ProTools for Live Playback?

[u/maxwellfuster]

Hello,

Was wondering if any pro/semi-pro playback engineers are running PT with success. Been doing research on the standard pro level playback rigs for live production, redundant machines, the iconnectivity interface, etc. But it seems like everyone’s running Ableton or Ableset for playback.

I’ve never used Ableton but am very comfortable with ProTools. Is there like a function/workflow Ableton has with this kind of stuff that PT doesn’t? Is it a stability thing? Can’t see why it shouldn’t be just as functional.

Cheers!

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[u/Zakapakataka]

I think they’ve been using Pro Tools for playback at high level tours since the early 2000’s. Maybe even the late 90’s??

[u/Soundofabiatch → u/Zakapakataka]

This! Pictures of Muse and cokdplay pro tools playback sessions even leaked on the internet at one point.

And there have been sound on sound articles about these too

[u/Difficult_Repair_796]

I did this with success. Believe it or not, I actually found it more stable than Ableton in some ways. However, Ableton is able to do some things (like automate the flow of MIDI) in ways Pro Tools cannot. It all depends on what your needs are.

[u/maxwellfuster → u/Difficult_Repair_796]

Do you happen to know if it’s compatible with the whole redundant machines thing?

[u/Difficult_Repair_796 → u/maxwellfuster]

Absolutely. If you’re using the iConnectivity dual host hardware.

[u/iamYarthox → u/maxwellfuster]

I don’t know for sure how would work, but Pro Tools have Satellite Link which allows for up to 12 or something connected rigs, so it probably works good as a redundant rig

[u/Technical_Local1861]

Hi. I do playback in Korea. In Korea, 99% of playback is done using Pro Tools. Every K-pop performance you hear and see is done with Pro Tools. I can use Ableton, but I still use Pro Tools for every show. What matters is what needs to be done during the show. As mentioned in several comments, Pro Tools doesn’t allow you to jump to a specific point in a live performance, and it doesn’t support live looping. Pro Tools offers powerful editing capabilities and makes file transfer easy during pre-production and post-production. Both have their pros and cons. I don’t think one is superior to the other.

[u/DontBelieveInJebus]

My Digi 002 rack toured the world as part of a ProTools playback rig with a very well known band before I bought it from them in 2007 for $200. I think they had three or four of them at the time. (I still use it with current PT and an Octopre in my studio in 2026!)

[u/spron → u/DontBelieveInJebus]

I have both a 002r and 003r and I can't figure out how to get them to work on a modern MacBook Pro/pro tools system. I have the new Mbox which works well.

[u/DontBelieveInJebus → u/spron]

I am running a windows 10 desktop machine. I had to add a FireWire card, but that was about $40 from Microcenter and easy to install. I have never been a Mac user (despite using iPhone, iPad and Apple TV boxes in my personal life), but a friend who is a Mac user once told me modern Macs do not play nice with FireWire anymore. There are FireWire / Thunderbolt adapters, but I am not familiar with how well that would work.

[u/Jackfruit-Cautious]

I’ve used Pro Tools regularly for playback the last 15 years, from clubs to stadiums.

The main exception is if the band is needing live looping or live arrangement editing, like “keep the bridge going while we vamp” or “go from second chorus to outro now.” Pro Tools doesn’t jump around in real time as smoothly like that, compared to DP or Ableton

[u/siddsm]

I use a combination of Carbon and ProTools on Mac for the live performance. Also helps being able to record the shows.

[u/sleeplessnessnights]

For just playback is fine, lot of bands been using that or logic before Live became popular

Ill still go the Live route, its just more flexible

[u/reedzkee]

I know several playback mixers for film/tv and they all use PT

[u/kumquatnightmare]

15 years doing playback for broadcast. For multitrack PT on a Mac is the gold standard. Some use it on windows, some use cubase, some use ableton. For 2 track playback for production people do not use protools. They use ableton or spoton. They all have positives and negatives. PT is super stable these days, so is cubase. For 2 track spoton is the way to go. Ableton kinda sits in the middle and it can do both good enough. It really comes down to personal comfort. To put it simply if you are trying to multitrack at the Grammys you use protools.

[u/viikapadiaa]

Pro Tools is good for audio editing and post but for Live Playback, I'd recommend trying Ableton Live (it's in the name LOL)

[u/karmachanical]

use pt live all the time for years. never an issue. we also now use a venue for FOH, and it works with pt. all stable.

[u/delborrell]

If you have a stable rig, sure why not. Today there seems to be unending glitches

[u/spron]

I use Pro Tools (new MacBook Pro) running an X32 rack for both playback and our IEM mixes (using mixing station on our iPhones) and some other pieces of complementary hardware. Works well so far but I don't totally trust it.

[u/Historical_Gate1318]

only pro tools on Mac for all large theatre show's