Recording - January 2014 - 26

...where we bring you follow-up articles
with application hints and upgrade news
about gear already reviewed in Recording

&
Avid Pro Tools 11
The times they are a-changing for this world-famous DAW
by Joe Albano

Avid's Pro Tools 11 is the upgrade that Pro Tools users have been
long awaiting, with a host of welcome improvements that promise to
raise Avid's popular DAW to new levels of power and efficiency.
These go to 11
The full version of Pro Tools 11 comes in three flavors: Pro Tools, Pro
Tools|HD Native, and Pro Tools|HDX. The basic version, Pro Tools
11, runs natively on any Avid-qualified computer, with any current
Avid non-HD interface, including the 003, the Mbox 2 or 3 series, the
Eleven Rack, and Avid's smaller Fast Track boxes. As with Pro Tools
10, compatible third-party interfaces are also supported.
Both HD versions require Avid hardware. HD Native uses Avid's
mid-level HD Native Thunderbolt box or PCIe card, along with any of
the current Avid HD interface options (HD I/O, HD Omni, HD MADI).
Compared with the basic Pro Tools 11 setup, an HD Native system
provides increased track count and I/O and many HD-only features,
but not onboard DSP.
The top of the current line is a Pro Tools|HDX system, which runs on
the HDX PCIe card, and offers even greater maximum track counts,
along with DSP for extra processing power. Both HD versions offer
capabilities for users who work with large sessions, with HDX offering
the most sheer power-this is the kind of juice most often needed in
post production (like sound for film, for example), though really large
music sessions will obviously benefit as well.
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RECORDING January 2014

For new users, the basic Pro Tools 11 application is
priced at about $600, plus the cost of whatever interface is
chosen (Avid or third-party). HD systems must add on the
price of the appropriate Avid HD hardware, from around
$4k+ for HD Native rigs, to around $10k+ for HDX systems. Users with older Pro Tools versions and older Avid

hardware have a plethora of upgrade options-the best bet
is to check with an Avid dealer for the details. Additionally,
some older Avid hardware (both native and HD) may still
work with Pro Tools 11-search the Avid Knowledge Base
for "Approved-Audio-Interfaces-and-Peripherals". And
besides the various upgrade options, Avid, as always,
offers generous academic pricing for students and teachers.
All the full versions of Pro Tools 11 require an up-to-date system: on Macs, that means at least 10.8.3 (Mountain Lion); on
Windows, v7 or v8. 8 GB RAM is the recommended minimum, along with suitably big and fast hard disks.
Finally, besides all the high-end options, there is Pro Tools
Express-a very scaled-down entry-level version, designed
to introduce new users to the Pro Tools world. This mini-me
Pro Tools can be had with a small USB interface for a couple hundred bucks or so, and, despite the more limited feature set, it's nonetheless a very cost-effective way for a newbie to get familiar with basic Pro Tools operation.
To HD or not to HD
Just as with earlier versions, there are differences
between the regular Pro Tools 11 software and Pro Tools
11 HD. Most features are common to all versions, but HD
has some functions that are missing in regular Pro Tools 11.

Recording - January 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - January 2014