Avid, makers of one of, if not, the industry leading recording apps, have announced a brand new free version of Pro Tools. Known as Pro Tools First and aimed at newcomers, the slimmed down digital audio workstation will be made available for free in the coming months.
While the company has been moving its Pro Tools platform into a more subscription based service, the full version is certainly still quite expensive, so this is a great option for anyone interested in jumping in. But as you likely imagined, the cut down price also comes with a cut down feature set, head below for all the details…
Now with the drastically reduced price of entry here, you should expect to see limitations across the board compared to the fully featured version. Users will be limited to 4 audio inputs, 16 simultaneous audio tracks (48/96/192 kHz), 16 midi/instrument/aux tracks and will have no integrated video options (all track counts above are mono or stereo).
Another notable limitation is that there appears to be no local project saving with Pro Tools First. Users will only be allowed to have 3 open projects, which will be saved in the cloud. Another notable omission is the lack of iTunes, SoundCloud and MP3 exporting, however there does appear to be offline bouncing to get your work out of Pro Tools and into the world (converting the bounced file after the fact). You can view a full breakdown of the limitations side-by-side with various versions of Pro Tools here.
Users will find a number of plug-ins, instruments and other effects in the free version, but Avid is also offering “a world of affordable AAX plug-ins and “First” bundles on the Avid Marketplace that make creating, shaping, and enhancing sounds quick and easy.” There is extra storage and project options available as well, among other things.
According to Avid, Pro Tools First will be made available to download in Q1 2015 through its official site.
[9to5-press-release]
Avid Announces Free Version of Pro Tools, Opening Music Production to Everyone
NAMM (Hall A, Booth #6400), Anaheim, CA, 2015-01-22
Pro Tools | First offers artists, audio enthusiasts and aspiring pros access to many of the same industry-standard music creation tools used by top professionals and facilities
Avid® (Nasdaq: AVID) today unveiled Pro Tools® | First, a free version of the industry-standard Pro Tools that offers many of the same music creation capabilities used by top artists and recording studios worldwide. Delivering on Avid Everywhere™ and built upon the Avid MediaCentral Platform, Pro Tools | First is simple enough for beginners to learn, yet sophisticated enough for the experienced musician. Pro Tools | First enables anyone to experience the industry’s most trusted digital audio workstation at no cost, so they can turn their musical ideas into fully realized, professional productions that stand out from the crowd.
“Pro Tools is the audio workstation that redefined the music and post-production industries, providing everything needed to create high-caliber audio mixes,” said Chris Gahagan, senior vice president of Products and Technology at Avid. “With Pro Tools | First, we’ve taken the most powerful, proven, and trusted DAW and streamlined it into a version that’s available to everyone for free, whether they dream of a career in music and are just starting out, or are more experienced and want to give Pro Tools a try. Now users of all levels can start off their musical journey on the right path.”
With Pro Tools | First, artists can quickly turn ideas into professional-sounding songs by recording, using software instruments, and applying audio effects. To expand their creative toolset further, the integrated Avid App Store provides a world of affordable AAX plug-ins and “First” bundles on the Avid Marketplace that make creating, shaping, and enhancing sounds quick and easy.
To accommodate the mobile lifestyle of artists and aspiring pros, Pro Tools | First saves and manages sessions securely in the cloud, enabled by the Avid MediaCentral Platform. This allows users to log into an Avid account and access and work on music from any Mac or PC with Pro Tools | First installed. Anytime changes are made, the project syncs with the cloud as soon as it’s saved. As a special introductory offer, artists can work on and store up to three Pro Tools | First projects in the cloud for free.
In addition, Pro Tools | First will be compatible with Avid Cloud Collaboration when it becomes available, helping artists collaborate together from wherever they are in the world.
Availability
Avid Pro Tools | First will be available in Q1 2015 as a free download through Avid.com. For more information, please visit avid.com/protoolsfirst.
About Avid
Through Avid Everywhere™, Avid delivers the industry’s most open, innovative and comprehensive media platform connecting content creation with collaboration, asset protection, distribution and consumption for the most listened to, most watched and most loved media in the world—from the most prestigious and award-winning feature films, music recordings, and television shows, to live concerts and news broadcasts. Industry leading solutions include Pro Tools®, Media Composer®, ISIS®, Interplay®, and Sibelius®. For more information about Avid solutions and services, visit www.avid.com, connect with Avid on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, or subscribe to Avid Blogs.
2015 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Avid, the Avid logo, Avid Everywhere, iNEWS, Interplay, ISIS, Media Composer, Pro Tools, and Sibelius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. The Interplay name is used with the permission of the Interplay Entertainment Corp. which bears no responsibility for Avid products. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All announcements of products and enhancements are made on a when and if available basis.
PR Contact:
Avid
Sara Griggs
sara.griggs@avid.com
310.821.0801
[/9to5-press-release]
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