Digidesign has announced the release of the Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack, which is described as "the ultimate professional virtual instrument collection for Pro Tools". The set features all five Digidesign virtual instruments: Structure, Strike, Velvet, Transfuser and Hybrid, for $499.

Whether you like to rock, groove, swing, score, funk out, or jazz it up, the Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack gives you a massive sonic palette to get the sounds you're after, from acoustic and electric drums, pianos, guitars, and basses, to orchestral instruments, percussion, loops, and ambient sounds.

Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack includes the following instruments:

Structure - "Professional Sampler Workstation"
Structure allows you to freely create, sculpt, edit, and refine nearly any sound imaginable, from simple acoustic instruments to highly complex soundscapes.

The latest Structure 1.1 sampler comes with 17.5 GB of high-quality content, including 5 GB of new orchestral sounds, Nashville Signature drum kits, and a custom grand piano. Create ultra-realistic orchestral performances with special new MIDI control features, take advantage of new Kontakt 3 and Giga sample format support, gain new EXS modulation matrix support, and enjoy new database enhancements for optimal usability.

Strike - "The Ultimate Virtual Drummer"
Strike is an instrument plug-in that makes it easy to create professional drum performances with realism and human feel. Pick an acoustic or electric kit or instrument - or build a kit from your own samples/sounds - and tell your drummer how to play.

The latest Strike 1.5 instrument includes new features and more content (30 GB total) to provide you with even more beat versatility. Use your own sounds with new WAV and AIFF sample import, gain more efficiency with the enhanced Style editor, discover over 10 GB of new drum kits and percussion elements, explore 55 new styles (for a total of 205 styles), and more.

Velvet - "Vintage Electric Pianos"
Whether you're inspired by '60s soul, '70s classic rock, or '80s "glassy" sounds, Velvet delivers realistic emulations of your favorite electric pianos, from vintage classics to a massively popular digital synth.

The latest Velvet 1.3 e-pianos plug-in features a new reverb effects module with three reverb types (Ambience, Spring, and Room) and introduces nine new FM tines that deliver unique sonic characteristics, including classic '80s-inspired "glassy" digital piano sounds.

Transfuser - "The Ultimate Groove Creator"
Transfuser is a real-time loop, phrase, and groove creator that lets you easily create, manipulate, and perform music on the fly. It comes with 4 GB of high-quality drum sounds and loops to get you started, or toss in your own loop library content.

The latest Transfuser 1.3 workstation opens up even more sonic possibilities than ever before, adding a new bass module inspired by a classic bass line synth, 1.6 GB of new audio content for a total of nearly 4 GB of included loops and sounds, and a 6-band parametric EQ that lets you accurately perform frequency surgery on your sounds.

Hybrid - "High-definition Synthesizer"
For sound buffs who love to get their hands dirty, Hybrid combines the warmth of classic analog waveforms with digital wavetables, enabling you to re-create sounds you remember, or create something no one's heard before.

The latest Hybrid 1.6 synth delivers a new Multi-Square waveform to generate even more unique sounds; introduces Blue, White, Mod, and Crackle waveforms to the noise oscillator to offer more texture versatility; and includes 256 all-new patches for fast and easy sound production in the studio or on stage.

Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack is available now from your local Digidesign reseller or avid.com