Pro Tools Expert - post production

Should Pro Tools Users Get Same Software Features As Pro Tools HD Users?

2013-05-18T07:45:07Z

There seems to be a lot of interest and discussion around a the whole issue of Pro Tools users getting the same software features as Pro Tools HD users. Perhaps Avid have made a rod for their own back, this was in fact what CPTK gave users before it was dropped from Pro Tools 11.

However, there are two sides to this argument - on the one side there are those who want the features but don’t want to have to buy what they see as a hardware dongle. On the other side we have those who have invested a great deal in a full HD/HDX system who feel somewhat p*ssed off when they see none-HD users getting the same software. It’s a fallacy to think that HDX users simply benefit from better software, DSP hardware offers lower latency at higher track counts, so there’s more to this debate than simply a software one.

Some suggest that no other company offers tiered systems, not true. Steinberg have several versions of Cubase, as well as Nuendo. Cakewalk Sonar and Studio One have several versions, Reason comes in two versions. Whereas DP and Logic do not, although one could argue that Garageband is Logic Lite. Furthermore, Apple are a unique case, as the software is part of the complete OS package when buying Apple hardware and is often used as a loss-leader to get people to buy Apple computers. Comparing a FREE copy of Garageband with something like Pro Tools Express or Reason Essentials is not comparing Apples with Apples (forgive the pun). One could also argue, as many PC Emagic users did at the time, that Logic does come with a hardware dongle… a Mac!

Given these fact, is it reasonable to expect Avid to give the same features to every user when many competitors don’t? Is it reasonable to expect the same software without making the same investment?

We would be interested in hearing from both sides on this discussion.

Cedar Studio Show & Tell Review

2013-05-17T17:49:42Z

Mike presents a show & tell review of the Cedar Studio for Pro Tools plug-ins and covers the DNS One, DeBuzz, DeClip and Adaptive Limiter 2 plug-ins.

Avid Come To Senses Over CPTK Pro Tools 11 Upgrade Pricing

2013-05-17T06:40:28Z

After several (what seem to us unecessary) weeks, Avid have finally decided to revise their CPTK to Pro Tools 11 upgrade pricing.

In an announcment this morning via the DUC they write…

“Hi folks, After considering your feedback, Avid is pleased to announce revised pricing for Complete Production Toolkit customers who wish to upgrade to Pro Tools HD 11 software. The pricing now matches the standard Pro Tools HD 11 software upgrade pricing.

Customers will be able to purchase these upgrades from the Avid store when Pro Tools 11 software is available for sale later in Q2:

Price (US MSRP)
PRO TOOLS 10 + CPTK to PRO TOOLS HD 11 $599
PRO TOOLS 9 + CPTK to PRO TOOLS HD 11 $999

Again, thanks for your input and commitment to the Pro Tools platform. We’re committed to serving you.”

Now, let’s wait to see the arrival of Pro Tools 11.

Inside Abbey Road With Avid & Pro Tools

2013-05-16T20:58:40Z

Ever wonder what it’s like to record at the world’s most famous recording studio? Or how a Grammy-nominated producer can pull the perfect performance out of any artist, including Katy Perry and OneRepublic?

Follow up-and-coming UK band Strangefruit’s every step—from preparation to the final mix—as they record a song at Abbey Road with multi Grammy-nominated producer Greg Wells.

See what it’s like to record in the same studio as The Beatles, with some of the same gear.
Find out what role Greg plays in the production, and why producers are vital.
See how Pro Tools home recordings can make it into the final studio mix.
Get tips at every stage, from mic selection and tracking, to mixing and refining sounds.

Synchro Arts Revoice Pro Winner Announced

2013-05-16T19:48:02Z

The winner of the Revoice Pro vocal alignment software is Dave Holt from Tampa, Florida, USA.

“I entered the contest because everything that I had read about Revoice Pro made it seem like a great tool for me. I work at a large church in Tampa, FL doing both video and music production, and Revoice Pro will save me countless hours doing ADR in post and aligning background vocals on our praise and worship recordings.”

Well done Dave, have fun!

More info on the new Pro Tools PC

2013-05-16T13:51:54Z

Pro Tools PC have released a picture and a base price as well as more details…

Intel Core i7 3770K 3.5GHz Unlocked
8GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM (upgradable to 32GB)
120GB SSD System Drive (upgradable to 480GB)
1TB SATA III Audio Drive (add up to 6 drives in total)
Nvidia GT610 Graphics (upgradable to Quadro)
DVDR/RW Optical Drive (Blu-Ray optional)
From £1499 inc VAT
Coming soon…..

They have said that US and International pricing to follow. If you are interested then you can sign up on their web site.

Win A Softube Summit Audio Grand Channel

2013-05-16T10:10:08Z

Our friends at Softube have kindly donated a Summit Audio Grand Channel plug-in which is awesome. Click on the image above to see it in all’s it’s magnificent glory!

Not wishing to mess around with long forms and hard questions, all you need is to complete the form below for a chance to grab this uber cool plug-in. No purchase necessary.

Pro Tools 11 Significantly Smaller Download

2013-05-15T15:16:23Z

We’ve been getting some info regarding a couple of things about Pro Tools 11 installation software.

The first one is that the installer for Pro Tools 11 is currently around 600mb for Mac (possibly the same for Windows too), previous versions of 10 have averaged around 2.4gb, which shows the new installers are about 25% in size before uncompressing. One wonders where all that extra stuff has gone to.

Secondly, the Mac installer is simply a drag and drop into your Applications folder for installation. Nice.

Synchro Arts Start Offering Plug-in Rental

2013-05-15T10:51:07Z

Synchro Arts are now offering a plug-in rental service for those who just need one of their cool plug-ins for a project. The service covers ReVoice Pro (Mac) and VocAlign Pro v4 (Mac and PC).

A nice touch is that if you rent for 4 periods then you get the plug-in to keep.

More here

Ruadhri Cushnan Interview Video

2013-05-15T06:20:57Z

Our friends over at Sonnox have made this excellent video interview with Ruadhri Cushnan of Mumford and Sons and Ed Sheeran fame, to name just two. Check it out.

By the way, check out the audio interface which seems to be in use as part of his Pro Tools HD workflow, an Mbox, it’s good to be able to take large HD sessions mobile like that when not in the studio.

More on Sonnox products and artists here

Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 64

2013-05-14T21:42:23Z

Russ, Mike, Neil & James are here with a packed Pro Tools Expert podcast that includes;

Competitions
Exponential claims for PT11
HD Native could be a killer system
The future of Apple’s Mac Pro
Community Tip 1 - Carsten Groa
Community Tip 2 - Tony Molica
Community Tip 3 - John aka Tunes
Community Tip 4 - Kimball Owen-Brown
No sound from Pro Tools SE
Control surfaces and monitor sections
No Digidesign Plug-in Folder after update
Problems with DAE error 9073 on Windows machine Video to help
Problems with Ableton Live 9 Intro & Pro Tools 10 Rewire downloads
Will Bidule work with effects plug-ins?
AAX version of Vocalign LE
How to prove eligibility for free academic upgrade
- Pro Tools 11 FAQ
- Educational proof status
Pelsuo v Octava mics
Keyboard focus question on Windows PC keyboard Logic keyboard
Have you heard of Keycue?
What is the Pro Tools mode on the Apollo?
Where are the links your refer to in the podcasts

You can listen here;

If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here

New Plug-in Presets Option Speeds Up Pro Tools 11 Workflow

2013-05-14T20:43:21Z

Thanks to a tip off from community member Noir, here’s a sneak peek we’ve grabbed of the new ‘right click’ plug-in preset shortcut in Pro Tools 11. It works for both plug-ins and instruments.

More to follow

25% Off Selected Vienna Symphonic Products

2013-05-14T13:19:51Z

Our friends over at Vienna Symphonic Products are doing some deals at the moment with 25% off selected products.

If you missed our review of VEP5 running with Pro Tools then check it out here.

Check out their deals here

Show And Tell Of Sonnox Oxford Inflator - Video

2013-05-14T07:34:48Z

Russ takes a look at the Sonnox Oxford Inflator, now available on the UAD platform.

More here

Should We Care About Local Versus Global Retail?

2013-05-13T08:09:27Z

Last week we reported on the changes at DV247, with the closure of their high street stores and a new global presence being run from a German company. It seems to have sparked some serious online debates with one blogger calling it “almost criminal”. Only those within the company know what really happened, but having been inside a company when insolvency practitioners arrived, I can tell you that they may operate within the letter of the law, but they make bankers look like angels when it comes to exercising moral and ethical judgements.

A few months ago the head of Tesco (for our US cousins read ‘Walmart’) when asked if seeing boarded-up shops made him sad said: “It does but it is part of progress. People are not made to shop in supermarkets, they choose to shop there.” If ever there was an example of a very clever man saying something utterly dumb, then perhaps this was it - talk about a self fulfilling prophecy. People shop in supermarkets because they have no choice!

Now let me be clear, I’m not one of those big is bad, little is good kind of people, however I’m also not one of those people who simply shrug their shoulders and say “it’s progress!”

Is it?

Progress for some seems to be defined as bigger, faster, cheaper. It’s actually thinking which is quite recent and born out of the industrial revolution, which has led us to be relentless global consumers at any cost. Even if that means Chinese workers have such poor working conditions they throw themselves off the roof of factories just so we can get a smart phone or hundreds of people are buried when a factory collapses, just so we can have a cheap t-shirt! If that’s progress then we are all screwed. There’s no such thing as zero cost, what I mean by this is that if something needs to be cheaper, then someone is going to have to pay, even if it isn’t you.

I’m not suggesting for one minute a connection between the recent DV247 situation and the death of workers in the third world, but what I am suggesting is that to get things at a lower price then someone always pays. In the case of DV247 it’s staff, suppliers and possibly customers.

However, let’s imagine that we just don’t care about those costs to others, then what about the cost to you and me?

I’ve made it no secret that I think there are a lot of local dealers who don’t deserve to be in business, they add no value in terms of service and support than me buying it mail order. However GOOD Local dealers matter for a number of reasons, they offer;

Great pre-sales advice
Demos
A relationship
Trouble shooting
Often similar pricing to large global companies
In house service

Those are just a few of the things you get, but there are more from a GOOD local dealer. They may cost a few pounds/dollars more in the short term, but that’s just for the box, what about all the value added stuff - surely that has a price? I recently saved £50 on a Mac Mini by buying mail order, it worked for 3 weeks and then went back to the dealer - the story from there on out is a painful one, I’m not sure I’ll ever see it again and every day I don’t have it costs me money as it’s part of my workflow - I can tell you right now it’s the most expensive £50 I’ve ever saved.

Should we care if local dealers disappear? Look at that list and you decide and then vote with your wallet.

The Future Of Apple's Mac Pro?

2013-05-11T10:24:05Z

Following on from our article that HD Native could be the killer system the next question has to be what computer to run it on which got me to thinking about the future for Apple’s Mac Pro. We have all seen the email where Tim Cook replied to one concerned Mac Pro user, saying: “Our Pro customers like you are really important to us. Although we didn’t have a chance to talk about a new Mac Pro [at WWDC], don’t worry as we’re working on something really great for later next year.” There has also been rumours that it will be smaller and less user configurable and that for me highlights a trend in Apple’s designs, which although has some merit in the consumer market, is much more of a pain in the professional market. Let me explain.

The Mac Pro is a classic tower design, yes with an Apple spin on the design which I like. the tower design gives the user the opportunity to open the case, take bits out, put new bits in, like hard drives on nice aluminium sleds, pull a drawer out and add more memory, or put an SSD Drive in in the second optical drive bay, which I am going to doing to my Mac Pro next week, ready for Pro Tools 11.

However if you look at the way Apple have been changing the way they make their hardware, they are becoming harder and harder to get into. Take the MacBook for example, it used to have standard Philips screws to attach the case with. Now MacBooks come with 5 point Pentalobe security screws which make it impossible for most people to get in and upgrade the hard drive etc. Moving onto the iMac, the front panel and LCD used to be held together with magnets but now they are glued together and you need a heat gun to remove the adhesive. Apple aren’t just deterring you from opening it’s products, they are now making them so you end up damaging them trying.

So back to the Mac Pro, the latest rumours are suggesting there may be an announcement at the WWDC event in June. But even if they do announce a new Mac Pro then, will it be so locked down and non user adjustable that it shouldn’t retain the title Pro?

All of which begs he question, where do we go as Pro users, for a Pro computer? For pro users running our machines all day, every day, I do have concerns using the iMac or Mac Minis. They are, as I have said before, made up of laptop components and they are great for the hobbyist and semi pro users, but for the big studios and post houses like Abbey Road and Skywalker, as well as the smaller facilities, also you end up having to add so many extra lumps to them, Thunderbolt to Firewire, Thunderbolt expansion chassis, Thunderbolt monitor adaptor, extra storage and so on. We need a solid reliable tower type solution, one that is designed from the floor up for pros to use, easy to add and upgrade individual components to. It clear with all the iOS products etc Apple is no longer in the pro market, they make nearly all their money from the consumer product ranges, both hardware & software.

So if Apple aren’t going to provide an answer for us, and we will see what comes out of WWDC, then what? For me I am looking forward to Neil’s Pro Tools PC, it will be rack mounted, whisper quiet, totally Pro Tools ready, and compatible and best of all ready to run Mac OSX*. Recently on Facebook Neil posted a picture showing the Pro Tools PC running Pro Tools 10.3.5 and a Digi002 Rack at a 64 sample hardware buffer Size, 32Bit 96K session, Recording to 128 audio tracks at once to the internal second SATA 7200rpm hard drive. I know that Neil is busy testing with the full range of Pro Tools hardware, so maybe like me you will need to consider looking to the Pro tools PC and possibly running it as a Mac to get the ‘pro’ features we need from a computer to host Pro Tools on.

* This would require the user to install Mac OS in a way not approved by Apple. Pro Tools PC do not offer either computers with this installed or a service to do it - this is a user decision and entirely at their own risk.

Pro Tools 11 And HD Native May Well Be A Killer System

2013-05-10T12:02:28Z

We’ve been seeing Pro Tools 11 running on a HD Native system this week and we have to say the results have been stunning; remember, this is a pre-release version and not the final shipping version we’ve seen. The machine at hand, a mid-range Mac Pro 2.8ghx Quad with a Pro HD Native card hooked up to an Omni.

Until production copies of Pro Tools 11 are available, we are not able to offer a review or make videos (trust us we’ve asked—and offered bribes!). However, it’s like seeing a different DAW in action.

For perhaps the first time since Pro Tools was released, PT 11 makes a HD Native system a really hot proposition. It also continues to make us wonder who will be buying HDX systems? Our best guess is large music, post and broadcast facilities. What is clear is that many of those who had to have a hardware-dependant chip-based HD systems in the past will be fewer. We’ve seen tracking demos sessions running with plug-ins and VIs that were just a pipe dream on previous incarnations of Pro Tools.

If you own a store, then I’d advise you to create bundles of Pro Tools 11, HD Native and for composers, Vienna Ensemble PRO 5 (Pro Tools 11 ready) - that is a killer system. If you are thinking of buying a new Pro Tools system, then put all that on your shopping list to check out. If you have a laptop, then don’t forget to check out the Magma chassis.

If you think this article is over-zealous fan-boy hyperbole, don’t take our word for it. Wait until PT 11 ships, download the demo, and then see for yourself before you part with your money … just make sure you keep the credit card ready!

Review Of Vienna Ensemble Pro 5 - Complete With Set-Up Video

2013-05-09T07:41:57Z

Vienna Ensemble Pro 5 is not a new product, some of our users have been using it for some time. However as Pro Tools 11 looms on the horizon we’ve been looking at possible ways to host plug-ins in Pro Tools that may not run in the short term, or in some cases ever run in Pro Tools 11.

This video was orginally going to simply be a set-up video for those who already own Vienna Ensemble Pro 5 but Russ has been so impressed by it, he decided to include a review.

Watch the video to see it in action with some VST instruments and a Waves reverb.

Conclusion

From the video you will see that the interface and interaction are both elegant and simple to use, yet offer Pro Tools users a viable way of either hosting VIs in Pro Tool 9 and 10 or for hosting none AAX plug-ins in Pro Tools 11. Russ has seen it working in Pro Tools 11 (even though VE have not announced it as working with Pro Tools 11) with no issue and offering amazing performance, even to the point of seeing UAD hosted plug-ins working and offering offline bounce, something not even possible right now in a native format.

It’s not FREE, some would say that £200 ($350) is a lot of money to pay for this, but bearing in mind it ships with the excellent Epic Orchestra, hosts VST and AU plug-ins and effectively either expands usability for those wishing to remain on Pro Tools 10 or future proofs those wishing to invest in Pro Tools 11 without the worry of unusable plug-ins. Even better you can host it on a separate computer like a Mac Mini and have all your VIs and plug-ins running in 64 bit and running back to Pro Tools, even older 32 bit versions.

As you will gather from the video and also from above, I think this is simply brilliant and perhaps the most no-brainer purchasing decision I’ve come across. If you are a Pro Tools user and use a lot of VIs and plug-ins then this is a MUST HAVE product. It gets our Editors Choice Award without any hesitation… if you already own it then you’ll understand why. If you have any doubt about our verdict then check out other reviews and also customer comments on sites like Sweetwater.

Pro Tools Expert To MC Mediaspec's Pro Tools 11 Event On May 30th

2013-05-08T10:32:58Z

One of our sponsors, Mediaspec, who have also provided a superb Pro Tools 11 launch prize bundle, have asked our very own Mike Thornton to be the master of ceremonies at their Pro Tools 11 event on May 30th at The Lighthouse in Glasgow, Scotland.

There will be two demonstrations, one tailored for music and the second for post production.

At the event there will also be a Q&A, with guest appearances from Producer and Engineer, Stuart McCredie (credits include: The Fratellis and Kelly Clarkson) and Kahl Henderson, dubbing engineer from leading Post Facility, Savalas (credits include: Microsoft’s blockbuster game, Halo 4 Spartan Ops and BBC’s Case Histories).

4pm: Music demonstration followed by a Q&A session hosted by Mike Thornton. Guests: Producer/Engineer Stuart McCredie and and a live performance from Georgia

6pm: Post Production demonstration followed by Q&A session hosted by Mike Thornton. Guest: Dubbing Engineer Kahl Henderson, Savalas

If you would like to be there then you will need to register on the Mediaspec web site and remember to choose which session you want to come to, Music or Post, but please don’t register if you cannot be in Scotland on May 30th, as this is not a ‘virtual’ event.

We have also enticed Russ to make the trip north with samples of Scottish whisky so if you are able to make it then it will be great to meet more of the community.

Support For The Pro Tools 11 'Exponential' Claim

2013-05-08T08:59:45Z

Following our story on Pro Tools 11 “Exponential Gains” Claims - Marketing Hype Or Real?, a well-known software developer got in touch with a very simple explanation of why the term ‘exponential’ is a valid description for Pro Tools 11:

The reason for “exponential” improvement can be summarized as this: The old engine was a simple design that treats all tracks the same using one audio engine buffer size, but the new engine has two audio engine buffer sizes, one for audio tracks and one for aux tracks. The buffer size for disk tracks is exponentially larger than it was in PT 10.

The developers have been working with Avid through a significant proportion of the four years that Avid have spent working on Pro Tools 11, not just rebuilding from the ground up, but digging out the foundations and starting again, especially with the new Avid Audio Engine. There have been some of the recent improvements which they have been able to set aside and integrate into Pro Tools 11 but largely it is completely new application. This is why it is putting so much less load on the computer and is the reason the differences above are what they are.

ATSC Updates CALM Act’s Loudness Recommendation A/85

2013-05-08T08:05:34Z

The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has delivered an updated version of ATSC A/85, the core technology mandated by the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act in the USA.

As approved by ATSC members, the revised version of A/85 includes an update of the reference to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) recommendation for “algorithms to measure audio programme loudness and true-peak audio level.”

The revised A/85 now references ITU-R BS.1770-3. Version 3 of BS.1770, adds “gating” (excluding low level passages from the measured value) to the measurement algorithm. In addition, version 3 of BS.1770 includes some minor editorial updates to the loudness measurement text and a minor correction to the true-peak measurement algorithm. Beyond the reference change, A/85 now includes improved guidance for measuring the loudness of surround programming in both its multichannel format and in its 2-channel downmix. This is important because many consumers utilize the stereo downmix of surround programming and it is possible to have loudness disparity between the two modes. In addition, A/85 is now specific about the differences between loudness and dynamic range.

The updated ATSC Recommended Practice A/85:2013, dated March 12, 2013, is the successor document to Recommended Practice A/85:2011, dated May 25, 2011.

This brings A/85 even closer to the EBU R128 recommendation and will make it even easier to deliver loudness content across multiple territories.

If You Are A Professional You Should Never Apologise For Asking For Money

2013-05-08T07:00:37Z

A lesson you learn fast in business is that most customers (however nice they are) don’t want to pay you—either what the job costs, when you need paying, or in rare cases, at all.

Most small business owners, especially the one-man-band, find the money part of business hard to deal with and in particular the part about getting paid. So I want to get this skunk on the table and promise you that asking for money from clients is like learning to ride a bike; once you figure it out, then you’ll never have to learn again.

Rule 1 - Never Apologise. You know the line “I’m sorry but I need paying”? STOP THAT NOW!

You run a business, not a charity; if you don’t get paid, then there will be no business (and probably no home). When it comes to asking clients for money, you need to be matter-of-fact about it. At the end of the job, simply send your invoice clearly stating the job is complete and you need payment … in some cases (e.g., when masters are involved) you may need payment BEFORE they receive the work, so again you simply ask them for payment before that happens. No apology, simply “the policy is that masters don’t leave until the bill is settled”.

Now at this point, most reasonable people will pay you, but some will come out with a whole host of excuses for not paying you—anything from not having a new cheque book to having had the key to their floor safe eaten by a unicorn. These aren’t your problems, and you should say so; you’ll be surprised how many clients suddenly stumped up the money when they realise you ain’t going to budge.

Now I know that some of you are thinking, “Will they come back and use me again if I have strict payment policies”? In my experience, the answer is yes they will. However if they don’t, how long do you think your business is going to survive with clients who are bad when it comes to paying you?

I’m happy to say that most of my clients understand and appreciate the value of my work (and get that I need to eat and pay the rent). Sometimes they don’t pay immediately, and on those occasions I call and find out that they’ve really forgotten or there’s been a minor issue—a quick chat and it is usually sorted.

You’re a professional. If anyone who wants to work with you thinks you are too expensive, then they should try an amateur … they will find out the amateurs cost a lot more!

Review of UAD Ocean Way Studios - Show And Tell

2013-05-07T20:26:03Z

Russ from Pro Tools Expert takes a look and listen to the new Ocean Way Studios plug-in from Universal Audio - see what he thinks here.

Universal Audio Announce UAD Software 7.0

2013-05-07T17:40:24Z

Our friends over at Universal Audio haved announced UAD software version 7.0, features include;

Multi-Unit Cascading of two Apollo units or two Apollo 16 units*
Virtual I/O feature for Realtime UAD Processing of virtual instruments and DAW tracks
New PT Mode for easy insertion of outboard analog hardware in Pro Tools
Enhanced Apollo Console software
Read full UAD Software v7.0 features here

It also conincides with 3 new plug-ins;

Ocean Way Studios
SPL Twin Tube
Sonnox Oxford Inflator

For full info and download information click here

Focusrite Introduces The Scarlett 6i6 And Scarlett 18i8 USB Interfaces

2013-05-07T15:11:47Z

Focusrite has introduced two new members of its Scarlett range of USB 2.0 audio interfaces: the Scarlett 18i8 (18-in, 8-out) and Scarlett 6i6 (6-in, 6-out). Both are aimed at recording artists, producers and bands and differ primarily in their I/O configuration. Both feature award-winning Focusrite mic pres, designed specifically for Focusrite’s computer music interfaces, and Focusrite’s renowned precision 24bit/96KHz conversion for maximum transparency. In addition to Mac^® and Windows^® operation, both interfaces are compatible with iOS^® devices like the iPad^®(via the Apple^® Camera Connection Kit – not included).

The Scarlett 18i8 is the first interface from Focusrite to include four award-winning mic preamps. The first two inputs offer Mic/Line/Instrument on universal XLR/TRS while three and four offer Mic/Line capability on XLR/TRS. The 18i8 can also record up to four additional line inputs at the same time, making it perfect for recording an entire band live. An ADAT option allows the connection of external mic preamps such as the Focusrite OctoPre Mk II, extending the number of mic pres to 12.

The Scarlett 6i6 is designed to allow recording on a smaller scale. In addition to two Focusrite mic preamps it features a stereo line input, making it possible to capture, for example, vocals, guitar and a digital piano at the same time. Both models feature the signature Scarlett range unibody metal chassis for road-ruggedness, and the unique “signal halo” LED rings around the input controls that indicate green for a good level and red for overload. They also include two headphone outputs each with their own level controls; the headphone outputs on the 6i6 mirror the main and sub-outputs whereas on the 18i8 they are fully independent.

Scarlett 6i6: £199.99 inc. vat and Scarlett 18i8: £299.99 inc. vat

More here

Lexicon Pro Respond To AAX Question

2013-05-07T07:43:30Z

On a recent Facebook post, Lexicon Pro respond to the AAX question:

“ I can say this is in the works. Unfortunately it is and will take longer that we hoped, but we are working it…and it will be a 100% free update.”

Good news for Lexicon lovers.

More here

Pro Tools 11 "Exponential Gains" Claims - Marketing Hype Or Real?

2013-05-07T07:04:58Z

When Pro Tools 11 was announced, one of the claims made was ‘exponential performance gains’ - a claim immediately seized on by my friend and vastly superior writer Peter Kirn over at Create Digital Music. Peter said, “As for the announcement, the marketing copy also starts with a peculiar marketing claim: “Get exponentially more processing power than Pro Tools 10 using the same hardware.” It’s hard to know where Avid would find exponential performance gains, unless they know a different meaning of the word. A 64-bit engine, for instance, generally offers marginal, not exponential gains. It seems there is a new engine users are happy with, but there would have to be something horribly wrong with the previous engine for the new one to be exponentially faster on the same hardware architecture.”

This week, we got a chance to see Pro Tools 11 in action. Something to be noted immediately is that the copy we were shown is a beta version, so some work still has to be done before the final GM (Gold Master) sees the light of day. Therefore, it wouldn’t surprise us if the performance is even better in the final public release; if nothing else, it won’t be any worse.

That said, what we were shown was impressive by any standard.

Not being a mathematician, I decided to investigate the whole area of exponential theory. From what I can gather, it simply means an exponential curve shows a far greater increase than a linear curve. So take a look at the graphic showing the same session on the same Mac, but one opened in Pro Tools 10.3.5 and the other on a beta copy of Pro Tools 11. Call it what you like (if you don’t think it’s exponential, I’m not going to have a battle of semantics), but in my words after having seen it in action with the performance gains I witnessed, I would have written different ad copy, to wit:

“Pro Tools 11 gives f*****g awesome improvements in performance”.

This probably explains two things: firstly, why I don’t work for Avid in their marketing department, and secondly, why Avid chose the word ‘exponential’.

In response to Peter’s final consideration, “[T]here would have to be something horribly wrong with the previous engine for the new one to be exponentially faster on the same hardware architecture.”… there was!

More here.

Pro Tools Expert Podcast Episode 63

2013-05-06T20:27:29Z

Russ, Mike, & Neil are here with a packed Pro Tools Expert podcast that includes;

Intros
Competitions
AAX Announcements
Plug-ins not going AAX
AIR AAX Plug-in updates
Pro Tools and Hackintosh
Testing the Pro Tools PC
Pro Tools 11 in action
Pro Tools 11 surveys
Community Tip 1 - Anthony Dominello
Community Tip 2 - Rob Schaap
Community Tip 3 - Shane Felton
- Case Logic USB case from Amazon UK
- Case Logic USB case from Amazon US
Community Tip 4 - John aka Tunes
Community Tip 5 - Anonymous
Sound stops but PT keeps rolling
Getting 003 drivers - download link
PT11 upgrade options for Mbox 3 owner
Does the following Maths work? PT 11 + PT10 + ReWire = RTAS in PT11
Request for video to show complete clean install of OS Mountain Goat and Pro Tools 11 - Mike’s Pro Tools Toolkit For Mac on Groove 3
Creating mp3s from Pro Tools Express
- Avid support document
- Switch
- Max
Avid Vantage cover
Should I upgrade from 8LE to PT10 or 11?
Colours between memory locations
What are the replacements for a 002R

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5 Ways To Speed Up Creative Workflows In Pro Tools

2013-05-06T09:47:19Z

Sometimes the biggest thing stopping us from being creative is the very thing we use to make our music, our DAW. Pro Tools is not alone in this, all DAWs are filled with features that can give us enormous power, but if we are not smart then they can get in the way of getting ideas down fast.

Here are 5 ways to speed up your workflow.

Use Session Presets
A session preset can be as simple or as complex as you wish, from a single instance of a piano VI and a microphone channel right through to a session of lots of channels for tracking an entire band, just remember to make sure you don’t defeat the object of this exercise by making it too complicated.
Configure Your I/O Settings
I/O settings are where you make sure the inputs and outputs of your audio device are configured correctly. Even better, if you take the time to label your inputs, outputs and busses then you won’t be trying to figure out what is hanging off the end of each channel. Again it can be as simple as labelling your mic channel “mic” and your instrument channel “guitar” or indeed labelling your entire patchbay. It’s also a good idea to make sure you label your buss channels so that you don’t having to keep creating reverb sends etc.
Create Instrument Presets
In some circles the term synth ‘presets’ can be a dirty word. I love getting under the hood of synth and making cool new sounds, but doing that before you try and capture a song is going to distract you. So every time you create a cool new sound, or effect for that matter, then create a new folder for those favourites and save them. You can even save a session preset to load all your VIs and effects along with those presets and save another step.
Organise And Label All Your Loops And Samples
If you want to create sample based music then it’s a good idea to make sure you spend a day going through your library and organising it. It may seem like a chore, but when you need to find a cool Jazz loop at 135bpm then you’ll thank me for suggesting this. Workspace is perhaps the most irritating part of Pro Tools, so anything you can do to make using it easier is time well spent. Most loop libraries ship with this data, but again, make sure you have everything to hand. Spending even an hour trying to find the right loop for a track can really start killing your mojo.
Turn Off Distractions
This tip goes behind any particular DAW and to anyone who wants to be as creative as possible. If you are going to spend a day writing then make sure you check your emails, social networks and other distracting stuff, even your mobile phone and then turn them off. If Apple thought they were helping creatives with most of the features in Mountain Lion then they can think again, having bleeps and visual pop-ups every couple of minutes is not going to help the creative flow. Get one bad email or snarky comment from Facebook and you may as well wave goodbye to your creative session - unless of course you’re a one-in-a-billion creative type who doesn’t take everything personally.

So, there are 5 tips for speeding up your creative workflow… what are yours?

New Pro Tools 11 Buying Survey Gives Surprising Results

2013-05-06T05:26:14Z

A few weeks ago we ran a Pro Tools 11 buying survey, this survey showed around 55% who would be buying Pro Tools 11.

However in a second and more recent survey conducted by Pro Tools Expert of over 2,400 potential buyers, around 70% of those surveyed said they would be buying Pro Tools 11. Of the remainder most said they were undecided with only 74 (3%) saying they were not planning to buy it.

Bearing in mind that most people are yet to have first hand experience of Pro Tools 11, no reviews have been published, the fact that users have to adopt the new AAX format and the poor public image Avid have had over the last couple of years, this is impressive by any standard. Discuss.

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