10 things pro tools 10 can do studio one 2 can't

10 things Studio One 2 can do that Pro Tools 10 can't

Companies That Offer Academic Discounts

Lets be real. Audio school is not cheap, no college is really. So as a student (and even after graduation) you're always looking for a bang for your buck deal. One thing a lot of people forget to take advantage of is academic discounts while in school. This should be listed right up with perks for going to school with hands on experience and networking opportunities. If its one thing I know besides audio it's how to save when making purchases, even if its 10%. (Yes 10% does make a difference). Some academic version purchases I’ve made while I was enrolled at Art Institute of Tennessee Nashville include Sonnox Elite bundle and Digidesign  Avid Pro Tools upgrade. I know I got more but thats what I remember off the top of my head right now. If you're wondering what an academic version is its the full version of a software or plugin offered at lower price to students and teachers.  Below I’m listing some companies I know that offer academic discounts as well as links to find out more information. Normally all a company or dealer needs is a copy of your student ID and your most recent schedule and you're good to go. So if you're a student, next time before you buy a plugin or software, check to see if they offer an academic discount. Be sure to read fine print. Some academic versions out there are only for schools and not students. Of course this isn’t everyone so check with dealers and companies before purchasing to see if they offer academic discounts.

• Waves Audio
• Waves offers 35% off select bundles
• http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=10662
• Sound Toys
• Sound Toys offer an academic bundle for $249. That is 60% off list price and includes almost if not all of their plugins
• https://www.soundtoys.com/edu/
• McDSP
• McDSP offers many bundles for a discounted price. Looks to be 40-50% off. Click on student order form on the following link to see all the bundles offered at the discounted price.
• http://www.mcdsp.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=24&Itemid=100022
• Avid Pro Tools
• Avid offer Pro Tools academic for $295, more than 50% off regular price.
• Pro Tools academic also gets you get 4 years worth of free upgrades. That is not a typo. 4 years of free upgrades! Right now the upgrade price is $299
• Avid also offer Mbox bundles with Pro Tools Express ( a lite version of Pro Tools) for a discounted price to students.
• http://apps.avid.com/education/
• Presonus Studio One
• Presonus offers Studio One Educational for the following prices
• artist version - $49
• producer version - $99
• professional version - $299
• It seems these educational versions are only offered through dealers and not from Presonus web shop.
• http://studioone.presonus.com/shop/
• Izoptope
• According to this link Izotope offers 50% off to students on their plugins on their website store. I’ve seen Izotope Academic listed at dealer before so check there to.
• http://www.izotope.com/support/portal/index.php/kb/article/306-Educational_Academic_Discount
• Ableton
• Ableton offers 40% off for students and teachers
• http://www.ableton.com/edu-discounts
• Sonnox
• Sonnox offers their Elite bundle for $630 on academic discount
• http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/OxEliteNatEdu/

My Favorite Saturation Plugins

After softube released a free saturation AAX plugin for Pro Tools 10 users, I realized just how much I use saturation plugins. They do a great job of adding some bite and thickening up anything I need them to. They also help tracks cut through in a mix.  So here are my favorite saturation plugins and how I use them when mixing. 

1. McDsp Analog Channel - This was my first saturation plugin. It didn’t get love from me until I read the manual and really understood how to use it. Analog Channel is two different plugins. The AC101 emulates class A amplifier circuits like preamps, and the AC202 emulates tape machines. I use AC202 more than AC101 but both are great and extremely versatile. AC202 in vintage mode thickens up thin vocals. Sometimes its too much, but when it is the more subtle modern mode will do the job. I also use AC202 on strings to give some attitude. Most strings I get to mix sound boring and thin, and eq most times will not fully do the job. Sometimes the AC202 is the only plugin that I put on strings in a mix. It sees action for me on drum bus as well. Being able to shape the eq curve really come in handy as well.
2. Decapitator - Another extremely versatile saturation plugin, and arguably the most popular. SoundToys gives you 5 different analog modeling styles. My favorite is E, followed by P and N. I use decapitator on my mix buss, strings, and sometimes drum buss. One of my favorite features is the tone knob, which allows you to make the signal darker or brighter. Its what really makes this a coloring tool for me. That knob can sometimes replace an eq for me. I never  used the punish the button before, but I can think of some cools ways to use it for effects.
3. Softube Saturation Knob - Even though I’ve only been using it for a week I have to list this as one of my favorites. At first I thought this was just the saturation taken from the focusing equalizer, but a quick shootout with the two quickly proved me wrong. The focusing eq can be pushed a lot harder before it starts to distort. So far this plugin has seen use on vocals and mix buss for me. Next time I get some strings I will try them there to.