I really hope Avid fix this problem that does not exist with FCP and ProTools - compatibility in both hardware and software level. I should not have to install Studio in order to make Digidesign products work.

I should not have to buy an extra app to make Protools work with Avid NLEs while other apps have basic support for OMF/AAF import. I am unsure how many times I or a colleague have nixed the idea of getting ProTools when realizing the extra cost for DigiTranslator. It is adding salt to injury.

M-Audio hardware should work with any Avid NLE out of the box. Like ProTools hardware, they should be part of the QUALIFIED section.

You guys can't be behind your competitors on compatibility with your own hardware and software.

Dom Q. Silverio:

You guys can't be behind your competitors on compatibility with your own hardware and software.

But they have been for a decade and none of the 1000's of suggestions in that time have made a dent in the brickwall.

Dom Q. Silverio:

I am unsure how many times I or a colleague have nixed the idea of getting ProTools when realizing the extra cost for DigiTranslator

As we first crossed swords about this here 6 or more years ago I wont go there this time other than to say I dont know how many times over DigiTranslator would have paid for itself in that time. I know mine has.

I think they are more worried by the flood of protests they would get from LE buyers (who have not researched sufficiently) if the two were completely integrated.  Why wont my LE do 5.1? itunes does (not really) etc

AndrewAction:

As we first crossed swords about this here 6 or more years ago I wont go there this time other than to say I dont know how many times over DigiTranslator would have paid for itself in that time. I know mine has.

I'm sure DT pays for itself. But the point is why is a software that is owned by Avid does not work with other Avid software by default when competitive products do. DT should not be a paid feature. It should be in there by default. It is like Adobe charging AE users to import PSD files while x product can do it by default.

Dom Q. Silverio:

But the point is why is a software that is owned by Avid does not work with other Avid software by default when competitive products do. DT should not be a paid feature

As said before DigiDesign was not owned by Avid when they product was released.

Dom Q. Silverio:

It is like Adobe charging AE users to import PSD

Or is it more like Illustrator still not importing transparent background Photoshop files whilst Corel Draw always has?

AndrewAction:

But they have been for a decade and none of the 1000's of suggestions in that time have made a dent in the brickwall.

Yes Andrew, but Avid is 'Thinking New' remember? So I'd say hear hear Don, i fully agree even though I bought the translator several years ago.

A long long time ago in the last century (1992) my Avid system, a Model 2500 (version 2.11,) came with what was a badged version of the then ProTools system made by Digidesign. The product was called Mediamix. It added deck control to ProTools and allowed you to audition four tracks SIMULTANEOUSLY.

I even attended a one day course on how to use it here in London.

The export from Mediacomposer was very fast, and did not copy the media, but timestamped it for Mediamix, and involved no other Digitranslator type utility. Oh, and it ran on the Mac 11FX and the same hardware; a Digidesign two channel interface. I kinda feel things like exchanging sessions between the products should have moved on from back then, notwithstanding the fact that they both can run a few more audio tracks.

Anyone want to buy a Mediamix Dongle?

I bought Studio with DigiTranslator et al.  It never really worked well for me.  It wouldn't recognize my favorite audio cards and other devices, so I had to use the rather limited MBox; the video never played right.  I didn't like some of the little things like how the Midi numbers were all one number off from every piece of gear I hooked up to it..... The ProTools user forum wasn't anywhere near as good as the Avid user forum so I couldn't get straight answers there.  And only few people in the Avid forum used ProTools, so I couldn't get help there.  Some claimed that your drives had to have different sharing permissions for Avid Vs ProTools so you had to reset all your drives between use of the applications.  Some claimed that it was just simply impossible to use the same applications on the same computer.  Some claimed that the version of ProTools that came with Studio was a special version that didn't require resetting the permissiona so you could use them on the same computer.

I ended up switching over to Nuendo.  I'm pretty happy with it.  The video playback occasionaly quits, but still worked better than the previous protools studio version did.  I suppose if I really wanted better playback, i would set up my Avid to follow the Nuendo (I currently run them on two different computers)

My suggestion is to improve the ProTools user forum and perhaps have some pro's occassionaly check in to help people out.  The other big thing would be to have USB dongles instead of hardware dongles - and yeah, let it use any M-Audo card.

AndrewAction:

Why wont my LE do 5.1? itunes does (not really) etc

It can, just pick up a copy of the Neyrinck Mix 51 plug-in for $190.

But, I whole hardly agree with the original question of WHY can you not even have the two products installed on the same computer. This is just the most backwards thing in the world. I could, maybe, accept not running them both at the same time, but to not even allow the co-installation makes no sense. This aspect would be the same as you can't have Photoshop and AfterEffects installed on the same computer, but you can exchange files between them.

Charles

the_dark:

just pick up a copy of the Neyrinck Mix 51 plug-in for $190.

But why should I have to pay for a plug in to have the same basic functionality of ...xxx?????

Sorry could not resist as I just heard this from a local LE user who thought nothing about spending $5K for a studio mic

No doubt. I work with people who won't even blink over dropping >$5,000 on a camera lens but, ask for $1000 to buy a cheap field mixer and they throw a fit. The way people perceive the value of different types of products really makes no sense.

Charles