The Pro Tools Era

Apple’s Pro Tools is the leading industry standard for Digital Audio Workstations, making Apple the leader in music production which it has been since the early 2000s. However, they have recently worked toward making their software available to PC users thus making entering the world of music production a lot more affordable than it ever has been. Yet even with this added support, the PC version of Pro Tools is still a victim of many bugs that its “parent” version does not. All resources seem to go into making the Mac version of Pro Tools as easy-to-use and bug-free as possible and leave PC users in the dust so much that many musicians and audio technicians still view Apple products as the only option for software and musical computer equipment.  

When driver issues make it difficult for musicians to get started using their software they drive more consumers into the arms of Apple products and scare users from other alternatives. For example, recently there was an update to Pro Tools’ license management software, known as “iLok,” that installed a broken driver which prevented the computer from booting at all causing many to wipe their drives only to find they didn’t need to do so in the first place. This is the world that we live in but can this last? Is there anyone out there that can challenge the status quo and create a real, viable open-source solution to expensive music software that ties us to an expensive Operating System? Though there are plenty of open source applications for music production, the issue lies in trying to get any virtual instruments or midi controllers with compatible drivers. Without being able to connect many vital music production tools to your Linux environment,  you are very limited in what you can use which limits what you can make and also takes away from being a musician and turns you into an IT guy.

A New Day is Coming!

With the landscape of Digital Audio Production changing and the rise of DAW’s such as Cubase and Abelton, we are seeing a big exodus of users from the Pro Tools brand. But as these smaller brands still attempt to challenge the giant, the giant still stands tall as the industry standard and has the highest amount of music production tools available or compatible with it. When will the companies that produce midi controllers and audio interfaces realize that expanding the Operating Systems and DAW’s that they work with can only drive their sales higher? Or would they really rather continue limiting their audience to Mac and Avid’s Pro Tools users?