# Protools for MIDI sequencing



## brandowalk (Jun 14, 2019)

Being a sound editor in my previous life, I'm quite comfortable in PT so use it for midi as well as audio. I know there is probably better midi software but I'm pretty satisfied with my setup.

1. I'm wondering if there are many others here that use PT for midi sequencing/programming? 

2. If so, what version are you on? 

3. I'd like to hear if anyone has thoughts on the track freeze/commit functions in later versions. Does this greatly aid on freeing up RAM? (I'm on ver11 and holding off as long as possibly to upgrade $$$.)


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## Anders Wall (Jun 14, 2019)

1. Yup
2. Latest 2019 (on OS X)
3. Use it from time to time. I always commit, never freeze.
If you freeze you can’t change tempo or further alter the sound.

Best of luck!
/Anders


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## jonathanparham (Jun 14, 2019)

I use the instrument tracks. I'm on the subscription service and Ver 12. About to begin experimenting with VEPro. I have 64 gigs of ram. Similarly to you I've always had Pro tool at the day gig. Started with Opcode Vision, moved to Logic (got overwhelmed by it) and in the last few years have gone back to Pro Tools. It's just straight forward to me and I can focus on my writing. If you do a search on this forum you'll see a minute few who use Pro Tools for composition.


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## fish_hoof (Jun 14, 2019)

1 - I use Cubase but I used PT for about 12 years+ and still use it, although more for editing, mixing, etc. and not composing. So I feel more than qualified to give feedback. 
2 - I'm on the latest version (subscription plan) used it since PT 6.
3 - For me, I used the freeze function all the time. I get why it would be a pain with the tempo changes and not being able to adjust it. For me though, it worked just fine and as intended.


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## dzilizzi (Jun 14, 2019)

I use Cubase for the chord track until I get frustrated and go back to PT. I find doing basic midi in PT is actually easier. I'm on the current version but have been using it since 6 also. I love the current version the best. Rarely have crashes anymore. I will also commit rather than freeze partially because I like working with the audio and partially because that's what I've always done. (Bounce tracks to audio to free up RAM)


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## X-Bassist (Jun 14, 2019)

I use PT2018 for everything. Planning to upgrade to 2019 but waiting for a work break (the download is just sitting on my drive). I really like the latest version for midi and have found nothing that matches it for audio. Tried Logic and Cubase, but the first was too simple, coming from PT it seemed to be missing some major functions, but perhaps this is because I‘m use to editing in PT. Cubase has more to it, but was not intuitive. More frustration and manual searching than I usually like. And there were still a few things I found missing.

Plus I have yet to have one person really explain the advantage of Cubase over PT rather than the generic “it’s better for midi”. I sometimes wonder if these people have used a recent copy of PT.


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## fish_hoof (Jun 14, 2019)

X-Bassist said:


> Plus I have yet to have one person really explain the advantage of Cubase over PT rather than the generic “it’s better for midi”. I sometimes wonder if these people have used a recent copy of PT.



Keep in mind I love and use Pro Tools and am using 2019 and have since 6, but in Cubase:

-expression maps
-I can collapse 1000’s of tracks into folders and search what I need by name. 
-I can route my Channels to groups and export the all stems individually with custom naming conventions. 
-i can create any key command i possibly want, plus, still use Pro Tools Key commands in Cubase.
-I can’t speak to the “how” but I can tell you I can run 6-8 instances of Hans Zimmer strings with about 5-6 GB of ram each instance, without pops or hiccups, I could not do that in Pro Tools. 

These are off the top of my head, and what edged me out on staying with cubase for composing.


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## Anders Wall (Jun 15, 2019)

Fish_hoof
PT2019 has some new search trix up its sleeve, you should check them out.
You can show and hide tracks in PT, that’s more or less the same as folders.
You can export multiple groups in PT, just add them when you bounce.
Best 
/Anders


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## X-Bassist (Jun 16, 2019)

fish_hoof said:


> Keep in mind I love and use Pro Tools and am using 2019 and have since 6, but in Cubase:
> 
> -expression maps
> -I can collapse 1000’s of tracks into folders and search what I need by name.
> ...



Thank you! I’ve been waiting for specifics like this. Let me know if you think of more.

Even though PT is now 1000 midi tracks, I still wish it had more with it’s biggest omission: track folders. I agree, great idea. And NOT really the same thing as hiding/ show tracks because the folder track shows you the sum of all the midi tracks in it so you can get an overview of a massive session much more quickly.

Biggest problem with protools. Ironically it has an overview window, but without track folders the tracks become too much to scroll down even in overview- kind of a drag. The rest you mentioned I can do in PT, especially since I started using VEPro, much better resource use and many more instruments play smoothly, but PT handles plugins better- so best of both worlds.

But is track folders enough for me to redo years of templates built and rebuilt (VE Pro/ Komplete Kontrol) in Cubase for this one advantage?

So if there are others, I might, but I keep hoping PT will add it. Esp since it’s at the top of the users wish list. I hope they are working on it.


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## Geoff Grace (Jun 16, 2019)

1. I've been using Pro Tools for MIDI for over 15 years now, and I've always preferred it for audio.

2. I'm on the current version. I've been using it since it debuted, and I used Sound Tools before that.

3. I still bus my instrument tracks to audio tracks and track them the old fashioned way, so I can set levels and monitor the recording process while it's going down.

Best,

Geoff


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## dzilizzi (Jun 16, 2019)

So I was taught to use groups similar to folders. Create an aux for each group. Bus outputs to the aux. You can then hide everything but the aux tracks if you want. The aux track is also good for any fx you want to apply to the whole group. 

Maybe not as good as folders, but I find the track list in PT easier to select a bunch and make active/inactive/hide/unhide to be much easier to use than Cubase folders.


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## Mishabou (Jun 16, 2019)

I use CB 10 or PT Ultimate for music, post and orchestral mock up and find PT just as good midi wise as any DAW out there. 

I actually prefer PT for big midi template workflow.


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## brandowalk (Jun 16, 2019)

Thank you all for your feedback and comments! I think I'll make the jump from ver11 soon to 2019 version for the new features.


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## jaketanner (Aug 3, 2019)

Mishabou said:


> I use CB 10 or PT Ultimate for music, post and orchestral mock up and find PT just as good midi wise as any DAW out there.
> 
> I actually prefer PT for big midi template workflow.



I have been working in PT for well over a decade+...and with composing and VSTis + video, Cubase handles the CPU resources far better. So I am slowly migrating my workflow over to Cubase Pro 10...but finding that the simplest things are not possible in Cubase. One thing is track duplicate...there is no option to tell Cubase how many times I want to duplicate it...makes no sense. Anyway, when the video engine is engaged in PT, it adds a good chunk of RAM, whereas Cubase barely notices it...not sure why. But then again, we STILL can not export video with audio in Cubase which is so damn stupid...LOL


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## alexkishmusic (Aug 3, 2019)

I use PT mainly for how I can have it interact with Vienna Ensemble Pro. I use instrument tracks, with the MIDI signal from the instrument track routed to VEP, and the audio from a patch in VEP routed back in to that same instrument track. In Cubase you have to have a MIDI track and a separate audio return track from VEP. With PT I can keep MIDI and audio on a single track as if I had Kontakt instantiated on the instrument track.

Also I can manipulate CC's for multiple tracks via grouping, which helps with setting mic position levels across whole sections quickly (e.g. all my Spitfire Chamber Strings mic positions set uniformly at once).

Using the commit feature with this setup also makes printing tracks and stems very easy.

These are the main reasons I switched from Cubase as my main DAW.


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## jaketanner (Aug 3, 2019)

alexkishmusic said:


> I use PT mainly for how I can have it interact with Vienna Ensemble Pro. I use instrument tracks, with the MIDI signal from the instrument track routed to VEP, and the audio from a patch in VEP routed back in to that same instrument track. In Cubase you have to have a MIDI track and a separate audio return track from VEP. With PT I can keep MIDI and audio on a single track as if I had Kontakt instantiated on the instrument track.
> 
> Also I can manipulate CC's for multiple tracks via grouping, which helps with setting mic position levels across whole sections quickly (e.g. all my Spitfire Chamber Strings mic positions set uniformly at once).
> 
> ...



This makes me feel good and also sad. Lol. Sad because I bought Cubase pro because PT is a CPU hog and ram too. But glad because I prefer PT since I’ve been using it for decades. Lol


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## Mishabou (Aug 3, 2019)

jaketanner said:


> I have been working in PT for well over a decade+...and with composing and VSTis + video, Cubase handles the CPU resources far better. So I am slowly migrating my workflow over to Cubase Pro 10...but finding that the simplest things are not possible in Cubase. One thing is track duplicate...there is no option to tell Cubase how many times I want to duplicate it...makes no sense. Anyway, when the video engine is engaged in PT, it adds a good chunk of RAM, whereas Cubase barely notices it...not sure why. But then again, we STILL can not export video with audio in Cubase which is so damn stupid...LOL



PT and CB10 use the same resources on my rig, nMP 12 cores, 128 GB ram. I use a Kona 3, my videos are in full HD/Prores. Video play back barely puts any additional strain on my system. My buffer is 128.

That being said, for an upcoming project, i had to use LPX 10.4.6 and wow, it is sooo efficient and rock solid. It never ever crashes and handle VSTs much better than CB and PT on the same rig.


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## jaketanner (Aug 3, 2019)

Mishabou said:


> PT and CB10 use the same resources on my rig, nMP 12 cores, 128 GB ram. I use a Kona 3, my videos are in full HD/Prores. Video play back barely puts any additional strain on my system. My buffer is 128.
> 
> That being said, for an upcoming project, i had to use LPX 10.4.6 and wow, it is sooo efficient and rock solid. It never ever crashes and handle VSTs much better than CB and PT on the same rig.


Crap. Don’t wanna hear that. Lol. Not switching to logic though. And PTs video engine takes way more RAM than Cubase does. At least on my old system. My new 2018 Mac mini is on its way.


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