A few weeks ago on Oct. 27th, Avid had a Live Webcast where they announced the release of Pro-Tools 10. This new version of Pro-Tools adds clip-based gain, real-time fades, and a new plug-in format known as AAX (Avid Audio eXtension) that will ease the trouble people are having with plug-in naming conventions between Pro-Tools and Pro-Tools HD. In addition to the new software, there is also new hardware in the form of a new DSP Processing card called HDX.
Before I get too deep, this is not a 64bit version of pro-tools. There is no faster than real-time bounce and no freeze track. Everyone has been calling for a 64bit version, but they don’t really care about 64 bit. What they want is to be able to address all the RAM in their system for use with Pro-Tools; not just the 4GB maximum limit in a 32bit application. Although this version is not a true 64bit version of Pro-Tools, there is a work around for the 4GB RAM issue for HD and HDX users. The solution is called Disk Cache Mode, which uses an external program (much like Native-Instruments’ Kontakt) to store session audio in RAM for more responsive session-playback.
Pro-Tools 10 is the beginning of the transition to a 64bit version of Pro-Tools for Avid. There are now three versions of Avid’s digital audio workstation software: Pro-Tools, Pro-Tools HD, and Pro-Tools HDX, and there are now five types of plug-ins to deal with about in a variety of Pro-Tools systems, but before Pro-Tools can go completely 64bit there needs to be some development of plug-ins that run in 64bit. The original plug-in formats of AudioSuite and RTAS still work in Pro-Tools 10/HD/HDX, but the big news is the end of development of TDM formatted plug-ins. While your old TDM plug-ins will continue to work in Pro-Tools 10 HD, there is a new plug-in format called AAX that uses the same code-base to deliver two versions of the same plug-in. AAX Native for host-based processing of AAX plug-ins, which will work on any version of Pro-Tools 10, and AAX DSP which will only run on the new HDX cards. Sorry HD users. AAX DSP will not run on HD cards. AAX plug-ins support 64bit mode, so once you’ve transitioned your plug-ins to AAX you’ll be ready for a jump to 64bit app with Pro-Tools 12.
Pro-Tools 10
Pro-Tools 10 HD
Pro-Tools 10 HDX
Audio Suite
X
X
X
RTAS
X
X
X
TDM
X
AAX Native
X
X
X
AAX DSP
X
Here’s a breakdown of what you get for your money.
Pro-Tools 10 = $299 upgrade from PT9/$699 new
AAX Native Plugins.
Real-time Fades.
Clip-based gain.
A new Disk Engine so no more DAE Buffer.
Pro-Tools 10 HD = $999 from PT9/$1499 from PT8/$2499 from PT7
AAX Native Plugins.
Real-time Fades.
Clip-based gain.
A new Disk Engine so no more DAE Buffer.
RAM Caching of Sessions.
Pro-Tools HDX = $5999.99 upgrade from HD3/$9,999.99new w/ Omni IO
AAX Native Plugins
Real-time Fades.
Clip-based gain.
A new Disk Engine so no more DAE Buffer.
RAM Caching of Sessions.
16,000 samples of Delay Compensation.
AAX DSP Plugins.
Last Tuesday Evan Watson was in town after is summer tour with Def Leppard and Heart. He and the Headless Horsemen got together at Arlene’s Grocery for some much needed rock’n'roll therapy. Mr. Zizzo joined them on stage for A Town Called Blue, and there was a bit of a solo-off.
Take a look for yourselves.
P.S. The new version of EvanWatson.com is up and running.
For most of this year, Peter has been working with Nickelodeon on the music for The Fresh Beat Band. Currently, his song and production of A Friend Like You are #1 on the iTunes Kids Chart.
This is a bad rip from TV, but it is the best I could find at the moment. The best version is available from iTunes or you can hear it on Spotify if you lean that way.
Last Thursday was the US launch of the fabled european music streaming service Spotify. Spotify is part stand-alone audio player like WinAmp, iTunes, or Windows Media Player; part online music library like Rdio, Rhapsody, eMusic, and MOG.; and part mobile audio player for iPhone, Android, and Symbian. Ok enough with the buzz-word hype-fueled nonsense. Basically, Spotify is an authorized version of the old Napster from 1999.
It comes in three varieties: Free, Unlimited, and Premium.
Free: is well… Free = $0.00.
It is only available as a desktop app. There are ads, you are limited to 5 listens per track per month, and a total of 10-20 hours listening time per month. (I haven’t found any definitive info on total listening time yet. I’m guessing more details will surface in the coming weeks.)
Unlimited: $4.99/month.
The next level of service is the Unlimited package which removes the ads and allows unlimited listens to all the tracks in Spotify’s library. No access from your mobile device.
Premium: $9.99/month.
The premium service is the flagship of the service. No Ads, unlimited listens to unlimited tracks each month, and access to the Spotify library from both desktop app and mobile device, as well as local storage on mobile devices for listening when off-the-grid or as we New Yorkers call it “in-the-subway.”
Syncing music to your mobile device is kind of weird. You can sync music from Spotify onto your iPod via a hardwired connection without the use of a Wifi or 3G network, but if you are using an iPhone, Android handset, or really any mobile device with wireless connectivity, you will have to use the Wi-Fi or 3G for syncing which can be kind of sketchy. If you are on your own WiFi network it works fine, but if you are in an airplane, hotel, or some corporate office where you aren’t the network administrator then syncing can be an issue.
Right now, I’m at work trying to sync “N.A.S.A. – Spirit of Apollo” onto my phone for offline listening while I’m in the Subway. It is not working. There are times like this I’d like to be able to just connect my mobile device to my laptop and sync via a hardwired connection.
All levels of service allow playlist sharing and collaborative playlists. I think this is going to be the killer function of Spotify. Many times I go away for a weekend with friends, or to a bachelor party, or camping with friends and there is always a fight for the audio jack into the stereo. With a collaborative playlist anyone who is subscribed to the collaborative playlist can add a song to the playlist from their phone or computer without having to unplug the current phone that is plugged into the stereo.
There is still the issue of sharing playlists with local or unauthorized audio files, but this is where the real opportunity is from my perspective. Spotify could add an extra charge if users wanted to make their local files available to their friends via shared playlists. They could do so for an extra charge, to cover the added bandwidth costs and royalties.
The pricing could go something like this:
1 degree of separation = $1.99/month + Spotify Premuim
2 degrees of separation = $3.99/month + Spotify Premuim
3 degrees of separation = $6.99/month + Spotify Premuim
4 degrees of separation = $9.99/month + Spotify Premuim
5 degrees of separation = $12.99/month + Spotify Premuim
6 degrees of separation = $14.99/month + Spotify Premuim
7 degrees of separation = $19.99/month + Spotify Premuim
This would in essence be a Social Broadcast License. The idea is that users pay to give music to their friends not to get music from their friends. The main thing is that this is already happening. People are already sharing music with their friends. This would just allows them to do it with greater reach and simplicity, and it wouldn’t be a black market like it is today.
The future isn’t about getting more money from fewer and fewer major broadcasters, but to get a little bit of money from more and more mini broadcasters. Sell cheap licenses that make everyone into a broadcaster, not just super expensive licenses to a few major broadcasters.
Today we head into the world of Pro Tools 9. The new 17″ MacBook Pro with a 2.3Ghz i7 is on the way to MCE Technologies for some aftermarket modifications. MCE Tech. are going to pull out the CD/DVD drive, stick it in an external USB case, and install a second internal hard drive for audio recording and more some RAM (Not that we need it for a 32-bit app , but I digress). Then it is off to our pro-tools specialist Jonathan for installation and testing.
In addition to moving to Pro-Tools 9, we are also moving away from hard drive based backups to a cloud storage solution for backups and for sharing sessions with collaborators. The whole point is to be able to seamlessly sync audio and session data between an always on and connected MacPro-Based Pro-Tools 9 HD 192 Rig at the office with a MacBook Pro-Based Pro-Tools 9 mobile setup. Right now I’m looking at either DropBox or Wuala.
Wuala is more interesting. It has better security and encryption. It also has an interesting feature for Pro users where you can offer up part of your drive to get more storage off-site or in-the-cloud or whatever the term is.
DropBox is the current mind-share and market-share leader, so it would work better for sharing sessions with other producers, writers, and engineers.
I need someone to help test a workflow for sharing sessions. If you have pro-tools and DropBox and some free time to push the envelope please email me I’d love to see how this cloud sharing works “in the field.”
, but I digress). Then it is off to our pro-tools specialist Jonathan for installation and testing.