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Moving It Around
One of the most enjoyable aspects of writing the Pro Tools
Corner, is being able to discuss and share topics and techniques
that relate to the personal projects that I am working
on. This month in particular, I have found myself dealing
with issues of collaboration, and finding the best way
to send and receive Pro Tools sessions to those who I am
working with. One of the many splendors of working with
Pro Tools (or any DAW application) is the ability to work
with others simply by opening the session file. You can
easily track a session in Los Angeles, have it edited in
New York and mixed in San Francisco (or anywhere in between),
working with the best team possible, not just the best
people in your locale. This week, we discuss the various
ways for whisking your Pro Tools session around all corners
of the globe, pointing out the pros- and cons- of each
method.
Uncle Sam and His Friends
Perhaps the simplest way for sending someone your Pro Tools
session to work on is to burn a DVD of your session and drop
it off at your local U.S. Post Office, Federal Express or
UPS office.
Pros: Once you have figured out how to properly burn a DVD
of your Pro Tools session (including all the necessary media – that
would be a great topic for the Pro Tools Corner actually),
no further wrestling with technology is involved. The recipient
on the other end, simply waits for it to arrive and copies
it on their system, with nothing more to explain.
Cons: The cost of sending Pro Tools sessions via courier
service can add-up over time and may not be insignificant,
especially if immediate delivery is typically required. There’s
just no instant gratification with snail mail.
Looking Online
Until recently, this option seemed to fit the bill for me.
There are several online services such as your web host/isp,
Apple (.Mac) and other third parties that provide online
storage. If your domain (www.yourcompany.com) is hosted by
a provider that includes oodles-and-oodles of space, then
you can usually setup HTTP or FTP access to use for file
transfer. If you are using a Macintosh, you can’t beat
the integration of iDisk and .Mac. Although the standard
1GB allotment might not be enough, you can purchase additional
space. There are also free services such as YouSendIt which send an email to the recipient instructing them to
click on a link for the download.
Pros: Online services maybe more cost effective (especially
the free ones), and provide the quickest delivery possible
using the Internet.
Cons: I do get nervous about the security of such services.
It is our duty as Pro Tools Operators to protect our client’s
Pro Tools sessions with our lives. It’s hard to truly
trust a service/server that you don’t have control
over.
DigiDelivery the Digidesign Way
Okay you caught me, this is the option that I have recently
employed, and the experience of setting it up, is really
what precipitated this article. If you don’t know much
about DigiDelivery,
it is a server appliance developed by Digidesign (based on
their acquisition
of RocketNetworks…anyone remember ResRocket?). Although
you can read all the techno-babble on their website, here’s
the gist:
- You purchase the DigiDelivery Server (It is located
at your location and is connected to the Internet via your
high-speed
connection. It requires a static IP address, not a dynamic
assignment to work, and should always be left on).
- Using your LAN (local area connection) you use the
free DigiDelivery Client software to quickly transfer your
Pro
Tools Session (or an yother file for that matter) to the
DigiDelivery (because the DigiDelivery is a part of your
LAN, it avoids the Internet and is very fast to do).
- The recipient gets an email instructing them to download
the free DigiDelivery Client software, and a link that
they copy into their web browser to securely receive the
download.
Pros: Because you have control of the DigiDelviery, you
can secure it using whatever measure you see fit. It has
many
built-in security features, and eliminates the long upload
time when you need to send something out to someone (the
recipient still must download via the Internet). It’s
integration with Pro Tools is a nice touch, and just as
with the online services, it provides instant gratification
and
quicker payment.
Cons: DigiDelivery is not cheap (there are two versions
of the server the LT and the GT), however it maybe a option
your clients are willing to pay for, making it a billable
service. It is very loud – I am now in the market for
a good isolation box (someone help!). You really need to
place the DigiDelivery out of any working/living space, as
it creates some serious fan noise and will drive your crazy – it’s
a server, not a piece of audio gear.
Side Note: Surviving the Installation and Setup of a DigiDelivery
Server
My advice for getting through the setup of a DigiDelivery
Server, really has to do with patience. Let’s face
it, most of us are darn fine musicians and engineers, but
networking really doesn’t excite me (and may not
do it for you either). However, the key to licking this
necessary
evil, is to know that nothing goes right the first time,
and there is nothing embarrassing about setting aside an
entire day (or more) to get it all up and running.
Most likely, you will have to work with your ISP (Internet
Service Provider) and the manufacturer of your router to
provide the correct networking information in the DigiDelivery
Setup Wizard. You might even have to contact Digidesign
Technical Support, as I did (my first call ever).
For me, after finally figuring out the right information
to use, the Wizard kept reporting an error on Port 80 (which
didn’t mean a whole lot to me), yet it was working
fine. A very nice person in Technical Support, told me
that sometimes that message appears as an error (bug?)
and not
to worry if everything is working as it should.
Now that it is all setup, I never have to touch it, and
sending files to friends and colleagues has never been
as easy or
worry-free.
Pro Tools Tidbits
- Ableton has
announced Live
6 due in September 2006.
- API has released
the A2D Digital
Converter, a microphone pre-amplifier with digital output.
(HD and LE)
- Digidesign has
announced their next software instrument release – Strike! a
virtual drummer and drum module due in early August
2006. (RTAS)
- DUY ()
has released Magic
Spectrum,
a mastering tool. (TDM and RTAS)
If you have a Pro Tools related question that you would
like me to take a shot at answering or have any feedback,
please send it to scott@audioMIDI.com. I will do my best
to select the questions that seem to stump the most people.
As always, stay tuned to the audioMIDI.com eNews for the latest reviews and new product info.
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