Steinberg Native to PT HD Help Please...

[Doublehelix]

I am pretty fed up with Steinberg's policies, and have been considering a move to a PT HD system for a long time. I am currently using Cubase SX 3.11, and have about had it with Steinberg.

A few problems exist in my mind considering how I have been spending my money over the last 10 years, and was hoping to get some more info from you slutz.

1) PC or Mac. I just built a new Core 2 Duo PC that is state-of-the-art in every way, and ready to go quad core if I decide. Will PT HD run on a PC, or is it Mac only? If it will run PC, does it really "work" on that platform, or is just better to bite the bullet and go Mac. (No Mac vs. PC debates please, only responses on how PTHD works).

2) VST plugins. Damn, I have so much invested in VST plugins, it makes me sick. 3 UAD-1 cards in a Magma chassis with *ALL* the plugins, a Poco Card with a lot of the Sony Oxford stuff, Auto tune, Tons of Waves stuff, including IR-1, Auto-Tune, Melodyne (including the new VST plugin), PSP Delays, URS EQs... On and on and on...

So I know there are VST-to-RTAS wrappers... but do they *REALLY* work? Some of this stuff I can upgrade to TDM, but the cost is going to be *ASTRONOMICAL* to do it all over again, especially when you consider I have already bought all this stuff once.

Am I screwed here???

3) Mackie Controller. I have a Mackie Controller and 2 Expanders. Any issues there?

4) A/Ds. I have the Lynx Aurora-16 which I am currently using with a Lynx AES-16 card. I am assuming that they AES-16 card needs to go, right? Then I buy the PTHD interface card for the Aurora that hooks to one of the PTHD cards?

5) Midi. I am currently using one of the M-audio Midisport USB interfaces for my Mackie Controllers and any midi keyboards that I use. Any issues here, or do I need to get the Digi one?

6) Virtual instruments. I have a bunch of VSTi virtual instruments, like NI's B4II organ emulation, Akoustik Piano, Pro53, etc. Will these work with PTHD?



What else am I missing when considering the switch??? Sheesh! This is not an easy transition is it? Now that I write down all these potential issues, it almost seems like it is not worth it.

Any help would be appreciated folks. Thanks!

[Hobbyist]

PC's work fine and have for a long time....

I have a both the UAD and PoCo cards working within my HD rig. The UA works great, the PoCo doesn't work very well.... At least with the MD3 TC stuff, which is why I got it. Actually, I don't really hear that the PoCo is really solid with ANY system.

The Waves, URS and Autotune all have NATIVE versions, which will let you load the RTAS version.... so no wrapping there. The only place you'll have to wrap is when they are VST only.

Mackie controllers should work fine.

As far as converters, you could get a 192Digital and connect right to your Lynx.

I don't use much of the VI's. In theory, they should work just fine through the wrappers.

It shouldn't be that difficult a transition... I actually run Nuendo and PT/HD on one machine. It's a Mac, but I don't think that matters.

[gianuz]

1) It works with PC's (and it should do well), but most of the users have a Mac. I opted for an Apple myself, just to be sure...

3) Sorry, I don't know. I could be wrong, but I heard Digidesign dropped 3rd party controllers support with PT7. No?

4) I assume it should work, but I have no experience with Lynx (stability problems, anyone?).

5) I had a midisport at the beginning, and it worked fine. I upgraded to the Digidesign MIDI I/O later, but only because I needed more I/Os.

6) I've been using CubaseSX on the WIN PC as a Sampler/expander the whole time. After thinking about it a few times, I installed my NI Komplete 2 package and other VIs on the mac during the last weeks (all formats are included on the dvds, so you won't have to pay the crossgrade to RTAS) and...... They work better than I thought.

A couple of days ago I worked for hours on a project that had:

1 Battery 2
2 Absynths
1 Bosendorfer 290 by East West
1 Stylus RMX

with no stability problems AT ALL.

I tried the other instruments (B4, Pro53, etc.) and they work, but I didn't have the time to test them in depth (which is the only way to see if they are stabile enough)

Note that I'm on a dual G5 and MacOs X.4, PT 7.1
Things may differ on an Intel machine with other versions of the various softwares.


Hope This Helps

Gianni

[uncle duncan]

Originally Posted by Doublehelix

I am pretty fed up with Steinberg's policies, and have been considering a move to a PT HD system for a long time.

The grass is always greener my friend. Have you calculated how much it's going to cost you to 'stick it to' Stienberg? Has it occurred to you that 'sticking it to' Stienberg is actually going to result in digidesing taking a big chunk out of your bank account? Could the money be better spent on gear? Or a trip somewhere with your significant other? PT is over-priced, and their policies aren't exactly praise-worthy. (Do a search on digitranslator for that discussion.)
Best of luck.

[Doublehelix]

Thanks for the replies guys... I feel a lot better about the plug in situation. I will do some specific research about the plugs that I own as far as which ones have RTAS versions bundled, and which ones don't. If I can keep from having to upgrade to TDM stuff right away, it would be awesome. Later down the road, it probably makes sense.

Any recommendations for a VST wrapper program, or is one included with PT?


SO, NOW TO THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION:

If most of my plugins are going to be native RTAS or VST in a wrapper, can I just get by with an HD1 or HD2 system for a while?

According the Digi site, I can get 48 tracks at 96K with an HD1 system, which is a bit limiting (I am usually pretty close to this limit a lot), but I could probably survive.

I am assuming that the bundled plugs are TDM, or are they RTAS as well? If they are TDM, I might need a bit more power like an HD2 system.

I can always add another Accel card later as I start converting more VST plugs to TDM, right???



Also, I found this about the Aurora-16:

http://www.lynxstudio.com/lynxlthd.html

Looks like the Aurora should work fine, and the expansion card is a lot cheaper than getting a brand new 192 Digital. I will have to sell or store the AES-16 card...



Uncle Duncan:

I am not actually trying to "stick it to Steinberg", but trying to get away from their *horrible* customer support. They have treated us badly for soooo long, I am just fed up. This is for *my* benefit, not *their* detriment.

I understand your comments about the grass being greener, but at some point, you feel like you have had "enough" and need to move on.

Digi is an expensive solution, granted, but I am willing to pay for quality and proper support. I understand that Digitranslator is not included with PT, and you have to pay something stupid like US$500 (or more) for something that *should* be included.

I need stability #1 (both from the software and the company), and want to feel like a valued customer that won't get crapped on 2 or 3 times a year because my main DAW company cares nothing about their customers. I have been putting up with Steinberg's crap for a long, long time.

[tamasdragon]

Originally Posted by Doublehelix

T

I understand your comments about the grass being greener, but at some point, you feel like you have had "enough" and need to move on.

Digi is an expensive solution, granted, but I am willing to pay for quality and proper support. I understand that Digitranslator is not included with PT, and you have to pay something stupid like US$500 (or more) for something that *should* be included.

I need stability #1 (both from the software and the company), and want to feel like a valued customer that won't get crapped on 2 or 3 times a year because my main DAW company cares nothing about their customers. I have been putting up with Steinberg's crap for a long, long time.

No flame here, but it's funny that we moved from digidesign to steiny, because digi has a bad support, and their products are overpriced. We got the stability of the system from steinberg, but not from digi.

Anyway it's a personal choice and I hope you'll find your way with digi.

Tamas Dragon

[gianuz]

Any recommendations for a VST wrapper program, or is one included with PT?

None is included.

If most of my plugins are going to be native RTAS or VST in a wrapper, can I just get by with an HD1 or HD2 system for a while?

Yes, you can

I am assuming that the bundled plugs are TDM, or are they RTAS as well? If they are TDM, I might need a bit more power like an HD2 system.

The bundled Plugins are TDM, RTAS and Audiosuite.

I can always add another Accel card later as I start converting more VST plugs to TDM, right???

Yes, but consider that adding a card later can be more expensive than buying it as a part of the bundle.

[Doublehelix]

Thanks everyone...

Tamasdragon: Interesting comments about your experiences with Digi, and your switch to Steinberg.

I am not sure that I am switching, I am just in the investigation stage at this point, exploring all my options.

I have some friends that are trying to convince me to go Samplitude, others say Logic... it never ends!

[uncle duncan]

+1 for DP