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Not renewing Pro Tools "subscription"

$400/year is of course peanuts for a scoring stage, but too much for an orchestrator that just opens it twice a week for the midi files.
Too much? It's about 8 pages of orchestrations. Maybe one cue a year. Hardly that expensive.
 
We may come back to that. If you'll indulge my speculations...
Since no brand of computer/OS is reliable anymore (Jobs' Macs used to be very reliable)...

What do you call "reliable?". We use 4 studios, 5 days a week, every week of the year, and there are very few problems, certainly fewer than in the previous eras. I don't mean to be argumentative, but what is your benchmark for "reliable"?
 
FYI guys:
  • Harrison MixBus opens Pro Tools projects (it's in beta state)
  • other systems with HD: Digital Performer & Motu
  • other systems with HD: Nuendo & Yamaha
  • Best performance: Reaper
  • all along best DAW: Sequoia (integration to most HD systems)
 
What do you call "reliable?". We use 4 studios, 5 days a week, every week of the year, and there are very few problems, certainly fewer than in the previous eras. I don't mean to be argumentative, but what is your benchmark for "reliable"?
My own experience being more anecdotic than yours, I'll accept if I'm wrong. However here's my argument.

I bought a 2015 Macbook Pro, and I've had a lot of problems I never had with my 2005 MBP, like glitches and dropouts, random MIDI latencies (???), and other issues I'm sorry to say I gladly forgot about when moving away from Mac.
Even when booting up, the startup screen effects (like fades etc.) were glitchy from the very first time (and the dual monitor support made them worse), while they were smooth and glitchless in my previous Mac. Not that this matters in itself, but it gave an ominous bad quality feel from the start - which only confirmed itself later on.
Then a friend bought a MBP for movie editing that same year, and had frustrating issues, like: the USB port believes the HD is disconnected (when it is not), then reconnects and disconnects again, many times in a couple of seconds, covering up the entire screen with warning messages that she has to close one by one manually, before she can even see what she was working on again.
So, sure, those are only two experiences, but it was enough to steer me away from Mac for good. Now I get mad at Windows' issues, but at least I don't get mad at how much I paid for that piece of bugware on top of it. To me, today's Apple quality doesn't justify their prices anymore. (And frankly, while still not great for real time, Windows is much better than it used to be.)

I'm wondering, which generation of Macs do you use? Because older ones are still great... And do you have a technician whose main job is to maintain the computers in your studios, so that you don't have to deal with that yourself? I would love that, but can't afford it.
 
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I'm wondering, which generation of Macs do you use? And do you have a technician whose main job is to maintain the computers in your studios, so that you don't have to deal with that yourself?
We use Windows...! We only have Mac Minis for Final Cut, opening Logic projects and a couple of museum pieces for running Keymap Pro. We changed all studios to Windows based in 2008 (I think). The computers don't need to be maintained, other than shifting things off drives to the back-up storage systems. The change over to Windows 10 was not without its glitches, but everything is now working well.
 
We use Windows...! We only have Mac Minis for Final Cut, opening Logic projects and a couple of museum pieces for running Keymap Pro. We changed all studios to Windows based in 2008 (I think). The computers don't need to be maintained, other than shifting things off drives to the back-up storage systems. The change over to Windows 10 was not without its glitches, but everything is now working well.
Yes, I agree Windows has got better. I thought you were talking about Macs. I'd say both are about the same quality/reliability nowadays.
Isn't it funny to see how Bill Gates' departure seems to have done Microsoft as much good as Steve Jobs' passing has been bad for Apple? Well, funny and predictable, too - given the characters.

- But hey, this thread is digressing and it's all my fault.
I'll try to drop the matter...
 
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They say you have to vote with your wallet. Just cancelled my renewal now. I cant support their business model and I probably open Pro Tools 2-3 times a year at this point. Good to hear Harrison is beta for support. Ill try that out for a while since i like that DAW way more than pro tools.
 
so glad I never have to touch protools.

That's some real predatory stuff there... the reality is that the more they screw paying customers, the more will flock to other platforms - or simply pirate it instead. If I paid for a perpetual license only to get shafted like that, I'd not feel an ounce of guilt torrenting it until the company bankrupted. I'm not saying every daw should be the price of reaper, but clearly - people are willing to spend the money at a reasonable amount, and if you're not getting the people who are now using other platforms - it's because PT sucks, and other options are now getting attention despite pretty much decades of professional monopoly to carry your IP.
 
FYI guys:
  • Harrison MixBus opens Pro Tools projects (it's in beta state)
With a huge number of caveats. Opening Pro Tools projects as Pro Tools does it would require breaking the encryption, so would be illegal. FWIW one has always been able to open PT5 files in 3rd part software. It was afterwards that they encrypted the files to stop it.
 
I understand that people (including me) don't like the subscription model, but I'm afraid if you want to work with the top studios, you have no other option. There is no alternative.
 
On the re-instatement option, it might be about to get worse. Avid have yet to confirm that the reinstatements will work at all after July 1st, most unclear on regular Pro Tools in particular. Once lapsed, it could never be re-activated to get an up to date version.
 
I understand that people (including me) don't like the subscription model, but I'm afraid if you want to work with the top studios, you have no other option. There is no alternative.
I'm afraid you're right.

For now.....
I hope you're right.
;)

No, seriously, there's a risk of segregating pros into two categories: the super badass who work for Disney on one hand, and the more modest ones who work for youtubers and self-produced bands, along with the casual amateur. Not that those cateories don't exist already, but they're far from airtight. They could become it.

But whether such a split is sustainable remains to be seen.
 
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I've been a big fan of Reaper and with the last few upgrades Logic too.
While PT hasn't done much but add Falcon and moved some of the functions of HD to Std, the other DAWs have made tremendous strides and added the functions that set PT ahead.
I can't see the big studios giving up all the hardware integration that HDX offers but if I owned one of those I'd be worried that Avid has gone for broke with this latest price increase.
 
There's one feature I think Pro Tools trumps the competition with: the ability to work simultaneously on the same project from two different studios, via the net. Or at least that's what I understood from an ad. Can someone confirm it?

Oh, and btw, the French importer of Avid products quit a couple of years ago, because the plans were getting too complicated to keep up with (and, I suppose, their margin was too thin).
 
I'm not a fan of Avid's subscription model, but I'm one of those people who has PT files being sent to me every week. It's essential for the work I do, so it's not a dealbreaker to pay $400/year. Working that expense back into my billing will hardly be a blip over the course of a year.

As Daryl said, it's the standard for work with large studios. It does what it does very well. You got me, Avid. :cautious:
 
I think that Pyramix/Merging Technologies is the only DAW that's really challenged PT in the large multi media facilities but they are even more $$$ (I still have a PC with XP and Pyramix in storage).
And setting up an entire educational system with licensing still makes them a tough nut to crack in that setting.
 
Pyramix is indeed a wonderful platform, superior to PT in some areas. As you mention, it doesn't have the traction in the industry of PT. Plus, I think many people are like me and don't want to have to learn another program when PT does what they need already.
 
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