Sony Media Software has announced the availability of ACID Pro 6, a significant upgrade that includes new multitrack recording and MIDI capabilities, transforming the software into a full-featured digital music workstation.

ACID Pro 6 provides you with new ways to record, produce, mix and arrange audio and music compositions, far beyond the capabilities found in prior versions. The upgraded multitrack recording and MIDI sequencing platform allows users to create music using a fast, efficient and easy-to-master method.

In addition to its significantly expanded feature set and new multi-threaded audio engine, ACID Pro 6 also reflects enhancements in Sony's ongoing relationship with Native Instruments. ACID Pro 6 includes Native Instruments Kompakt Sony ACID Pro Edition, a configurable sample playback engine that includes a custom sound library assembled by Native Instruments specifically for ACID Pro 6 users.

New Digital Music Workstation Technologies:

• Multitrack audio and MIDI recording - Simultaneously record multiple tracks of audio and MIDI into the ACID timeline through a variety of methods, including step recording, punch in/out, continuous looping and more.
• Multiple media files per track - Layout multiple media files per track, including one-shots, Beat-mapped events, loops and disk-based files with new automatic crossfade capabilities.
• Inline MIDI editing - MIDI data can be manipulated directly on the ACID timeline, using either a piano roll or a drum grid interface. Edit all note position, velocity, pitch bend, and controller information using an easy, visual approach in the main multitrack interface.
• MIDI filtering and processing - ACID Pro 6 software provides processing of MIDI data directly on the timeline, including quantization, swing, editing of velocity values, event duration changes, and more.
• VSTi parameter automation - Using automation envelopes, ACID Pro 6 software provides increased mixing flexibility for VST instrument parameters.
• Drum Map editing - The Drum Map Editor provides an intuitive way to create custom Drum Map templates, to make working in the Drum Grid even easier.
• Project sections - ACID Pro 6 software now provides for the creation of project sections that lets users more efficiently rearrange time-based segments of audio and MIDI events located across multiple tracks.
• Dynamic playback optimization - ACID Pro 6 software uses a separate processing thread to render audio from tracks. On multiprocessor or multi-core computers, processing is distributed evenly across all CPUs to increase playback performance.
• External control surface support - ACID Pro 6 software allows hands-on mixing using external hardware with ACID Pro 6 software. Version 6 natively supports the Mackie Control Universal and the Frontier Design Tranzport, and allows custom mapping of up to five user-defined control surfaces.
• Record input monitoring - The new multitrack workflow provides users with the ability to monitor audio signals with real-time track effect DSP during recording sessions

Additional new ACID Pro 6 features include:

• On-the-fly punch-in recording.
• Envelope automation recording.
• Track record meters.
• MIDI track envelopes for controllers.
• MIDI keyframes for patch changes and sysex messages.
• MIDI Quantize and Velocity filters.
• MIDI file import and export.
• Freehand envelope drawing on the timeline.
• Gracenote MusicID CD album identification.
• Dual/Multi-core processor support.
• ATRAC3, ATRAC3plus, and ATRAC Advanced Lossless format support.
• Film-style panning mode for 5.1 surround projects.

ACID Pro 6 costs $499.95 (MSRP) and a demo version is available.