Pro Tools 8 – New Instrument Review – XPand2
Hi Folks -
So sorry for the lag in posts. I’ve been mad busy perusing and using Pro Tools 8. Now that I’m out of the studio cave, I want to bring you the first of many posts about the new features of Pro Tools 8. Let’s start with the new instruments.
Pro Tools 8 comes with 5 brand new instruments (Xpand2, DB-33, MiniGrand, Vacuum, and Boom), as well as Structure Free. If you’ve owned earlier versions of Pro Tools, you’ve probably had Xpand! already… well, XPand2 is a serious upgrade to that already well-rounded instrument. Xpand2 has double the number of patches as XPand!, as well as an easier to use interface.
Xpand2 takes all four different pages of the original Xpand! interface and combines them into one. All controls are on one page… including the effects, arpeggiators, and modulation. The effects section has also been upgraded with some new effects… see the Chaos Delay and Cloud Delay listed on this Sitar patch.
XPand2 includes all of the original Xpand content, and adds almost a gig of new content. All new patches have a little plus “+” symbol in front of them, while the original patches are labeled just as they were in Xpand.
Xpand2 has a lot of firepower. Shoot, I’ve used the original Xpand on innumerable projects for studio projects and corporate clients alike. Get in there and use this program!
Have you had any plug-in issues upgrading to ProTools 8? If so, which ones, and how did you address the issue?
Because of how long Digidesign took to make a Leopard compatible version of Pro Tools, I’m still running Tiger 10.4.11 and 7.4 LE. I have Leopard on my laptop and love it, but I’m scared of compatibility issues.
Is PT8 buggy or do you recommend the upgrade?
Thanks for the post!
-Stephen Shapiro
SS –
As with any new release, there are some bugs. I know Digi waited pretty long in the beta testing to release this, so its pretty solid, and I haven’t personally run into too many issues, both on HD and LE… but I know some others who have. The key is to make sure your computer is compatible with PT8 as much as possible… have a good amount of RAM, the exact right OS, etc.
The only major bug that I’ve run into is that PT crashes from time to time on my HD rig… which is obviously a problem, but not one that has crippled my studio in any way.
Almost all of my plug-ins worked without any updating needed.
Hope that helps.
Cheers!
df
Thanks much, df!
thus far, pt 8 has been a pain in the ass, nothing but bugs and the mini mbox 2 is a joke (shoulda known!). I am having trouble of the DAE error 9006 variety…I get DAE 9006 whenever I just try to start XPAND2..anyone know a cure,or should I just trash ProTools8 more?
Anyone know how to cycle easily through the patches in XPAND2? It’s consuming to use the mouse, to change patches while you’re track is running to select a patch. There’s gotta be a shortcut somewhere, I’ve yet to see it
CJ –
In the plug-in window, there are little plus and minus buttons… you can use them to cycle through the presets. OR, you can click the Plug-in Settings select button (right next to the plus button) and then in the window that pops up, you can have Pro Tools cycle through the presets automatically at a set amount of time (e.g., every 3 seconds).
df
Cory C –
Sorry man… didn’t see your post here until now. Sorry that PT8 hasn’t been cooperating with your system well. There are a few reasons you might be seeing the DAE error 9006. I’ve attached one reason below, but if this isn’t the issue for you, then simply go to Digidesign’s web site and type “DAE 9006″ into the search field on any page on the Digi site and you’ll get some more answers.
DAE error -9006 “Pro Tools is critically low on memory, please save and re-launch the session”.
In one instance, having a FireWire 800 drive daisy-chained to a FireWire 400 drive caused a DAE -9006 error when trying to playback audio. This was resolved by connecting each hard drive to it’s own FireWire port.
Note: Daisy-chaining FireWire 400 and 800 drives is NOT a supported configuration for use with Pro Tools.
Cory C -
Actually, I found a couple more related posts for you…
1)
“The plug-in could not be made active because a DAE error was encountered 9006 ” was seen on a Mac Pro while inserting Xpand! in a Pro Tools 7.3 session.
In this case, it was necessary to do the following:
1) Run the Xpand! Preference File Installer found here:
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?navid=54&langid=100&itemid=24475
2) Delete the Xpand!.dat file from the default location on your hard drive (Mac HD > Library > Application Support > Digidesign), empty the trash, and copy a new Xpand!.dat file to the drive location that contains the Set Xpand! Content Location Application.
Here’s how: simply drag the Xpand!.dat file from the Xpand! disc, into the folder that contains the Set Xpand! Content Location Application.
3) Run the Set Xpand! Content Location Application by double clicking on the Set Xpand! Content Location Application icon which is installed on your hard drive. When opening this Application, make sure the path name that appears is directed to the Xpand!.dat file.
Both of these files must be installed to the same location on your hard drive. You may move the files from their installed locations, but after doing so, you must run the Set Xpand! Content Location Application.
4) Launch Pro Tools and insert xpand, the error was resolved.
2)
DAE error -9006 when trying in instantiate Xpand!
In one case, this was due to a corupted DAT file. Re-installing the “Xpand!.dat” file in the following location solved this issue:
Hard Drive > library > application support > digidesign
I am having issues with a DAE 9006 error in PT 8 when using Guitar Rig 3 as a plug in. I’ve reinstalled both applications, and cannot now launch GTR3. Any ideas.
Win XP, 2Gb RAM, Digi 002 rack, PT 8 with CS update.
Thanks, Rob
Rob -
The only time I’ve seen the 9006 error is when a plug-ins .DAT file isn’t installed correctly. The .DAT file contains patch information. In your case, it might be installed twice… which might be causing the problem.
I’d also consult the NI website. I’ve known of some people experiencing bugs with Guitar Rig in PT… but it is compatible with PT. The recommended version is 3.2.
Good luck.
df
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