to learn, but worth the timing because you will surely have pro sound in the future.

Recommend: If your a noob & not familiar with any software DO NOT GET THIS. Get used to free recording software first

What You May Need: Audio interface (EX: Fast Track), Microphone (pop Filters), Headphones, & Studio Monitors

My Summary: It's frustrating at first but after the first month of using pro tools there would be little to no problems. Pro tools is industry standard so you wont find anything else cheaper of a pro software. I'm starting to get more serious in recording & its worth the money to step up your game. If you can't take sacrifices in life & hard work / stress, then recording music in pro level isn't for you.

Amazing bang for the buck. ProTools is an all-in-one recording studio that packs various real world interfaces into a virtual space, and is highly adaptable to your composing style. The learning curve may seem steep, but the extensive (1100 page!) manual is included on disc, and a few evenings of just fooling around with it should get you up to speed. I'm speaking from the point of view of a keyboard-oriented composer who can read and write music, and one of my big pet peeves with a lot of composing software is that it's geared toward MIDI event editing, or drop in the blocks style looping. While fans of both these styles of composing will love ProToools, if you're more comfortable with traditional notes on a staff, you won't be disappointed. Bonus points -- if you're an old school, notes based writer, you'll actually find the block/region style editing much easier once you've written and editing your tracks with ProTools's scoring tool.

On top of all that, the instruments and samples available here are extensive, and you won't even need to use your synth as a sound source. Via the included plug-in XPand, you'll have access to a ton of instrument sounds covering the gamut through guitars, pianos, strings, woodwinds, ethnic, percussion, as well as a selection of percussion loops that will let you lay down a quick drum track to write on top of. There are also several different analog synth plug-ins that will allow you to go super old school, and Boom, a full function drum machine through which you can create elaborate rhythm tracks.

If you're fond of recording acoustic instruments and vocals directly, that's okay -- ProTools will do that, too, functioning essentially as a multi-track recorder, but with the ability to change tempo or pitch on recorded tracks. And, although I haven't explored it yet (but intend to), you can also import AVI video directly into the program and link to time-code -- something that I think film composers would find very useful.

In short -- this little box of wonder has proven itself worth every penny I spent on it, easily replacing the need for separate synths, multi-track recorders, drum machines, etc. If you're at all serious about making music, you need this.

I have been hearing about Pro Tools over the years that I have been making music, and recording as well. I never had a chance to get this software, but I am really having a great time making beats and recording with this program. It starts off difficult at first, but when you get the hang of everything it gets easier to use. If you are looking for the music industry sound, this Pro Tools is the way to go!

I Just Bought This Bad Boy And I'm Enjoying It.....Plp That Rate This No More Then 2 Or Lower, You Don't Know What You Doing, This Is For The Big Tymers Or Plp That Know What They Doing......But Back To My Statement At Hand, Protools M-Powered 8 Is A Great Software, If You Do Your Homework On This, You Can't Go Wrong. I'm Up All Day, All Night Learning New Stuff On This. So Many Sounds And Option. You Can Make Songs From Rock, R&B, Rap, Jazz, Pop, Reggae, Country Anything You Desire Is All In Here Just Ready To Be Created. I Don't Know Where To Start On This.....But Ima Make Things Happen. The Best Software I Ever Invested In.

So Let Me Get Back To Protools.

My choice between this or Ableton live. I only had the chance to test out both demo versions that came with my Delta card. Albeton to me was simple and easy to get into. Protools M powered was a different monster all together. Not so user friendly as it showed me. After playing around with both this and Ableton I decide to go this route. I can see where live is good for people more into electronic music production and using midi and the likes but I'm more of a freelancer. I like that protools seems to be build around that where you can do almost anything with it. Live just made me feel like it was holding my hand. Pro tools is a bit more work but I feel that it's worth it. I just wish M-Audio made this a bundle with the card so I wouldn't have to go out and buy the real version separately if I needed this and a card.

The industry standard DAW. This is the program that will take me form indie artist to the big show. I have been a hip hop artist for over 10 years now and I love this program. I can produce music or a full song with vocals and mastering right from my home. V.I.P.E.R. The Hate That Motivates will the be first of many albums that I will produce with this DAW. So you might not think much of this review now but in a year or two you might be printing this off to have me sign it. Pro tools will always be the standard for hit producers such as Dr. Dre, Just Blaze, DJ Premier, and all of the other hip hop greats. Weather it be your garage band or your hip hop group, pro tools will get the job done profssionally. You can also take all of your work ferom pro tools to any studio with this program and have them master it if you dont have a vocal compressor. Reid O Brown Dj V.i.P. aka V.I.P.E.R. (325) 261-2191