Avid Pro Tools 11 boxAvid's industry-standard digital audio workstation, Pro Tools, has received a significant performance upgrade in the shape of the new 64-bit Avid Audio Engine. Support for 64-bit operation brings the DAW up to date with its competitors, and allows greater amounts of system memory to be addressed, making larger sessions with more virtual instruments and plug-ins possible. Avid claim the new Avid Audio Engine also delivers multiple times the processing power of Pro Tools 10.
Another long-desired feature that's been added in this update is offline bounce - the ability to bounce a track faster than real time - which Avid claim can bounce a session up to 150 times faster than before.
Pro Tools 11 introduces a low-latency input buffer, which ensures low latency when recording without sacrificing plug-in performance.
Various new metering modes have been included in Pro Tools 11, including PPM, VU and Bob Katz's K-style, making mixing for different broadcast standards more efficient. A gain reduction meter also shows gain reduction for all dynamics plug-ins on each channel.
For media composers and post-production professionals, the Avid Video Engine is now built in, meaning that various HD video formats can now be played and edited within Pro Tools, without any need for transcoding.
Pro Tools 11 is a complete overhaul of Avid's flagship audio recording, editing and mixing platform. While it doesn't add any new plug-ins or instruments, this update focuses on critical under-the-hood performance enhancements. We can't wait to see how much faster it runs, so keep any eye out for a review in the magazine soon.
Pro Tools 11 will be available in May. For full pricing information, see the press release below.
Press Release: Avid have announced Avid Pro Tools 11, a major upgrade of its industry-leading digital audio workstation. This latest version enables audio professionals to take on the most demanding productions with new, high-powered audio and video engines, 64-bit architecture, expanded metering, and direct HD video workflows.
“Pro Tools 11 represents a quantum leap in creative power,” said Chris Gahagan, senior vice president of Products and Services at Avid. “The newly designed architecture turbo-charges production with more plug-in processing, the ability to run more virtual instruments—and a host of new features—letting users create ambitiously, without holding anything back.”
Pro Tools 11 delivers the features, performance, and workflows professionals need to take on today’s increasingly complex sessions and tighter timelines. Key benefits and features include:
- Fully redesigned audio engine and 64-bit architecture
- New Avid Audio Engine — Delivers multiple times the processing power of Pro Tools 10 on the same hardware configurations.
- 64-bit architecture — Exponentially increases the number of simultaneous virtual instruments and the performance to handle the most sophisticated sessions.
- Offline bounce — Delivers mixes up to 150 times faster than real time.
- Low-latency input buffer — Ensures ultra-low latency record monitoring without sacrificing plug-in performance.
- Dynamic host processing — Maximizes plug-in count by reallocating processing resources as needed.
- Expanded metering
- Extended standards support — Features a broad range of built-in metering standards, from peak and average to VU and PPM, to maintain adherence to regional broadcast requirements.
- Gain reduction — Shows gain reduction for all dynamics plug-ins on each channel.
- Direct HD video workflows
- Built-in Avid Video Engine — Enables audio post professionals to play and edit a wide range of HD video formats includingAvid DNxHD®, directly in the Pro Tools timeline without transcoding, using the same core engine as in Media Composer®.
- Video interface support — Enables monitoring of DNxHD and QuickTime media through Avid Nitris® DX, Avid Mojo® DX, and other video interfaces.
“In the world of professional mixing, I constantly need more processing power, and the extra power in Pro Tools 11 is exactly what I need,” said Tim Palmer, mixer and engineer for U2, Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne, The Cure, and INXS. “I love the new metering and the new sends view is excellent. It is really impressive. Pro Tools 11 is a big leap forward.”
Availability & Pricing
Pro Tools 11 and Pro Tools HD 11 will be available in the online Avid Store and at Avid resellers worldwide later in Q2 2013. For more information, click here. Pricing will be as follows:
- Pro Tools 11 software (full version)— $699 USD
- Pro Tools 10 to 11 upgrade— $299 USD
- Pro Tools 9 to 11 upgrade— $399 USD
- Pro Tools Express to Pro Tools 11 cross grade— $499 USD
- Pro Tools HD 10 to 11 upgrade— $599 USD
- Pro Tools HD 9 to 11 upgrade— $999 USD
