CAn Ableton replace Pro Tools?

bubbd202 · Post by **bubbd202** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:02 pm

I have had it with Pro Tools, there are just too many tech issues with all computers and formats. I am a songwriter who likes to do good productions that include vocals w/ a mbox. I use reason 3.0 w/PT's. Can Ableton do what PT's has been doing for me? I play guitar and Keyboeards and really like reason drum kits, I would also like to ultimately record my band with some kind of multi-track interface, but working alone is my primary focus.

blank · Post by **blank** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:10 pm

The only response to this is try it you'll see.

I'm not a big protools fan for many reasons but it's all a question of taste.

I can just say that ableton is way more a musician oriented software in many aspect than protools that is more designed for sound tech.

check out the demo, take sometimes to understand live, you will be able to compare both and make your choice.

YILA · Post by **YILA** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:45 pm

yes it can...it can be better if you get something like the powercore instead of using the built in plugs

Stiff · Post by **Stiff** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:55 pm

Can Live replace Pro Tools? Sure. Can it do the same things? No way.

They are two completely different apps. If you're looking for something to "replace" Pro Tools then Digital Performer, Logic or the likes are the way to go. With that said, if you don't need the Pro Tools specific features, then I'm sure you can use only Live and Reason for making music. Bottom line, they are different animals made for different things.

laird · Post by **laird** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:56 pm

I recently switched from Pro Tools to Live-- after some prodding from a couple of Recording Engineer friends of mine.

Live has some major strengths over ProTools... I think my favorite is Live's ability to arrange/rearrange song sections with a simple click of a button (whereas in ProTools, you have to highlight, click and drag). For non-linear songwriting, man, Live is tops. If you don't use this, though, you'll still be paying for it in terms of processor power, or so it seems to me.

The only thing Live really lacks, in terms of linear recording capabilities, is the ability to crossfade two seperate takes on one track. So if you are used to ProTools' nice crossfades and use them all the time putting together vocal/guitar tracks from multiple takes, then you might be sad at Live's "buttsplice-a-thon".

That, and there's no quick destructive editing.

Anyhow, its been a good switch, imo. And I really liked ProTools. Try the demo-- and don't miss the "session" view (click the horizontal bars, instead of the vertical bars)!

helixx · Post by **helixx** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:59 pm

i agree with laird on this. Live's main failing is that its so close to being a usable DAW but lacks some of the features that make editing easy in apps like Logic and ProTools (and the others).

in-track crossfades between clips is the big one and the one that frustrated me and my other music-head buddy rodger over the last few months. there are others but that's the main one. it is better than a DAW in other ways like the tempo matching, etc.

i eventually caved in and bought Logic pro 7.2 and do my recording in that. I use Live to make mostly electronic music and play around with compositions that become more full-blown songs done in Logic and Live.

i know this doesn't help much but i ended up being happier when i decided i needed both and just went ahead and did it. now my main problem is trying to decide which tool is best but that's not a bad thing to worry about, i guess.

if you have any specific questions, just let me know.

dmacintyre · Post by **dmacintyre** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:11 pm

I'm betting that Live 7 will put the fear of God into other DAWs. It's so close to the perfect all-rounder already and Ableton have a reputation for listening to their user's requests, so here's hoping.......

Crossfades, higher MIDI resolution, automation curves, looping without having to warp and of course, they really need to improve the audio quality to be as good as the others

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:40 pm

dmacintyre wrote:looping without having to warp and of course,:

I really doubt that'll happen.

YILA · Post by **YILA** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:31 pm

i make linear tracks on live...no problem.....

and you can crossfade..you just have to do it like a DJ!

dj superflat · Post by **dj superflat** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:56 pm

please don't start the sound quality debate/fallacy again (yes, time-stretching will affect sound quality in live or any other app). thx.

dmacintyre · Post by **dmacintyre** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:10 am

dj superflat wrote:please don't start the sound quality debate/fallacy again (yes, time-stretching will affect sound quality in live or any other app). thx.

I was being mischievous. That's what the wink was for.

steve-o · Post by **steve-o** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:37 am

I think the only way you can compare Protools and Live is to consider only the Arrange page of Live. In this light, I think that Protools is superior, not just because of crossfades, but also due to the snappiness of the the UI, and audio editing. However, while it may be superior in this narrow aspect, I do not believe that this means that you cannot replace protools with live. Live is deceptively deep.

laird · Post by **laird** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:59 pm

Yila: you cannot crossfade in Live like you can in Pro Tools.

This is a function I miss desperately, and other people switching from Pro Tools might as well.

Crossfading like a DJ requires 2 separate tracks.
Which means either creating a third track to route those two tracks to (creating a visual mess), or doubling the number of plugins you use (and I dont like using two instances of CPU-intensive reverbs when I dont have to do so-- and this is still 2X as many tracks taking up real estate on my monitor)

One of the great things in Live, though, is easy audio alignment in the Arrange view. Is that drum track a few msec off?? In Pro Tools you'd have to turn off the grid, find the real start point, add a split point, turn the grid back on and drag it back those few msec. In Live, you just look at the bottom window and drag the start point to where it should be. Everything gets shifted automatically in the tracks area.

Also, looping! If you do a lot of looping in PT, you have to hit cntrl-D cntrl-D-cntrl-D-cntrol-D over and over to fill up a large space. In Live: just drag the right edge of your file out to where it should stop looping. One mouse click and drag!

Later you decide you have the cymbal at the third quarter note? Just go into the envelopes section and lower its volume... now all of them are muted! No need to destructively edit, or hit Cntrl-D 200 times again.

Heinz Graaf · Post by **Heinz Graaf** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:30 pm

what is "In Track Crossfades Between Clips" ?

MrTiddles · Post by **MrTiddles** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:36 pm

I'm with Laird..... I made the switch from using Pro tools to Live, however....

Pro tools sounds better. So I use Pro tools for the final mix, and Live to create the tracks. You'll find that Live has 1 of the easiest and most intuitive interfaces going. It beautiful to use! I like having an idea and being able to get it out almost straight away.

Get Live just so you can enjoy writing tracks, but keep the Tools for that final bit of sparkle.

Stevie