Pro Tools 11

Avid has just announced that the next version of their popular Pro Tools software is going to be available soon. Love it or hate it, there are a lot of changes Avid is bringing to the table with this release.

• All new Avid Audio Engine – Get multiple times the processing power of Pro Tools 10 to work with way more virtual instruments and effects plug-ins than ever before. And with the new 64-bit architecture, you gain the performance you need to handle the most sophisticated sessions—with more memory headroom to go even bigger.
• Offline bounce – Forget the wait—speed up your final mix delivery with new faster-than-real-time bounce capabilities. They are claiming that this offline bounce mode will be sample for sample accurate with its real-time bounce counterparts.
• New metering options (HD only) – New built-in metering standards provide a variety of scale and ballistics options, so you can be assured that you’re creating the best mix possible.
• Work directly with HD video – Play MXF HD, Avid DNxHD, and other HD video formats directly in the Pro Tools timeline, without transcoding, using the built-in Avid Video Engine—the same as in Media Composer.

One downside to the new version is their system requirements. If you are running a Mac computer, you will need to have a mid-2012 or later model design. Specifically:

Desktops

• Supported
  • Mac Pro mid-2012 5,1 (all models, all speeds)
  • Mac Pro  early 2009 (all models, all speeds)
• Not Supported
  • Mac Pro 3,1 “Harpertown” models and lower

Laptops

MacBook Pro & Air

• MacBook Pro Retina 15-inch (Mid 2012: 10,1)
• MacBook Pro Retina 13-inch (Late 2012: 10,2)
• MacBook Pro 15-inch (Mid 2012: 9,1)
• MacBook Pro 13-inch (Mid 2012: 9,2)
• MacBook Air (mid 2012 models)
• MacBook Air (2011 models)

Mac Mini

• 2012 Mac Mini (all models, all speeds)
• 2011 Mac Mini (all models, all speeds)
• Mid-2010 Mac Mini (all models, all speeds)

iMac

• 2012 iMac i5 (all models, all speeds)
• Mid-2012 to Late 2009 i5 & i7 (Unibody)

Some interfaces will be no longer compatible with this version of PT.

Not Compatible (Will Not Work)

• Audio Devices
  • Mbox (original)
  • Digi 001
• Avid Control Surfaces
  • ProControl Main Unit
  • ProControl Edit Pack
  • ProControl Fader Pack

If you have purchased a version of Pro Tools 10 after April 7th, you will be eligible for a complimentary upgrade to 11. This new version does indeed look promising, and we are excited to see what performance it can bring us.

Here is a video running down everything you need to know about Pro Tools 11.