Say hello to the Avid Pro Tools | HDX digital audio workstation (DAW) and Pro Tools 10 software -- two important releases that, according to Avid, deliver greater performance, higher sound quality, and innovative new capabilities that set new standards for audio post and music production. Both Pro Tools | HDX and Pro Tools 10 are designed to give professional users better performance, faster workflows, and easier collaboration than ever.

The Pro Tools | HDX system allows you to mix bigger, more complex productions; the system delivers up to 5 times more DSP per card, over 1,000 dB of additional headroom, and up to 4 times the track counts and 2 times the I/O compared to its Pro Tools | HD Accel predecessor. The system can be scaled to increase track counts, power, and I/O, using up to three Pro Tools | HDX cards and multiple Pro Tools HD Series interfaces.

With this addition to the Pro Tools | HD lineup, users now have two system choices. You can choose the Pro Tools | HD Native system if you need the advanced workflows and sound quality of Pro Tools HD and want to leverage your host computer to get the best performance and lowest latency. Alternatively, you can choose the new DSP-accelerated Pro Tools | HDX system if you require consistent peak performance and near-zero latency to handle extremely large and complex productions.

Pro Tools | HDX features and applications:

• Mix bigger, better projects faster
• Get up to 5 times the processing power of previous generation cards
• Manage larger productions with fewer cards, with up to 4x the playable track counts
• Work with up to 64 channels of I/O per card, enabling larger configurations with fewer cards
• Get more headroom
• Dramatically improve recording and mixing audio quality with over 1,000 dB additional headroom and higher resolution sound, thanks to the new floating-point architecture
• Capture, monitor, and output audio in pristine clarity with a choice of Pro Tools HD Series interfaces
• New AAX plugin format
• Pro Tools HD 10 software comes included
• Record and play back up to 256 audio tracks per card (or play back up to 768 tracks with three cards) to support the most massive mixes
• Get optimal recording and playback responsiveness with the extended disk cache, which can load entire sessions into RAM, and ensures maximum track counts from networked-attached storage, such as Avid Unity ISIS, and slower local drives
• Control up to 12 Pro Tools | HD systems from one using the Satellite Link option
• Mix audio from up to two Pro Tools | HD systems with a D-Command control surface through Multi-mode

New Pro Tools 10 software adds major new features that audio post and music professionals will like. With version 10, Pro Tools offers several new tools and timesaving workflows, such as Clip Gain, which separates pre-mix levels from Pro Tools software’s mixing automation, greatly speeding up and improving the workflow between sound editors and mixers. With Pro Tools 10, you will also be able to achieve higher sound quality and better performance than ever, whether you’re recording, composing, editing, mixing, or playing back your sessions.

Pro Tools 10 features:

• Work faster and easier with the most robust tools
• Speed up pre-mix and editing workflows with Clip Gain
• Experience better performance, even on network-attached or slow local drives, with disk handling improvements and real-time fades
• Get more flexibility and 24-hour timeline capability when conforming multiple projects into a single timeline
• Use multiple file formats and mixed bit depths in the same project without converting files
• Record, edit, and mix in higher resolution with 32-bit floating-point file format support
• Get the sound of the System 5 console EQ and dynamics with the Avid Channel Strip plugin, now included with Pro Tools 10

Avid has also announced the Avid Vantage Program, an annual membership program for Pro Tools customers.

Avid Vantage subscribers receive unlimited online technical support, plus deeply discounted expert phone support when they need it. They also gain access to a great collection of audio plugins, and for a limited time they’ll receive a high-value Avid Store coupon that can be applied to new software purchases or upgrades. In addition, Pro Tools customers can also upgrade their membership to include hardware coverage for an Mbox, Eleven Rack, or 003 audio interface or a Pro Tools | HD system -- even when the product’s warranty has expired.

The new Avid Vantage Program will be available soon to Pro Tools users for $149 per year. Customers who purchase Avid Vantage for Pro Tools can add additional coverage for Mbox family, 003 family, and Eleven Rack hardware purchases for $29 per year; and for Pro Tools | HDX, Pro Tools | HD Native, and Pro Tools | HD hardware purchases for $299 per year.

Pro Tools | HDX – Complete Pro Tools | HDX systems -- which include the Pro Tools | HDX PCIe card, Pro Tools HD 10 software, and a choice of Pro Tools HD Series interface -- will be available on November 18, 2011.

Pricing:

• New Pro Tools | HDX systems start at $9,999 US MSRP
• Pro Tools | HD 1 owners can crossgrade to Pro Tools | HDX starting at $7,999
• Pro Tools | HD 2 owners can crossgrade to Pro Tools | HDX starting at $6,999
• Pro Tools | HD 3 owners can crossgrade to Pro Tools | HDX starting at $5,999
• Pro Tools | HD Native owners can crossgrade to Pro Tools | HDX for $7,499

Pro Tools 10 software is now available at the following prices:

• Pro Tools 10 software (full version): $699 US MSRP (please note that Pro Tools HD 10 software is bundled with Pro Tools | HD family systems only, and is not available for separate purchase except as an upgrade)
• Pro Tools 9 owners can upgrade to Pro Tools 10 for $299
• Pro Tools HD software owners can upgrade to Pro Tools HD 10 starting at $999
• Crossgrade pricing is also available for owners of Pro Tools LE, Pro Tools M-Powered, and Complete Production Toolkit

For more information on these announcements, visit avid.com.