Let me start by saying that I do like Pro Tools (10.3.7). Probably because I am comfortable with it, but it does have some good qualities. I like the way it looks and I do like it's automation, routing and several other qualities. Up until recently I have just dealt with it's shortcomings. Bouncing would take forever but it was probably my biggest gripe. I just finished a project that really drove me crazy. I had about 10 tracks of audio and a few VI's (including Kontakt and Xpand2). Also a few aux tracks and a moderate amount of normal plugins. Nothing crazy like Slate FG-X or Nebula! Three instances of Guitar sims were probably the biggies.
Anywho, all of a sudden I was getting pops and stutters with audio, even at a buffer of 1024!! My computer is a beast and the PT system usage was only around 14%!
Then my playback speed would randomly slow waaaay down like the sample rate was wrong. Reboot would fix it temporarily but then more of the same. I've done all of the tweaks with buffer size, amount of cores,trashed prefs, etc. I know PT 11 has a better audio engine but I really don't want to $$ for it. I just can't support Avid's way of doing business (even though Dave Pensado thinks they are great people). I almost committed to Studio One a couple years ago but PT kept drawing me back. I think I'm done now...for good unless PT 11 becomes "available" for us poor folk to try. Cubase 7 looks great but again it's a $ thing. I think Studio One could be the new winner with Reaper or even Samplitude in the mix too.

Sorry Pro Tools...it's been fun!

 

Welcome to my world :-/ i think's it's coming to the fact that protools is very awful when it's come to Vis…. i have nothing in protools no one audio track but only midi tracks and… 5 instruments tracks with vienna ensemble pro on it … i can't record under 512 samples of latency…. which is awful when u try to play something… well .. i had to switch to Studio one which run really really easier even at 128 Samples for the same configuration … I would love to tell you protools 11 is better but …. definitely not…. same shit….so i keep it for audio work as i'm like you… i can't get rid of it as the interface is soooo soooo easy to use and pratical … but for midi programming with vis…. welllll…. good luck ….
if u find a way, 'id be really interested…
Best.

Sylvain

 

I have used Pro Tools for many years.

I spent more time trying to solve problems of this software than make music.

With a recent Mac Pro which have cost me a fortune I am confronted to the same problem as you .

Even on Pro Tools 11 .

I finally bought Cubase 7 and now I wonder how I did it for

trying to make music on this piece of shit that we call Pro Tools.

 

Come to the dark side, aka the Studio One side.

I love Studio one and that's where I matured all my techniques, but recently while looking for an internship, I also started playing with Pro Tools because its inevitable. I still think in S1 but have comfortable transferred my skills over. I don't like PT, but tough sh!t for me lol.

Unfortunately Pro Tools is something you can't avoid if you plan on working in a professional environment.
Use what ever DAW is best for you but always keep PT in your back pocket. Because in the end an EQ is an EQ in any DAW domain, it's just the shortcuts that differ.

Personally I'd like to learn every DAW I can so that I can always make noise no matter what's in front of me.

 

Well at least you guys have made me feel a little better in that I am not alone. I thought maybe the powerful computer i built was a lemon. As much as I want a daw that works for me and I am comfortable with, stability comes first. It certainly ruins creativity when you are constantly fixing problems and rebooting. Thanks guys....looks like most of the general concensus is either Studio One or Cubase.

 

Yeah, I myself made the switch from PT to Reaper about 2 years ago and never looked back! Also learning Studio One nowadays.

 

reaper is the way to do not one issue even at 48 samples buffer for live use stacks of plugins and maximizing for studio sound on whole band live i got the roland studio capture for the interface and a lenovo laptop i7 16gb ram sli graphics

 

every DAW has its advantages and disadvantages---
i switched from Fruity WIN to Logic MAC... and really? The first few days i HATED Logic, cause in FL everything was eaysier...

but now: I LOVE MY LOGIC! Ok it takes longer to setup the Basics of my tracks. But my Traxx are going more complex and better.
so, u have 2 find your DAW by yourself, your workflow has to fit.

what i want 2 say: if u love your DAW, you can solve every problem ;)

 

ProTools i not a good Vi DAW i use Cubase 5 and it is Great for Me all i use is Kontakt 5 and Battery 4 on a mac and i have Tracked 20 Tracks of VSTi's and 50 Tracks of Audio Tracks it Was pulling a lot of CPU but No stuttering or jittering Protools is not made for Vi production just for directed audio recording and Mixing i tried protools years ago and do not like it then tried cubase and never used another DAW since

 

Sorry to hear that just kidding
****But**** I too suffered with Simliar problems its usally the HD when crap like this happens a lot of folks over look this. Dedicate a separate HD if you haven't already
not to long ago Logic X was given me this problem especially !! the Midi , I would record then re-open it and the Piano and Drum tracks would be in slow motion and out of Sync.
after Hrs of Frustration, it was my HD calling home to plugs ect... slowing me down, and I too have a Beast Machine 32 gigs ram 3gig Video 6 tb HD Firewire Audio Inteface and so forth.
Well any hoot Good Luck to ya also Samplitude Seq is another Killer Daw, with a Audio Engine like Protools 11 the Difference I noticed with pt11 opposed to 10 and under
was the Audio Engine louder and cleaner on all my tracks big upgrade Good Luck Freind

 

You're absolutely right

Pro Tools is not made for VI ,only for Mixing or recording audio *yes*

 

here here, left protools alone on 8, screweed me on upgrade to 9. It's been logic ever since. logic and studio one the tops for me and let me tell ya studio one is no joke on production, logic got some good competition with that one.

 

I couldn't recommend Reaper more.

Pro tools 10 was so much hassle and just plain annoying. From the price..the install..the compatability..the errors..the bouncing..lack of "Freezing" ability..load up time..session load time.

Just everything.. I only stuck with it and bought it because it was all I was ust to.

But I gave Reaper a try, since they do a unlimited free demo (for 60 days, even afterwards it still works perfect.)
Fell in love instantly, its insanely customizable. AMAZING online support for it from the massive community. I havnt came across one single problem with it yet.
And the price..£35 vs Pro tools £400-500 (Between 2 and 3 with student discount). Really regret buying PT, its only benefit is it being "Industry standard".

Reaper all the way!

 

The realtime export pain in the ass of the ProTools always made me to avoid it.
I love working in my rock-stable speedy Studio One.

 

PT11's efficiency and usage is significantly better than PT10, but then there's that AAX issue that's been beaten dead. Not sure how you wouldn't notice a difference. However, whatever is most conducive to workflow is key.

 

I'm a happy Protools user over here... using it every day on major projects and wouldn't change it for anything else (and I tried a lot of DAW in my life, it was part of my job for a while).

It's just a matter a taste I guess. So, to each his own

 

Well, over a few years i guess they'll go from AAX to XXX or other custom format because i can't understand why they can't just stick to the vst's or at least their first RTAS format... such a vainglorious Company

 

Yeah Morph....I'm happy using the program and I really wish it would be more stable. I guess I am using a lot more Vis and things are getting too problematic. I wish things were different.

 

You can spend your whole life loving Pro Tools but it won't solve your problem, really.

What one should do is just look for the best DAW for yourself. Don't use what everybody else uses. Have some dignity, some self-reliance and it will pay off. PT is just a DAW like every other DAW, even N-Track or Krystal Engine is not worse. It all depends on what your needs are. Like, if you need a DAW just for tracking, then Reaper or Podium free or even Adobe Audition 3 [free] will do just brilliantly. If you need to do lots of MIDI work then Reaper or Cubase, or just about any other DAW but not Pro Tools. Yeah, since that crap is an "Industry Standard" [I hate that expression] you can just keep a cracked version somewhere for just in case you need it to transcribe the PT projects to WAV when you get a PT project to work on it and that's it. Start Pro Tools, go order pizza until it starts [PT loves to start for 5 minutes], load the project, start rendering stems [realtime only], eat the pizza while PT renders stems, then load the stems into a proper DAW and work on the mix finally. PT is great because it keeps you fed, caffeined, nicotined, alcoholised, THC-ed... due to all the waiting.

 

I do use pro Tools for tracking and editing.....However the AU plug ins I can run in Logic as compared to RTAS instances is astonishing. Running Logic felt like I had a new computer with two extra cores. That's what drove me away from Pro Tools.