PT6 "officialy" Announced..., at last Options

[Mr.T]

From the DUC (extract from the "AES daily"edition, page 30):

"Digidesign Rolls Out New Pro Tools Software
At Booth 1447 Digidesign is featuring a number of new products, including new Pro Tools software, 6.0 for Mac OS X, and TDM 5.3.3 for Windows XP.
Pro Tools 6.0 boasts an all-new look and new features on Mac OS X. Shipping the end of the year, the new software offers improved performance and support for dual processor Macintosh G4 computers. Pro Tools 6.0 has improved organization and MIDI support, increased mixing options, and much more control. In this new version, Pro Tools has received a MIDI makeover, fully supporting the Mac OS X CoreMIDI engine and including MIDI Time Stamping (MTS) for sample-accurate MIDI timing with software samplers and synths (TDM, RTAS, HTDM and DirectConnect), and sub-millisecond accurate MIDI timing with MIDI I/O and other supported MTS-capable interfaces. Pro Tools 6.0 also has intelligent tools for groove creation and modification, including the new Beat Detective 2.0 that supports extraction and generation of DigiGroove templates based on audio performances for timing and velocity of passage. DigiGroove templates are compatable with new Groove Injection templates.
Pro Tools TDM 5.3.3 for Windows XP includes many of the features previously released in Pro Tools 5.3.1 software for Macintosh computers. Features include integrated control of PRE, mulit-DSP 48 bit mixer, Increased SYNC I/O options, and more. Pro Tools 5.3.3 software for Pro Tools|HD offers Windows XP users improved workflow efficiency through trus simultaneous sharing of media assets."

TDM and HD owners might enjoy this, while PTLE owners might, once again, be left behind...

[Levon River]

I would like an MBox because of the Focusrite preamps, and because it offers a hardware/software affordable solution (circa $500)...

Well, I sure appreciate somebody remaining on-topic in this thread, and can certainly understand the appeal of the preamps. I guess that has to be weighed against budget and other options for audio interface+preamps. It's not that that the MBox system isn't an attractively-priced package, probably suitable for any number of projects. My objection is to the arbitrarily-imposed limitations that they hard-code into the software so that if and when you do want to expand and continue with them, you can get bit in the wallet--hard.

For me, neither their hardware or their software, even at the high end, has anything approaching performance capabilities that justify the high price when compared to what else is available--now, as opposed to when ProTools (and SampleCell) first created their monopoly.

If you actually gave me a choice I would go with DP3 or Logic Audio 5 and a MOTU808.

All my research and hands-on experience so far points me in a similar direction, with final bang-for-buck capability being a primary consideration. (I take it you meant 828?)

All this apps basically do the same exact thing, and it is basically a question of detail and taste.

I agree wholeheartedly. That was part of my point in asking what ProTools software can do that others (like DP, etc.) can't. Given ProTools snobby proprietary approach, and the fact that I view their hard-wired limitations to their own hardware (which also now has some *serious* competitors) as little more than an elaborate, slick, and thinly-disguised dongle system--when other DAW software developers at least attempt to allow you the freedom to put together your own system with hardware of your own choosing--I personally don't get the attraction to ProFools.

There was a time, before computers reached the speed and power capabilities they have now, when paying for ProTools' monopoly at least made some sort of sense, because their hardware was taking up the slack and overcoming limitations inherent in the host computers.

But that time has come and gone as far as I'm concerned. There are some very affordable and capable audio/MIDI interfaces around now, powerful (and flexible) DAW packages with included DSP, and lotso' cheap RAM. It's a winning combination, as I see it, that doesn't have to keep a kid from going to college.