I'm shocked. It's like that bit in Bambi....

scott wrote:Hey DrAwk, how ya like them apples? Somehow the thread about ProTools at EA has morphed into a thread about my band. Yippeeee!!

I'm gonna start a sockpuppet account called "The Chrome Robes" and start accusing you of twisting threads into conversations about your band. Ha!

OK, i have to say this, because i don't think it's been mentioned yet: to all the gomers saying "geez, i can use ProTools at my house:" that's great, but you realize you're not gonna be able to record your drums in Center Field, right?

I'm gonna reform my horrible electronic band http://www.myspace.com/octopusandsunrise from a few years ago and book 2 straight weeks over there with Steve now that they have the proper tools for me to realize my beeping, throbbing vision

Skronk wrote:I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, digital is just another option.

I agree.
Most craftsmen would agree that good quality wood makes a better product. Sometimes, however, it's just not necessary.
As an example, most of the stuff in my old, lopsided house is made of good wood, because it was cheap to do that in 1940, when it was built. When we've added to the house, we've tried to keep in the spirit of that, and used good wood.

When we built the pantry, though, we used MDF. It's stable, sustainable, can be worked just like regular old wood, it's inexpensive, and painted you can't tell it apart from poplar.
Apparently it looks good, because it was featured in Fine Woodworking magazine.

The point is, there's a time and a place for everything. Generally I think tape is the way to go, unless you are a hobbyist on a budget, then I think you get more for your money with digital.
There are things you can do in ProTools that were, up to that point, impossible or prohibitively expensive to do. If you use it creatively, it's just another tool in the box that can produce some great results. If you use it to make a crappy product better, cutting and pasting your magnum opus togther to make the unlistenable listenable, then yes, that gets me down.

I'm not a recording engineer, so what's my opinion really worth anyway? However, just as with most things, I can't say that ProTools is absolutely good or bad, it just depends on how it's used.

I think it's probably a good idea to have the rig at EA as long as what makes EA special isn't compromised as a result.

I figure if I have money saved up, and want to record in a professional studio, I would like to be recorded on something other than the standard crop of pro tools like software. I can record digitally on my own, but a I'd like tried and true equipment in a studio setting.

Sure, you can record digitally on your own, but don't forget about the space, the expertise, and the gear that you get when you record in a great studio. That shows up on both tape and hard drive.
Also, ProTools rigs vary quite a lot, and I doubt they have a consumer level model.

Your point about it being just another option is correct though. Who's to say that you can't record a whole record, save one song, in the way that EA has traditionally been doing it? Then, the one song that might not be possible to record or arrange otherwise, for whatever reason, could be done in PT, then mixed down to tape. Or just part of it.

I just look at ProTools, in the EA environment, the way I look at a Distressor or a Moog. It's a tool, not a crutch, so use it that way.


-A

Marsupialized wrote: my beeping, throbbing vision

Dude, don't ever say that again.

Like everyone said, it's a good business decision. It's something that lots of engineer/producers need, it's making their life easier or it's just the way they work. It's just like having a coffee machine. There's no reason in keeping the whole electrical clean of digital. If Steve doesn't want to record to a computer that's totally fair and understandable.

But I would like to know, which converters did you buy? the stock Digidesign ones? because they kinda, emm, suck.

anyhow, congrats on the new buy! I find Pro Tools quite simple. It has some annoying quirks, but, you finally can get along with it.

Would it be possible to have Pro Tools secretly running as Albini records to tape?

It would be great to release an album with 'Pro Tools engineer: Steve Albini' in the credits.

DrAwkward wrote:Good. I'm glad this thread has morphed into another analog vs. digital debate. I'm sure that's what greg was hoping for, and positive that's what he was expecting. Good show!

It's detracting from the important issues of the day, such as Sonic Youth's big sellout moves.

lemur68 wrote:

DrAwkward wrote:Good. I'm glad this thread has morphed into another analog vs. digital debate. I'm sure that's what greg was hoping for, and positive that's what he was expecting. Good show!

It's detracting from the important issues of the day, such as Sonic Youth's big sellout moves.

There is only one eminent philosophical question and it is not analog vs digital. But much like the analog vs digital debate chaos and strife amongst men will reign until it is finally resolved.

PC or Mac?

Totally.
It has to be PC or Mac