As we celebrate a decade of the blog we thought we would take a trip down memory lane several times this year to look back at what Pro Tools developments were taking place in 2008.
In the first article, we ask what Pro Tools products was Avid showing at NAMM 2008?
First off, Avid was Digidesign back then and most Pro Tools hardware and software was sold under the Digidesign brand, the change of name came a few years later. With that said, what was Digidesign unveiling at NAMM 2008?
Pro Tools 7.4
Digidesign was showcasing the latest release of Pro Tools software Pro Tools 7.4. It had been released in the previous October in 2007 and Digidesign were celebrating over 15,000 downloaded purchases since the software's release.
Pro Tools 7.4 software was the first time Pro Tools users were given Elastic Audio, which introduced Analysis and Warp track modes, and four analysis algorithms to choose from; Polyphonic, Rhythmic, Monophonic and Varispeed.
Elastic Audio was the star of the show, although Pro Tools 7.4 had many other minor feature updates too, you can download the original 'What's New In Pro Tools 7.4' PDF.
Digidesign Eleven
NAMM 2008 was the first time we got to see the Eleven plug-in. This is what Digidesign said about Eleven at the time;
"Get ready for a new hyper-realistic guitar amp experience. Digidesign is proud to introduce Eleven - a revolutionary guitar amp emulation plug-in that sets a new standard for recording and live guitar amp sound. Eleven allows you to achieve highly realistic, jaw-dropping guitar tones based on the world's most coveted vintage and modern tube amps, speaker cabinets, and mics - all right in your Pro Tools®, Avid®, or VENUE rig.
Get instant access to an amazing collection of sought-after sounds based on classic Fender®, VOX®, Marshall®, Mesa/Boogie®, and Soldano amplifiers.* Simply call up a preset to immediately re-create a hit-making guitar tone, or design your own signature sound by mixing and matching amps, speaker cabinets, and mic models.
Eleven is available in two formats: Eleven (TDM/RTAS®/AudioSuite) for Pro Tools|HD® Accel and Digidesign VENUE system users, and Eleven LE (RTAS/AudioSuite) for Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE®, and Pro Tools M-Powered users (both versions can also be used with Avid® video systems)."
Hardware
Digidesign announced The Pro Tools® Music Creation Studio and Pro Tools Personal Studio bundles. In those days hardware and software bundles were big sellers, this was the time when Pro Tools came 'free' with hardware and featured a bundle of plug-ins.
This is how the two bundles were marketed;
"The Pro Tools Music Creation Studio bundle features an Mbox® 2 Factory system, which includes the Mbox 2 audio interface and Pro Tools LE® 7.4 software, along with over $1000 worth of Digidesign® and Bomb Factory® plug-ins. The bundle also includes an M-Audio® Nova® large capsule cardioid microphone, an M-Audio Axiom® 25 advanced 25-key USB MIDI controller keyboard and M-Audio Studiophile AV40 desktop monitors. Completing the bundle are three of Digidesign's acclaimed virtual instruments by the A.I.R. group: Structure LE, an advanced sample player; Xpand!, the sample-playback/synthesis workstation, and Velvet, the vintage electric pianos emulator. Cables to connect the system are also included.
Also available is the Pro Tools Personal Studio bundle, which features the Mbox® 2 Mini audio interface and Pro Tools LE 7.4 software, an M-Audio Nova mic and Studiophile AV40 desktop monitors, plus Structure LE, the advanced sample player, and Xpand!, the sample-playback/synthesis workstation plug-in. Cables to connect the system are also included.
The Pro Tools Music Creation Studio has a suggested retail price of $895 (USD), a savings of up to $700 if all items are purchased separately. The Pro Tools Personal Studio has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $495 (USD), a savings of up to $350 if all items are purchased separately. Both bundles will be available in the first quarter of 2008 from authorized Digidesign dealers".
Summary
When writing this article we were amazed at what was being shown in 2008, it's surprising to think that Eleven is a decade old and that we've been using Elastic Audio for that time too. Who would have thought that in the years to follow we would see a change of brand name, the decoupling of the hardware from the software and even the end of the Pro Tools LE and M-Powered ranges.