M-Powered PT functionality vs that of LE

naethoven · 29th July 2007, 03:54 AM

Hey, I'm considering getting a PT M Powered rig via lightbridge and I'm wondering EXACTLY what the differences are between PTLE and M-powered. Anybody used'em both? Any knowledge to share? I just want to make sure they are the same so I know my keystrokes and GUI when I go to work downtown (Nashville) on HD. THANKS!!
N8

Also, anyone know about having more than 18 inputs into 7.3 (maybe cs2) via the lightbridge?

glitch · 29th July 2007, 06:59 AM

Man, I'm surprised what a common question this is.

PTMP is excactly the same except that it does not support the DV Toolkit, or Digi Translator, or the Control 24. Curiously, the academic version of PTMP supports Digi Translator.

For all other tasks, it's exactly the same. It's exactly the same out of the box and still supports the Music Production (48 track) Toolkit.

Sergievsky · 29th July 2007, 11:57 AM

I think PTMP the buffer can only go down to 128. That could be a problem with software monitoring.

espasonico · 29th July 2007, 04:10 PM

I have an MBox1 and bought the PFLB and PTMP for being able of editing at home at 88.2 and also for having more i/o. It´s been a nightmare. If you are on PC many users have report problems for changing the buffer size ( I can´t in PTMP ) and I get clicks and pops when working at 88.2 and PTMP.

I also have to say that the PFLB works great with Nuendo except that I can´t get sync just by using WC if SPDIF is not connected wich is wierd because if you select WC as your master clock ( in my case a Rosetta200 ) it should work )

Good luck if you are on PC.

pulse_divider · 29th July 2007, 04:50 PM

I record 24 simultaneous tracks into mine via the Lightbridge. I don't see anything stopping me from doing 32 tracks except that I don't have that many converters.

subspace · 29th July 2007, 05:49 PM

I'm running a Lightbridge with the original MacBook (10.4.8) and PT-MP (7.3.1cs1). My generic session template has 32 mono tracks fed by adat in 1-32, post fader sends feeding direct adat outs 1-32, and all track outputs assigned to analog out 35-36. So mixing ITB on the go is easy using the bus-powered LB while monitoring on headphones. Plugging the optical outs into DAs back in the control room I can bring up the same mix on the board with all faders at unity.
I believe the newest PT-MP updater at digi's site defeats the full i/o functionality so you may have to do some hunting to get it...

Rappy · 29th July 2007, 05:49 PM

I am using the M-Audio Profire Lightbridge with Pro Tools M-Powered 7.3.1 on a Mac G5 dual 2.0 GHz. I have previously used Pro Tools LE 7.1 with an MBox2. I will say that LE and M-Powered are virtually identical except for the minor differences that have been pointed out previously in the thread. You will seamlessly be able to open PT song files that were created in LE and HD. All of my plugins for LE, including ones that came with the Factory Bundle for my MBox 2, work fine in M-Powered without any hassles.

Please note that if you are thinking of going the Lightbridge/ProTools route, that you should definitely buy M-Powered and NOT Academic. I thought that Academic would be a good deal, because it is $150 and you get Digitranslator with it (which normally costs $495). However, I found out that you cannot use the Music Production Toolkit with PT Academic. You CAN use the plugins like Smack and TL Space, which come with the Toolkit, but you do not get the extra track count or the ability to use multitrack Beat Detective, which is part of the Music Production Toolkit. After using PT Academic for a week, I installed M-Powered and now I get to use all my plugins and the Music Production Toolkit just fine.

One problem I have encountered is that I need to use the Lghtbridge internal word clock as the master and sync my other digital devices up to that. That works fine. I have tried using my Apogee AD-16x as the master word clock (and synching the Lightbridge to that) and I get occaisional clicks and pops in the audio. It works much better if the Lightbridge is the master clock. However, I read a thread on Gearslutz about this and I got the idea to purchase a PCI card with extra Firewire ports. It might be a bandwidth problem (although I am not quite sure how they are related). I have not installed it yet, but I will try plugging the Lightbride into the new Firewire ports on the card (on a seperate bus from the built-in Firewire ports on the G5), and making the Apogee the master clock again to see if it solves the problem.

Good luck,

Rappy

naethoven · 31st July 2007, 12:25 AM

Oh my gosh! Thank you guys so much for all the beautiful info! It's so nice to have a community of knowledge to tap into. Thanks again.

Anybody else have some advice/opinions??

N8

Akoppenheffer · 31st July 2007, 01:12 AM

The toolkit was the best money I've ever spent. The plugins alone are worth the price of admission.

naethoven · 31st July 2007, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pulse_divider

I record 24 simultaneous tracks into mine via the Lightbridge. I don't see anything stopping me from doing 32 tracks except that I don't have that many converters.

Hey, are you on a Mac or PC? Has anybody reading had problems with M-Powered on a Mac?

StrykeBack · 31st July 2007, 02:32 AM

I'm selling my 002R and pt le rig and switching to a lightbridge and m-powered. Also a presonus digimas fs or 2 while i build up some better preamps.

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29th July 2007, 03:54 AM	#1
naethoven Gear maniac Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 185	M-Powered PT functionality vs that of LE Hey, I'm considering getting a PT M Powered rig via lightbridge and I'm wondering EXACTLY what the differences are between PTLE and M-powered. Anybody used'em both? Any knowledge to share? I just want to make sure they are the same so I know my keystrokes and GUI when I go to work downtown (Nashville) on HD. THANKS!! N8 Also, anyone know about having more than 18 inputs into 7.3 (maybe cs2) via the lightbridge?

29th July 2007, 06:59 AM	#2
glitch Lives for gear Join Date: May 2003 Location: USA Posts: 1,275	Man, I'm surprised what a common question this is. PTMP is excactly the same except that it does not support the DV Toolkit, or Digi Translator, or the Control 24. Curiously, the academic version of PTMP supports Digi Translator. For all other tasks, it's exactly the same. It's exactly the same out of the box and still supports the Music Production (48 track) Toolkit. __________________ I can't hear specs.

29th July 2007, 11:57 AM	#3
Sergievsky Gear maniac Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Manila, Philippines Posts: 251	I think PTMP the buffer can only go down to 128. That could be a problem with software monitoring. __________________ Raul

29th July 2007, 05:49 PM	#6
subspace Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Too sun Posts: 556	I'm running a Lightbridge with the original MacBook (10.4.8) and PT-MP (7.3.1cs1). My generic session template has 32 mono tracks fed by adat in 1-32, post fader sends feeding direct adat outs 1-32, and all track outputs assigned to analog out 35-36. So mixing ITB on the go is easy using the bus-powered LB while monitoring on headphones. Plugging the optical outs into DAs back in the control room I can bring up the same mix on the board with all faders at unity. I believe the newest PT-MP updater at digi's site defeats the full i/o functionality so you may have to do some hunting to get it... __________________ "If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good."

29th July 2007, 04:10 PM	#4
espasonico Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 518	I have an MBox1 and bought the PFLB and PTMP for being able of editing at home at 88.2 and also for having more i/o. It´s been a nightmare. If you are on PC many users have report problems for changing the buffer size ( I can´t in PTMP ) and I get clicks and pops when working at 88.2 and PTMP. I also have to say that the PFLB works great with Nuendo except that I can´t get sync just by using WC if SPDIF is not connected wich is wierd because if you select WC as your master clock ( in my case a Rosetta200 ) it should work ) Good luck if you are on PC.

29th July 2007, 04:50 PM	#5
pulse_divider Gear maniac Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 280	I record 24 simultaneous tracks into mine via the Lightbridge. I don't see anything stopping me from doing 32 tracks except that I don't have that many converters.

29th July 2007, 05:49 PM	#7
Rappy Gear nut Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Washington, DC & Falls Church, VA Posts: 107	I am using the M-Audio Profire Lightbridge with Pro Tools M-Powered 7.3.1 on a Mac G5 dual 2.0 GHz. I have previously used Pro Tools LE 7.1 with an MBox2. I will say that LE and M-Powered are virtually identical except for the minor differences that have been pointed out previously in the thread. You will seamlessly be able to open PT song files that were created in LE and HD. All of my plugins for LE, including ones that came with the Factory Bundle for my MBox 2, work fine in M-Powered without any hassles. Please note that if you are thinking of going the Lightbridge/ProTools route, that you should definitely buy M-Powered and NOT Academic. I thought that Academic would be a good deal, because it is $150 and you get Digitranslator with it (which normally costs $495). However, I found out that you cannot use the Music Production Toolkit with PT Academic. You CAN use the plugins like Smack and TL Space, which come with the Toolkit, but you do not get the extra track count or the ability to use multitrack Beat Detective, which is part of the Music Production Toolkit. After using PT Academic for a week, I installed M-Powered and now I get to use all my plugins and the Music Production Toolkit just fine. One problem I have encountered is that I need to use the Lghtbridge internal word clock as the master and sync my other digital devices up to that. That works fine. I have tried using my Apogee AD-16x as the master word clock (and synching the Lightbridge to that) and I get occaisional clicks and pops in the audio. It works much better if the Lightbridge is the master clock. However, I read a thread on Gearslutz about this and I got the idea to purchase a PCI card with extra Firewire ports. It might be a bandwidth problem (although I am not quite sure how they are related). I have not installed it yet, but I will try plugging the Lightbride into the new Firewire ports on the card (on a seperate bus from the built-in Firewire ports on the G5), and making the Apogee the master clock again to see if it solves the problem. Good luck, Rappy

31st July 2007, 12:25 AM	#8
naethoven Gear maniac Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 185	Oh my gosh! Thank you guys so much for all the beautiful info! It's so nice to have a community of knowledge to tap into. Thanks again. Anybody else have some advice/opinions?? N8

31st July 2007, 01:12 AM	#9
Akoppenheffer Gear addict Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Reading, PA Posts: 424	The toolkit was the best money I've ever spent. The plugins alone are worth the price of admission.

31st July 2007, 02:32 AM	#11
StrykeBack Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 507	I'm selling my 002R and pt le rig and switching to a lightbridge and m-powered. Also a presonus digimas fs or 2 while i build up some better preamps.

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