Pro Tools
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Pro Tools 6.7 Screenshot on Mac OS X |
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| Developer: | Digidesign |
| Latest release: | Pro Tools HD 7.2 / |
| OS: | Mac OS X Windows XP |
| Use: | Digital music workstation |
| Licence: | Proprietary |
| Website: | http://www.digidesign.com/ |
Pro Tools is a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) by Digidesign for music production and digital audio editing. It is widely used by professionals in music production, post production, TV and film scoring, and serves as a de facto standard in those industries.[citation needed]
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[edit] History
As one of the first programs to provide CD quality (16 bit and 44.1 kHz) multitrack editing on a personal computer, use of Pro Tools quickly grew in the sound recording field. It originally became popular because of its simple, streamlined interface for non-linear, non-destructive audio editing. This appealed to analog producers making the switch to computer-based production.
One common issue with Pro Tools|HD has been the inability for users to share data over a network. The ability to collaborate over a SAN or another high speed network is desirable and any company which can allow this will make many audio producers dreams come true.
[edit] Pro Tools systems
Digidesign offers systems depending on the needs and budget of potential customers:
The professional-level Pro Tools|HD system uses expensive (USD $8000) PCI or PCI Express cards to perform audio processing on DSP (digital signal processing) chips to reduce computing burden on the CPU. Similarly, it utilizes TDM (a proprietary interconnect based on time-division multiplexing) to communicate with external I/O devices and other DSP cards to reduce burden on the computer's PCI bus.
Pro Tools HD uses three types of PCI-X / PCIe cards. When Pro Tools HD was launched, the HD Core and HD Process were the 2 cards that were available. Each Pro Tools system requires at least 1 Core card. Later, owing to supply problems from DSP manufacturers Motorola, the line was given a revamp and rebranded HD Accel. The HD Core card remained the standard basic card, but the HD Accel Process card replaced the HD Process. Accel cards offer faster DSP chips and additional RAM compared to Process cards. All cards contain 9 DSP chips. Digidesign offer the cards in 3 bundles (HD 1, 2 and 3). A core is common to all, but the latter two have one or two Accel Process cards respectively. Additional Process and Accel cards may be added to a system to increase capability (it is possible to mix the types), up to a total of 7 cards. Digidesign offer a PCI-X expansion chassis product called 'Expansion HD' to accommodate larger systems. This is available with both PCI-X and PCIe host cards for the computer.
When Apple changed the expansion slot architecture of the G5 to PCI Express (PCIe), Digidesign launched a line of PCIe HD Accel cards. It's interesting that the PCIe HD Core is now an 'Accel Core', whereas the original PCI-X Core remains 'non-Accel'. This is relevant since there are TDM plugins that require the presence of Accel chips to run. As of 22nd October 2006, there is no Windows software support for PCIe HD cards.
Consumer-level systems (such as the Digi 002, Digi 002Rack, and MBox 2) perform all processing on the host CPU. Consumer systems offer limited track counts (32 or 48 in LE vs. up to 192 in HD), fewer internal routing options, and a feature-reduced version of the Pro Tools application (called Pro Tools LE, or Limited Edition). Pro Tools LE also only supports 2 channels (stereo), whereas the professional systems support surround sound output (i.e. 5.1, 6.1 etc.)
A fairly new addition to the range is the ICON: Integrated Console Environment, combining a tactile control surface and a Pro Tools|HD Accel system in one unit. Designed as a replacement for existing studio consoles, it attempts to give the user the feel and control of an analog system, but with a powerful Pro Tools core.
In April 2005, Digidesign released Pro Tools M-Powered which brought almost all Pro Tools LE functionality to a subset of M-Audio USB, Firewire and PCI interfaces.
"Pro Tools Free" was released as a free version of Pro Tools 5.x. It is limited to 8 audio tracks and 48 MIDI tracks. It will only run on Windows 98/ME and Mac OS 9. There was also "PowerMix" version of Pro Tools 3.4-4.3 that was able to run on Macintosh built-in audio.
[edit] Pro Tools Users Group
There is a very active and lively Pro Tools Community. The Pro Tools Users Group meets every 60-90 days in Los Angeles. Click the link to join The Pro Tools Users Group to stay informed about news, events and information for the whole Pro Tools Community.
[edit] Pro Tools timeline
- 1989 - Sound Tools stereo recording & editing system is released
- 1991 - original Pro Tools system released featuring 4 voices, ProDECK and ProEDIT software, MIDI, and automation
- 1994 - Pro Tools III system ships, provides 16-48 voices
- 1995 - Avid Technology purchases Digidesign
- 1997 - Pro Tools|24 adds support for 24-bit audio
- 1998 - Pro Tools|MIX adds expanded DSP capabilities for mixing audio
- 1999 - Digi 001 with Pro Tools LE ships
- 2001 - Digidesign wins Technical GRAMMY for Pro Tools
- 2002 - Pro Tools|HD system adds support for 96kHz and 192kHz HD audio
- 2002 - Mbox and Digi 002 ship (March and Sept)
- 2003 - Pro Tools|HD Accel system adds additional DSP capabilities
- 2004 - Digidesign acquires Bomb Factory, a leading provider of DSP effects
- 2004 - Digidesign acquires M-Audio
- 2004 - Digidesign receives an Academy Award for development of Pro Tools
- 2005 - Digidesign extends Pro Tools into live sound with VENUE
- 2005 - Mbox 2 is released replacing the original Mbox
- 2005 - Pro Tools M-Powered released (Aug)
- 2005 - Pro Tools 7.0 released (Nov)
- 2005 - Pro Tools 7.1 adds support for Apple's PCIe G5, released (December)
- 2006 - Pro Tools LE updated for Intel-based Mac support (May)
- 2006 - Pro Tools 7.2 released (Aug)
- 2006 - Avid acquires Sibelius (Aug) [1]
- 2006 - Pro Tools HD is updated for Intel-based Mac support (September)
- 2006 - Mbox 2 Pro ships
- 2006 - Mbox 2 Mini ships
[edit] Current Pro Tools Hardware
Pro Tools HD
- HD 1/2/3 Core Systems
- 192 I/O (8ch 192Khz interface)
- 192 Digital I/O (8ch 192Khz interface)
- 96 I/O (8ch 96Khz interface)
- 96i I/O (16ch 96Khz interface)
- Pre I/O (8ch microphone pre-amp)
- SYNC I/O (Time Code Synchonizer)
- MIDI I/O (MIDI Interface)
- Expansion|HD Chassis
Pro Tools LE
- Digi 002
- Digi 002 Rack
- Mbox 2
- Mbox 2 Pro
- Mbox 2 Mini
Control Surface
- VENUE (live sound console)
- ICON (recording console)
- Control|24 (recording console)
- Command|8 (control surace)
[edit] Pro Tools in culture
Due to its popularity in the marketplace, the name Pro Tools (or the verb 'protooling' and the noun 'tools') is sometimes used to refer to any computer-based music editing (much in the way that Photoshop is sometimes used to refer to image editing). With a negative connotation, it is often used in arguments that music recorded and edited in a digital environment lacks the "soul" of music recorded live and/or on analog equipment, and its capability to "fix" parts that are out of time or out of pitch, opening up the music market to a new group of less talented, more marketable people. See also: rockism.
