On 2008-11-27, protools fan rated this Digidesign Digi 003 a 3...(13011)
History: I play every instrument I can get my hands on. Drums, bass, guitar, mandolin, classical, harmonica, piano, keyboards - you name it. I love to record and while I haven't really been in a band, per se, I've jammed on countless occasions with some of the best musicians out there. I can hold my own, but I'm not a professional.
Purchase: Paid a little over two grand online for this Digi 003 Factory Pro Tools LE workstation. I needed something that could work with various levels of audio and MIDI, but that was fast and accurate and very capable. I got tired of messing around with the latest Cakewalk software and decided to go for the real thing - Pro Tools.
Pros: You can pretty much connect just about anything to this unit. It will take a guitar, a mic, MIDI cables, sPDIF, digital audio, and more. I also like the faders as they are touch sensitive and motorized, this unit is really slick. There is a nice LED display and lots of lights to let you know exactly where you are at. Sometimes a unit like this can seem overwhelming, and while the Digidesign digi 003 is packed with functionality, it's pretty intuitive to use. The Pro Tools LE software that comes with the unit is also top notch and will let you slice, dice, and mix down your tracks with incredible flexibility.
Cons: Even though I did mention that the whole rig is really flexibile and will let you do just about anything - and it's intuitive, you just can't get away from the fact that there's a learning curve. A really huge learning curve if you've never had this much power at your fingertips or if you've never worked much with recording equipment. Learning some of the concepts can be somewhat of a challenge, but like anything you take it a little at a time and pretty soon you're able to make simple multi-track recordings and before you know it you're on your way. Don't let this thing intimidate you though. While it's powerful, it can help you to make some of your best creations.
Quality: While the software, the workstation unit and all of the other included items seem really first rate, you still won't want to drop this thing if you can help it. If you're going to spend this much on a workstation, software, etc. you better take care of it. Having said that, I'm terribly impressed with the quality of this Digidesign product. The Pro Tools LE package simply rocks.
Review Summary: Overall, very expensive, but you've got to pay to play. Don't let the extreme flexibility and amount of control overwhelm you though, as this is a package that will keep you producing your own recordings for years.
