Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack.

I think some reading a review by me about an Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack are going to take it with a pinch of salt, regarding it as the same as writing a reference for my mother. So at the outset I want to say, yes I do appreciate the hard work of the guys at AIR and the help and support the blog gets from AVID, but that's not the same as me either needing their approval or thinking that if they bend over I can top up my tan!

Secondly, a lot of people over the coming days are going to see the Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack on a stand at NAMM, some reviewers may have got their hands on it, but I'll put my cards on the table, I've had it for some time. I've used it day in and day out, those of you with sharp eyes have spotted moments when I forget I was using new product to make tutorial videos! It's hard remembering to switch back and forth.

Anyway that said, I'm going to try to be impartial and thorough, for the benefit of the whole community.

Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack consists of Structure, Transfuser, Strike, Velvet and Hybrid, all in their new 'turbo' versions.

As I'm part of the gang that gets to test this stuff, the first thing to say is a lot of bugs have been fixed, pages of them. Some you knew about, some you didn't even notice, but that's testament to the amazing team at AIR, that they fixed stuff you didn't even know was broke.

But no one should be expected to pay for bug fixes so be assured the Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack is far more than just an update, this is a brand new game-changing set of plug-ins.

The next thing you'll notice right away about the Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack is that with the exception of Strike, the interfaces have remained the same. For those who love eye candy this may seem a let down, but I'd prefer that AIR concentrate on getting the audio right rather than ship me a piece of eye candy. More importantly I find the constant need to change the GUI on different versions of the same software, frankly confusing and annoying - Microsoft are the kings of this!

The important question is, can I get on with making music easily?

The simple answer to this is a resounding YES! Let me give some examples about the Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack;

Strike

• New style editor that enables you to quickly create your own styles.
• Sample import, simple, quick and easy, with the added bonus of being able to drop loops in.
• MIDI export now makes sense - press the record button, finish and drag out - done!

Structure

• Import of all popular formats with ease; EXS, Giga, K3 - Done!
• The new database engine is a dream, less of those 'where the hell are your samples!' dialogue box.
• The cool MIDI articulation features.

Velvet

• The built in reverb is a nice addition avoiding the need for an extra plugin!

Transfuser

• The 6 band para, so nice I advise sending audio through it just for that!
• A TB303 in the box, what more can I say?

Hybrid

• The extra waveforms and noise filters are perfect for retro stuff.

In use the Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack all of the plug-ins feel a lot more solid, which of course is a help when working on your dream idea. I think the only times I could get them to crash was when I was asking them to load the wrong version of the content, that's the downside of beta testing and you won't have that problem! I can honestly say crashes were almost zero, I hope you find the same.

I suppose the rest is as you would expect, 5 of the coolest sounding instruments around, easy to use, work as they should and are a joy to play with.

The new kits of Strike are gorgeous and well worth the weeks they spent in Nashville, with the inclusion of the convolution reverb of the spaces they were recorded in, it really is one mean drum module. I've been like a pig in sh*t building my retro drum kits, I plan to start a new section on the blog where we can share our kits with each other, I have a feeling that will be very popular!

The rest of the new content just raised the game with Strike and I know that many of you will be thinking 'thank you!' It really is a serious piece of rhythm making gear and so fun and easy to use.

Structure brings the long wished for EXS fix, but the added bonus of Giga is brilliant. There may be a lot of EXS stuff out there, but there's also a lot of giga and add this to NKI and the Structure libraries, then your search for a sound is taken care of.

The new library is again gorgeous, the orchestral stuff is going to appeal to everyone from pop through to classical composer, and knowing you can reach for a Strike drum kit in the same plug-in helps to keep everything in one place.

As we move to Transfuser, this baby is one cool piece of groove making magic. The added inclusion of a TB303 style based module is simply genius. I'm using it for mono synths period, forget the idea this is just for bass, it's just very cool. Transfuser really is a great plug-in, perhaps getting close to being my favourite. I know some overlook it thinking it is just for the dance boys, but if you're serious about creating complex grooves then this is the baby. I really can't remember the last time I used Stylus, and I love the Spectrasonics stuff. 

The reason I love Transfuser so much is that I can grab audio from anywhere then drop it in, mash it up, mix it around, drag it around in Transfuser and then drag it all back out again. Isn't this how it's meant to be? Not import, adjust, save as, export. None of this with Transfuser, it's like having a pair of slippers with rockets on them, comfortable to use but so powerful.

I once said Transfuser was the most fun you can have with your clothes on, I was wrong. Transfuser is the most fun - period!

The Expansion pack really meets the split personality in me with Velvet, talk about going from the sublime. Velvet had always been gorgeous with its faithful renditions of classic electric pianos. Now we move from the 60's and 70's to the 80's and 90's with the inclusion of 9 new tines, giving us the power of a DX and more, checkout my video to see the tonal variation now possible. The new reverb is a welcome addition as I've always thought this was an omission. 

Finally we come to the instrument I think is so often overlooked and that's the amazing Hybrid. This is one meaty little synth, having not 2 but 3 oscillators and two parts to boot, so the sonic possibilities are endless.

It's the best of both world, loaded with 256 very useable patches, but if you're can't help but mess around, then this baby is for you. The additional waveforms and the new noise waveforms give the added possibility of creating excellent retro sounds which will be perfect for lovers of Kraftwerk and early synth pioneers.

So you should get the idea that I'm very impressed by the work done by the gang and AIR and talking of gangs, the Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack is like a gang:

You have Structure the sensible, adaptable boss. Then there's Velvet, he's black, he's cool, he's so laid back he's almost horizontal. Add to this the mad professor type Hybrid, able to make anything with anything and always inventing new things, then there's Strike the rocker. Last but not least there's the joker in the pack, Transfuser, smart, agile and probably the first one to blow things up given half the chance.

Perhaps this pack is the musical equivalent of the A-Team and you ain't getting Velvet on 'no airplane!'

I think that is the best way to wrap up, when it comes to serious music production, then the Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack is my A Team. 

Oh yes I haven't mentioned the price, the Pro Tools Instrument Expansion Pack is $499 max! And with some amazing upgrade deals - all I'll say is make sure you're first in the queue for the Pro Tools Instrument Pack.