(AES) Avid releases Pro Tools 10 and announces AAX Plug-in Format

Avid has announced the all-new Pro Tools|HDX digital audio workstation and Pro Tools 10 software.

The new HDX systems delivers up to 5x more DSP per card, over a thousand dB of additional headroom, and up to 4x the track counts and 2x the I/O compared to its Pro Tools|HD Accel predecessor. And as customers’ needs grow, the system can be scaled to increase track counts, power, and I/O, using up to three Pro Tools|HDX cards and multiple Pro Tools HD Series interfaces.

With this addition to the Pro Tools|HD family, there are now two powerful system choices. Customers can choose the Pro Tools|HD Native system if they need the advanced workflows and sound quality of Pro Tools HD, and want to leverage their host computer to get the best performance and lowest latency. Or customers can choose the new flagship DSP-accelerated Pro Tools|HDX system if they require consistent peak performance and near-zero latency to handle extremely large and complex productions.

Mix bigger, better projects faster

• Get up to 5x the processing power of previous generation cards.
• Manage larger productions with fewer cards, with up to 4x the playable track counts.
• Work with up to 64 channels of I/O per card, enabling larger configurations with fewer cards.

Get more headroom—less headaches

• Dramatically improve recording and mixing audio quality with over 1,000 dB additional headroom and higher resolution sound, thanks to the new floating-point architecture.
• Capture, monitor, and output audio in pristine clarity with a choice of Pro Tools HD Series interfaces.

New AAX plug-in format—built for the future

• Pro Tools HD 10 introduces the new AAX (Avid Audio eXtension) plug-in format, enabling better workflows and sound parity when sharing sessions between DSP-accelerated and native-based Pro Tools systems.
• With two formats available—AAX DSP and AAX Native—AAX opens the door to future advancements in Pro Tools technology.

Pro Tools HD 10 software—included

The Pro Tools 10 software adds new features delivering on top requests from both audio post and music professionals. With it, Avid introduces several new tools and time-saving workflows, such as the top-requested Clip Gain, which separates pre-mix levels from Pro Tools software’s renowned mixing automation, greatly speeding up and improving the workflow between sound editors and mixers. Customers will also be able to achieve higher sound quality and better performance than ever, whether they’re recording, composing, editing, mixing, or playing back their sessions. Record and play back up to 256 audio tracks per card (or play back up to 768 tracks with three cards) to support the most massive mixes.

• Get great recording and playback responsiveness with the extended disk cache, which can load entire sessions into RAM, and ensures maximum track counts from networked-attached storage, such as Avid Unity ISIS, and slower local drives.
• Control up to 12 Pro Tools|HD systems from one using the Satellite Link option.
• Mix audio from up to two Pro Tools|HD systems with a D-Command control surface through Multi-mode.

Availability & Pricing

Pro Tools|HDX: Complete Pro Tools|HDX systems, which include the Pro Tools|HDX PCIe card, Pro Tools HD 10 software, and a choice of Pro Tools HD Series interface, will be available worldwide in Q4 2011.

Pricing is as follows:

• New Pro Tools|HDX systems start at $9,999 US MSRP.
• Pro Tools|HD 1 owners can crossgrade to Pro Tools|HDX starting at $7,999.
• Pro Tools|HD 2 owners can crossgrade to Pro Tools|HDX starting at $6,999.
• Pro Tools|HD 3 owners can crossgrade to Pro Tools|HDX starting at $5,999.
• Pro Tools|HD Native owners can crossgrade to Pro Tools|HDX for $7,499.

Pro Tools 10 software: Pro Tools 10 software is available worldwide now.

Pricing is as follows:

• Pro Tools 10 software (full version) retails for $699 US MSRP (please note that Pro Tools HD 10 software is bundled with Pro Tools|HD family systems only, and is not available for separate purchase except as an upgrade).
• Pro Tools 9 owners can upgrade to Pro Tools 10 for $299.
• Pro Tools HD software owners can upgrade to Pro Tools HD 10 starting at $999.

Crossgrade pricing is also available for owners of Pro Tools LE, Pro Tools M-Powered, and Complete Production Toolkit.