The Pro Tools wish list
Pro Tools is in many ways a very good program to work with. Besides having exclusive rights to some of the best plug-ins in the industry and being amazing for audio editing, if you learn it well it also becomes extremely fast to work in. It is not perfect however. So here’s a list of what I think could improve it greatly.
- Better MIDI handling. This has been said since the dawn of times and it actually has improved greatly for every major release. It still has a long way to go though.
- Better CPU handling. Pro Tools is so much of a hog that it isn’t even funny. The thief here is probably an ancient code base which by all means is no small task to rewrite, but there are quite a few who are praying for the day it happens.
- Linux support. Did I say that? You bet your ass I did. It won’t happen until pigs fly however (so get those damn pigs into the air now boys!).
- More included plug-ins. The plug-ins included in Digirack are actually very few compared to some of the competition. What’s worse is that it lacks RTAS versions of some really standard things such as chorus/flanger, stereo imager, metering, etc. You can get a bit longer on the way by downloading third-party free plug-ins, but still…
- ADC. Actually, I’m just saying this because everyone else does. Personally I couldn’t care less. I’ve never felt the need for it.
- A piano roll that doesn’t make me resort to violence against my loved ones. Seriously? Isn’t there something really annoying about it? Switching from region to note view can make have it show you the eight octave when you only have notes in the first. Scrolling through it is slow and you have to use those annoying little arrows to do it (death to anyone who force this kind of mouse control upon us!). Sometimes a few of the tracks have huge notes and some have so small that they’re barely visible. Yes, I know. you can change them… But why, oh why, does it even need to happen?
- Better CPU handling. I’m sorry, did I already say that? Must be important then. I bet this can cause a lot of the error messages on completely Digidesign approved LE systems.
- Less error messages on LE. Yeah, I know, I’m a tape machine gone bad.
- Offline bouncing. This is a no-brainer and something that would make a lot of difference to me.
- Finally I would like to say Pro Tools truly native. Let me use whatever hardware I like. Let me be restricted by lack of computer power (because the gods know I will, see #2, #7 and #8) and not by - in all honestly - intentional crippling because I can’t afford your HD cards for every place I work.
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By centralsq » Blog Archive » The Pro Tools wish list ~ October 21, 2007 kl 4:43 pm
Agreed! That’s pretty much what bugs me as well, at some point I even considered switching to Logic….
Although I like the fact that I need special hardware to run it, it definitely makes those exclusive plug ins even more exclusive.
By Alex ~ October 21, 2007 kl 6:07 pm
I’d love to see ADC and some better CPU handling on the next version of PT that’s for sure.
For me ADC is very important as I have 4 UAD-1 cards and can’t use those in ProTools due to the latency issue.
I have have Nuendo as well but I’m still waiting fot he N4 package to drop in.
Truly native would be nice as I’m working on 3 different locations so I need 3 pieces of digidesign hardware… don’t realy believe that the MBox mini is worth to be mentioned but what do I know I haven’t event tested it.
Let’s pray for some miracles ‘cos I’m really starting to like this softare
By MIKO ~ October 21, 2007 kl 6:49 pm
[...] here to view the article. You could consider this more wood for my Logic vs. Pro Tools flame, but is [...]
By Pro Tools Could Be Better…Much Better, Actually « RECORDING MECCA ~ October 21, 2007 kl 7:11 pm
Well, I don’t think ProTools is such a CPU hog. I’m on an old G4/733 and 32 tracks with video for editing are no problem - unless I start using many plugins or (a little) MIDI - other apps are much worse, Nuendo 2 won’t really play on my computer.
BTW Nuendo. If you’ve ever worked on it, you’ll soon miss a couple of features in ProTools:
Clip based volume/Volume handles, tough to get along without these, if you’ve ever got accoustomed to the concept.
Bins or folders in the regon list. Things could be so easy…
Better mousewheel support and an infobox for the selected clip, comes very handy.
And why can’t I “flip-open” the floating fader window to a full floating channel, this could eaqual the Logic or Nuendo interface and would be great for laptop users.
By filmsoundguy ~ October 22, 2007 kl 5:04 am
AUDIOSUITE HANDLES!!!!
This is a biggie. I also could care less about ADC, I would rather have audiosuite handles added first. Otherwise good list.
I think it’s worth pointing out that some of the included Digirack plug-ins have gotten very good - Dyn III and EQ III are excellent, up there with any paid-for plug-ins. In addition to adding new ones, they really need to bring some of the other ones up to the same standard as those two (D-Verb, for example, could use a bit of work).
By terminal3 ~ October 22, 2007 kl 7:50 am
Yepp you’re absolutely right
Bins and Audiosuite handles is a must .. can’t really understand how the h..l I could miss that on my wish list…
So do you think any of these features will see the light in the next version?
cheers / Mike
By MIKO ~ October 22, 2007 kl 8:20 am
@ filmsoundguy: I think that will always be the problem if you jump from one platform to the other. There will always be something that you will have a hard time living without.
By stiff ~ October 22, 2007 kl 3:21 pm
>> “So do you think any of these features will see the light in the next version?”
Yeah, Linux support will be here next month! Or maybe not
Honestly I really believe LE will have ADC very soon, despite what skeptics say. As far as rewriting the code, there have been a little talk about this. Obviously it should happen in a x.x release. Would be very weird if they had a completely rewritten codebase for 7.6 (or whatever)! So let’s hope for 8.0!
By stiff ~ October 22, 2007 kl 3:24 pm
I couldn’t have written it better!
This list includes all that also annoys me. Only difference: for me the most important point would be ADC, as my UADs wait for it. It is a real pita when you only want to try a plugin on a track, but need to calculate and mess with the delay values before. This is the only thing, I miss from my Cubase days…
By Holly ~ October 22, 2007 kl 4:36 pm
It probably doesn’t matter to anyone that doesn’t mix projects in LE that has most of the same tracks from song to song, instrumentation and even musicians. So I’m probably the only one that screams for this. But LE should have better import from session options like HD does. It wouldn’t be a difficult rewrite to add the match tracks feature of HD and add it to LE. In fact, it’s probably already there and just disabled! It seems like an obvious benefit and wouldn’t lessen HD’s position as the bigger leader of the family.
By Walter ~ October 22, 2007 kl 8:20 pm
A possible solution to number 6 is what’s on my top 10 list; lane based editing. Basically a “view all” feature for the track view. If you could see all of the track views in lanes instead of having to switch between views, it would save incredible amounts of time.
Lane based editing for playlists would be extremely cool too.
ADC is a no brainer, if not for anything than just to shut up the PT haters.
Channel/track configuration saving/importing would be a feature I would like to see. Import session data for LE is already expandable (though expen$ive) via the DV Toolkit, but being able to save/recall a “default vocal track” setting would be a huge timesaver.
Others include, a score view (though the ability to bi-directionally rewire Sibelius is a much closer possibility with 7.4), multiple improvements for the wavedriver (control panel including a buffer, an audio input, etc), being able to select a different video engine (Quicktime is questionable), and being able to select your own plugin for the “default click track”.
By spkguitar ~ October 22, 2007 kl 8:53 pm
I would like to see better playlist management. I use playlists all the time when tracking drums, vocals, guitar tracks or just about anything else. Any time I want to clean up a drum session and get rid of one particular set of playlists, I have to open the “delete unused” window about 7 or 8 times. Lots of scrolling, messing things up and having to undo and then try again. If only I could just see a list of all of them and be able to click and erase.
Feels so OS9 like…
By Michael Winger ~ October 24, 2007 kl 1:40 am
Lots of great comments here!
Re: lane based editing.
I think I’ve heard this being proposed for Pro Tools in the past as well. Could be a good solution. I don’t really think there’s a problem with the IDEA they have of the piano roll, the problem to me is how it works. I can’t scroll with the mousewheel for instance. And all the weird small and big notes that I mentioned as well. While I traditionally am a guy who don’t like a lot of windows or pop-ups, I have to say that a pop MIDI editor could be nice to have. I REALLY doubt that will ever happen though.
Re: playlists
Yes! That’s actually something I should’ve had in the list but forgot about. There could for instance be key commands for browsing through the playlists.
By stiff ~ October 24, 2007 kl 2:00 am
One of my top requests that I’ve sent to Digi quarterly is session notes. Nowhere can I leave notes that can be seen for the next guy who is working on the session. I know that track notes exist, but those can’t exactly go into much length at all.
By Rob Blatt ~ October 24, 2007 kl 9:45 am
Excellent wish list.
Linux support would be great and i think a Drummap like cubase´s too…
By JoaquÃn Sánchez ~ October 25, 2007 kl 6:29 am
That’s pretty much exactly what I want. Well said.
Regarding Midi: one of the most powerful things in Pro Tools is the non-Midi track automation. You can write any kind of volume graph on a track, and Pro Tools will play back exactly what you’ve written, perfectly. Logic users tell me their track automation isn’t as accurate. I’d like the Pro Tools Midi to follow the look and feel of the non-Midi track automation. Writing, say, Midi pitch bends should feel more like writing track volumes. But it doesn’t. It’s much more faffy…
One thing I’d like Tools to steal from Logic - if you’re writing rides in Logic, you can take a standard curve (concave, convex, s-shaped etc) and interpose it very easily onto a volume graph. With Tools, it’s either straight angular lines, “free jazz” mouse/controller performance, or lots of separate clicks. Even, say, a simple fade out on the master bus at the end of a song is more faffy than it should be. Think of the fade dialog box. Once you know your way round that you can really shape the volume of an audio file with it. I’d love to be able to interpose fade shapes like that on to track automation data. You can do it in Logic. So let’s have it in Tools!
By Guy Sigsworth ~ October 27, 2007 kl 11:21 am
Great wishlist! Offline bounce, more plug-ins, a good piano roll etc. are all a must. Another feature I would love to see implemented is Track Freeze, this alone would save me a lot of time and effort and not to mention, let my CPU breathe!
Pro Tools going truly native is another big wish but I doubt it’s going to happen, they won’t risk loosing a lot of money because hardly anyone would buy their hardware.
By Sarj ~ November 2, 2007 kl 6:53 am
Okay, besides the biggies already mentioned, here are a few little annoyances that would be easy to get:
1SOLO for busses (without the “solo-safing” crud)
By chris ~ November 27, 2007 kl 10:51 am
oops, posted prematurely! here’s the rest (coming from a long-time Sony Vegas user to PT):
1 SOLO function for busses (without the solo-safing crud). how many times have i wanted to solo just the drums or vocals without having to mute all the other busses…
2 Volume handle for each media clip–independent of overall volume fader
3 Show all automation without switching back and forth to each one! And still be able to edit while you’re viewing it (easy in Vegas)
4 realtime automatic crossfades would save tons of time
5 Okay, this one might be more difficult to move the train: Why does PT have to “process” every clip you bring into a session? In Vegas you can paste different format clips, different resolution, mp3, whatever, and it just plays them all realtime without having to process them all to the rigid session parameters.
6 Lots more–just get with the modern times for editing…
By chris ~ November 27, 2007 kl 10:58 am
Showing all automations is a great idea!
By stiff ~ November 27, 2007 kl 11:38 am
i wouldnt be opposed to an all-in-one digidesign-designed recording board with hardware, software and CPU all-included. Think something like a Digi002+laptop combination. And while you’re at it, add some plugins that actually hold their own with the competition (ie: Logic). Give me good dynamic processing, warm verbs, pitch correction, drum-replacement, digital instruments, etc. A Protools ALL IN ONE STUDIO ON THE GO!
By nater ~ December 2, 2007 kl 1:25 pm
I’d like to see updated Digirack plugins. At the very least if they aren’t going to recode them, update the GUI to v3.
DVerb, Mod Delays, Chorus, Flanger, trim etc. A realtime chorus and flanger would be nice and the pingpong delay too.
By Jon ~ December 3, 2007 kl 1:06 pm
I agree with all but you forget the apogee converters, benchmark clock, neve pre’s etc
By Arthur van den Enk ~ January 14, 2008 kl 8:41 am
you absolutely spot on and if anything its getting worse. I have a HD3 rig but I also edit in LE and teach both. Tools accountants have a vested interest in not making LE have proper delay compensation and although people keep saying the midi is getting better its like these guys have never properly seen anyone work on another DAW. The thing that gets my goat as well ( apart form straw ) is trying to make people use one platform and ignore the others. I have been using Protools and Logic since they were both created. I use which ever is right for the job in hand. I work with songwriters in Logic and I often mix or record bands in tools. Neither company wants you to use the others products and it would seem make it as hard as they can. Why wont tools properly release there code so I can buy a control surface that works in all apps. I wont buy there desk because I cant use it in Logic and I wont buy a euphonixs because it only supports Hui and I already have one of those. Rant rant rant I could just go on for ever but alas time . . .
By Rupert ~ March 6, 2008 kl 3:36 pm
Hey Rupert,
>> The thing that gets my goat as well ( apart form straw ) is trying to make people use one platform and ignore the others.
Despite this blogs focus, I use A LOT of DAWs, including other majors (like Logic) but also smaller, close to unknown ones (Renoise for instance). But when working with a serious project, it’s just too much work to switch between two or three. The workflow might suffer at some point, but hopefully I gain that in time by not exporting between the DAWs.
EDIT:
I should add BTW, I don’t really think one is much better than the other. I just happen to like Pro Tools the best at the moment for most of the things I do and for my workflow. It’s all tools, I encourage anyone to use whatever works best for them.
By stiff ~ March 6, 2008 kl 6:58 pm