They like my sound but not my program, so they don't want to record with me.

[Danny Danzi]

Originally Posted by P.P.T.

If you are trying to be pro or semi-pro, lying about having Pro Tools isn't such a good idea.
Lying isn't so good for a business reputation.
What if they have tracks that thy want opened from previous sessions like in an earlier post?
Buying a cheap version as someone else here did would geet you the preogram and the ability to honestly say that you have it.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the issues that come along with running a studio.
I don't run a studio but have heard so many stories and also just know what it is like knowing things that the general public doesn't, but that the general public thinks that they do know something about. It's almost impossible to talk to them.

Well said there and my thoughts exactly. What's even worse is when you get a client asking you if you MASTER using pro tools. LOL!! One thing I gotta say for Digidesign (and I mean you PT guys no malice) they know how to advertise and burn their truth into the minds of the public. If Tony B and myself each mixed a project in PT and Sonar giving you 4 projects to choose from, I'd bet everything I own not a single person would be able to tell which we used for which unless they guessed lucky.

But, I must admit, I too have suffered the wrath of "you got pro tools, if not I'm afraid we can't use you" many times. Mostly from people that had projects they wanted remixed. I turned down a lot of work because of that, so one day, I decided to buy a fully loaded MAC and PT HD along with the .OMF capability...what a waste of money that was! Not PT or the MAC, the fact that you have to pay extra for .omf file exporting!!

I figured if I didn't like PT, I could always export the projects via omf and import into Sonar which is exactly what I began doing. I'm not one that likes to lie, but I can come up with the occassional good lil fib..which I've had to use a few times. LOL!! For the clients that were not present when I remixed their tunes that thought I did them in PT, they loved the mixes completely. I asked them "if I told you I didn't mix this in PT, would it bother you?" Most times the reply is "I don't give a flyin fook what you mixed it in, this sounds freakin' great man!!!"

For those dead set on it, I'd actually try to give them what they wanted and mix in PT. If a project was intense and I felt I'd do better in Sonar with it, I'd tell them "the session you gave me seems to be corrupt but I can salvage it using another editor" and they are usually cool with it. If they want to walk, that's fine too as I don't need the work to be honest. It's not that PT is bad or anything, I just don't particularly like it and feel like I'm in a ritzy hotel suite in Beverly Hills when I use it as opposed to my mansion in Naples Florida when I use Sonar...lol....if that makes any sense? I just don't like how it handles some things and I can do them easier and faster in Sonar.

To the original poster, it might not be a bad idea to get a version of PT if you can afford it. Just stay away from the LE version and don't use it on Windows. In my humble opinion, PT on a pc is one of the worst experiences known to man. All my friends that have it (as well as my experience with it when I tried it) on pc have had nothing but issues, errors and major problems. It was made for MAC, that's where it needs to be for it to work to the best of its ability for me. It IS nice to have though because there are a few things that it does that a few other programs kinda fall short on. It's also nice to learn it because it becomes another tool in your box that can only help you if what you currently use may fall short at times. All these DAW programs are great at what they do. They all have their own strengths and weak points...but having them all can really make a difference if you can afford to because then you are pretty limitless and never have to turn down a job.

[irawan gani]

well said danny. loved the way you put it.

[glenlata]

i like the post danny, but unfortunately i have a pc, i been thinking about getting a mac lately, just for S&G a few friends keep telling me about how nice they are for any type of editing, so if i do manage to get a mac, i might just find someone that isn't using protools and buy it from them, but for now the suggestion about putting the protools logo on my desktop is working fine.

[domsut]

you could always just say you use pro tools meaning you are not using cheap shit...that way it is not a lie just a misunderstanding

[edub357]

if ur getting a good sound then does it really matter what daw ur working with? half these clowns that come to record dont know the difference between a pc or mac let alone what daw even means, pro tools is great dont get me wrong but in the end isnt it the producer/engineer who ultimately creates that sound ur looking for?

[TonyB]

Originally Posted by domsut

you could always just say you use pro tools meaning you are not using cheap shit...that way it is not a lie just a misunderstanding

Yeah, that's a good point and that's what I mentioned in a post long ago on this thread.

I have the Pro Tools logo displayed on my desktop screen even though 95% of the time I'm using Sonar.

Most of the time I get the comment when they peer into the Control Room, "Oh, I see you're using Pro Tools!" hahahahahahaha!

And as Danny stated very well.....you can't tell the difference between the software (assuming the user can aptly use the two different suites of software). Technically, there is virtually no sonic difference between Pro Tools, Sonar, Cubase, etc. Artistically, there can be a difference. Example, I mix better in Sonar because I've been using it for 15 years. I struggle muddle my way through Pro Tools.