Free Avid AAX Plugin for PT10

Get a free AAX plug-in

Experience AAX for yourself—get Softube’s Saturation Knob plug-in free and add some analog warmth to your tracks.

Motion JPEG removed from OS X Lion

As many people in audio post have worked with the Motion JPEG A compression format for images, please beware that this codec is no longer part of Quicktime in OS X Lion. The codec works up until OS X 10.6.x only

Motion JPEG A was a great codec as it allowed for low picture sizes with relatively good image quality and almost zero system lag when working with ProTools.

MPEG Streamlip will still play the Motion JPEG files however these will need ot be converted to be compatible with Quicktime and for use in ProTools

Pro Tools 10

Avid have released the next installment of Pro Tools. PT10 includes many new features including:

Speed up editing and mixing with Clip Gain, and easily adjust and match gain levels, pre-mixer (watch the video) Use multiple audio formats in a session—including interleave—without file duplication Record and master higher resolution sound with more headroom in 32-bit floating-point format Get great responsiveness on slower hard drives with the enhanced disk handler Record in low-latency mode, with direct monitoring when using third-party audio interfaces Get the sound of System 5 console EQ and dynamics with the Avid Channel Strip plug-in

Get access to over 500 additional Pro Tools commands when using EUCON controllers (watch the video) Work more easily with AudioSuite-rendered clips with reverse processing, handles, and more (watch the video) Create extra long-format projects for sequential versioning with the extended 24-hour timeline Open fade-heavy sessions faster and get better responsiveness with real-time fades Export mixes directly to SoundCloud to share and promote your music to the world

Available in both PT10 and PT10HD, I am glad to note that owners of Complete Production Toolkit also gain many of the HD features as with PT9.

Neyrinck V-Control Pro for iPad

Neyrinck have just released an update to their V- Control for ProTools. Version 1.1 now adds dual surround panners and peak hold meters to the already impressive interface. Having used version 1.1 for a few days now I have to say that I am very impressed indeed. I have tried and worked with various control surfaces over the years, however for the size of an iPad and quality of this software, this is hard to beat.

My initial  impression was that V-Control was a gimick, a toy, and something used just to show your friends as I was quite dubious about not having "actual" faders to push and pull. However this is not the case. This is actually a very serious piece of software and  the response of the touch faders is excellent. Panning using the virtual pan pots takes some getting used to, however the new surround panners compensate for this. It also supports flip mode, sends, a scrub and shuffle, group suspend and many more features...

At US$49.99 or AUD$59.99 V-Control on the iPad is now a far cheaper option than any other control surface.... plus you can check your email, read the paper and play games in your downtime! even factoring an iPad, the price and flexibility of this configuration is amazing!

Apple Magic Trackpad and Pro Tools

After hypothesising about the new Apple Magic Trackpad in July last year, I have now had a chance to have a proper play with it in conjunction with my Pro Tools setup.

I have been using a Kensington Trackball ever since I started my working career, so jumping across to the Magic Trackpad was rather peculiar to start with. I have a MacBook so using it's inbuilt Trackpad always seems so limited when working within Pro Tools. In many cases I would just connect my trackball to keep my work flow efficient. The Magic Trackpad is quite different however. Although seeming to  be a bigger version of the laptop trackpad, the Magic Trackpad is so much more.

After setting up the Magic trackpad via bluetooth  the system preferences allow some customisation of the gestures which now allow you to control and customise your magic Trackpad. I did find these very limited, and the settings are all global controls meaning that you cannot have specific gestures for specific programs- something that Kensington allow for with its Trackballs. The program BetterTouchTool, a freeware application opens up these gestures by having this program sit on top of the Apple System Prefs. This allows for specific gestures for specific applications. Once BTT is running, the Apple Magic Trackpad comes into it's own. This makes the Magic Trackpad ideal as an editing and mixing peripheral, as you can fade, pan in surround and edit far quicker than using a conventional mouse. I also have BTT setup to switch between Pro Tools and AudioFinder, with a gesture (single click in middle at top) setup to export my AudioFinder sounds straight into my Pro Tools timeline! Very Cool indeed!!!

After taking a couple of days of getting use to and setting up gestures, the Magic Trackpad has now become my new "must have" editing and mixing tool. Because you can also import and export gestures from BTT, I can now easily use the Magic Trackpad with my laptop with no differences in my workflow.

Free ProTools plug-in from Soundtoys!

Want a free ProTools plug-in?
Soundtoys are giving away an audio level destroyer - for free!
All that you need to obtain this goodie is an ilok...

Here is the link

 - link has now expired - 

Pro Tools 9 -released-

Pro Tools 9 redefines the world’s most popular, most advanced music and audio production platform with a completely re-architected, open version of Pro Tools software.

Work with an audio interface—or without. Create bigger, better-sounding mixes with more tracks, Automatic Delay Compensation, and other pro features included as standard. Open your workflow to projects created in other audio and video software—and to the entire Avid Artist Series and Pro Series (formerly Euphonix) console/controller line.

Features include:

* Work with your favorite Avid audio interface, third-party Core Audio/ASIO interface (up to 32 channels supported), or standalone
* Create bigger mixes with more simultaneous audio tracks—up to 96 or 192* voices
* Get coveted pro features such as multitrack Beat Detective, OMF/AAF/MXF interchange, DigiBase Pro, and full Import Session Data dialog as standard
* Create better-sounding, phase-accurate mixes with Automatic Delay Compensation
* Expand your hands-on control options with EUCON integration for Artist and Pro Series consoles/controllers
* Work with video more easily with the Time Code Ruler and variable stereo pan depths, and mix in surround with the updated 7.1 surround panner*
* Create complex mixes with 256 internal busses, 160 aux tracks, and 512* total audio tracks
* Share your music mixes with anyone with included MP3 Export

* Feature/spec only available in Pro Tools HD 9 software and Pro Tools 9 software with the added Complete Production Toolkit 2 option.

For more information: visit the Pro Tools 9 product page.

...it was only a matter of time

Avid have released a new addition to their Pro Tools range - the new HD Native. Many people have been expecting this immanent addition to their range and now it is here. No pricing or upgrade paths are listed on the website yet.

Free Pro Tools plugin update checking app!

Plug Tools is an app that can help you figure out which of your Pro Tools plug-ins are out of date.

iZotope OS X 10.6

Attention Mac OS X Users:

Under rare circumstances, installing an iZotope product or demo and then applying any Mac OS X 10.6 update can cause some computers to experience problems booting. We have identified the cause of this issue and have provided a simple fix below.

Please download and install this patch immediately, even if you have not experienced any issues at this time. Also, make sure you delete and re-download the latest iZotope installers for Mac OS X. Please note that as of today (May 7, 2010), all of the Mac OS X installers on the iZotope website have been updated so that they no longer cause this issue to occur.

iZotope Mac OS X 10.6 Patch
If you suspect your computer has already been affected by this issue and you are unable to boot your computer, please follow the steps to fix in the iZotope Knowledge Base.

PTHD1 vs PTLE + Complete Production Toolkit

Are you deciding if you should buy a PT LE system with complete production toolkit or if to buy a PT HD1 system?

After upgrading my DV Toolkit2 to Complete Production toolkit I have had the chance to work on both systems side by side with the exact same sessions. I have to say that I have been blown away by how easily the sessions can be exchanged between the two systems.

My HD rig is a HD1 running a 96io on a Mac Pro 2 x 2.8 Quad Core (4gig Ram), with my LE system running a 003R from an iMac Intel 2.16Ghz Core 2 duo (2gig Ram).

For my testing I ran two different sessions (1 with pics + 1 with no pics) across both systems for a comparison.

Test 1:
A session using 96 voices of 5.1 tracks with no video.

Result-
PT HD system did play it back well, although had a few "pci" bus errors. I also had to use 3 DSP chips to fix this problem.

PTLE played back with no errors and only with system usage meters only showing 2% usage across all parameters.


Test 2:
A session with 81 voices using mono tracks with 5.1 outputs and running video

Result-
PTHD - All worked well
PTLE- All worked well

Conclusion
Despite being deficient in a few of the features of PTHD, I have to say that the Complete Production Toolkit has blow me away. I do use trim automation and VCA's, and unfortunately these do not come across to an LE session- however knowing this allows the user to factor this into their initial session setups. At a fraction of the price, and with performance as good as (if not better) than PTHD, I would have to say that from now on I will be using an LE system for all of my work. If I was going to be doing large 5.1 mix sessions (greater than 96voice) than I would use a HD2 or HD3, but for the work that I do on a HD1 system, the LE system is a perfect cheaper alternative.

New ProTools website - wtf?

After recently receiving an advanced email about the unification of all Avid products on one central website, I sighed with relief. My sigh was due to the fact that the (previous) digidesign website was not what you would call, the best as far as it's navigation was concerned. The email, as far as interpreted, explained that the new"Avid" website would fix some of these problems, and thus present the public with a new, easy to navigate site under the avid banner.

Well... today I was trying to install my "Complete Production Toolkit" software, and was greeted by window after window of countless links - and in fact the pages just kept me going around and around in circles... to no avail and still not to a link of the software. It all started when I inserted my PTLE 8 disk to do an install from disk. When I found the folder with the "additional installers" I was greeted by a text document which mentioned that the installation is a link found in my digi account.

The first mission was to go to my digi account. I found the link which said "my Account" and my login and password were accepted. Good start. I was then taken to a new "Avid" login page which wanted a new email login and password. After placing my details in again I was directed to a page - my new "my account".

The problem now is, I have NO software backlog of my previous "my account" digi downloads and thus there is No record of any of my purchases, meaning I have no link to download the "Digi Complete Toolkit". What there is however is a link saying Avid downloads. Clicking on this brings up a list with all the Avid downloads. This enables me to then search the entire Avid website for "Digi Complete Toolkit". The problem is.... the search function doesn't find it. Actually, it doesn't find any thing for "complete" - and the only software it finds for "toolkit" is PT7.4.

OK, so I spent about another half an hour digging around the website. This proved to be slightly fruitful. I did manage to find the new Complete Toolkit product description page. I even found (under More resources) a download like to the file. Unfortunately though, the link seems to be broken...

WOW I am so blown away by this new easy to navigate website. NOT!

Line6 Pod Farm for free!

Limited time! Line 6 is giving away POD Farm™, the premium tone plug-in – a $99 value! Get the tones you need for pro-sounding recordings. For FREE!

Pro Tools 8 Keyboard Shortcuts

What is Qwikn?

Qwikn - an app that lets you effortlessly search and store keyboard shortcuts.

An App to help reset PT Prefs on Mac

Here is a link to a user friendly GUI (Pro Tools Prefs and Database Helper) for resetting you Digidesign prefs and databases when things are not going well.

Recording Cave Convolutions

After being bitten by the "convolution" recording bug, I wanted to set a new challenge. My mission was to record the convolution of a cave! After all this sounds like fun.., doesn't it? Well yes in theory... One of the most difficult parts of convolution recording is the powering of the speaker(s) for playback of the frequency sweep. In the case of this cave another challenge loomed as there was also quite a walk into the caves. Being by myself this meant the carrying of quite a lot of gear- and at times in confined squishy spaces. Admittedly I was primarily there to record cave atmospheres, however since I made this an entire day trip I decided to take the extra gear and capture some convolutions whilst had the permission, time and opportunity.

My convolution recording set up included a pre made ProTools session (sine wave sweeps and record tracks labelled and spaced) running off a MacBook with an MBox mini. This allowed me to be able to have playback as well as a recording device all in one- with headphone monitoring. I then placed a powered speaker inside a large chamber in the cave. Because I had ProTools set up before hand, I set up my session to playback along the timeline with the sweep every 30 seconds. This allowed me with my handheld stereo field mics (plugged into the MBox) to walk around the cave and record many perspectives without having to stop and start. The cave was cold and very damp so I didn't want to take any longer than necessary.

The picture above shows my basic laptop set up with the speaker set up behind in the top left hand corner. The mics as mentioned were hand held as I walked around the space. I had a Rode NT4 mounted into a Rycote blimp.

My first convolution reverb recording...

A while ago I started experimenting with convolution reverbs. Convolution reverbs are reverbs which "sample" the reverb of a given space. This is amazing technology as you are able to sample any physical space or even any old outboard equipment and replicate the reverb characteristics within your audio software.

Owning several convolution reverb plug-ins, I wanted to experiment with recording my own spaces. My first recorded convolution was recorded using the Waves IR1. Starting with baby steps, my first recording was of course a bathroom. I couldn't believe how quick and easy it was, and how realistic it was!



From the photo you can see an omni direction mic set up at the far end of the bathroom, and a speaker on the left hand side. From my studio I generated a frequency sweep which played through the speaker - and was captured using this microphone and recorded in Pro Tools. This new file of the recorded sweep was then loaded and analysed by Waves IR1. Within a few seconds of analysing, IR1 created a new convolution pre-set of the bathroom! After running some dialogue through this setting I couldn't believe just how well IR1 cloned the bathroom reverb!

I can now see myself recording many, many rooms and old reverb units as this is simply amazing!

Spectrasonics releases Stylus RMX 1.7

Spectrasonics has just released an update to the loop based virtual instrument Stylus RMX. Being a user of this plug, I find it compltetely brilliant and am excited to know that it now does "realtime" time signature changes on the fly, something Spectrasonics claims to be a world first!!! After watching the video, I am sure you will agree that this is a very cool new feature for those who work with loops.

Pro Tools 8cs2 release - all platforms

Digidesign has release PT 8cs2 for all platforms. Click here for downloads.

Pro Tools 8 Playlists for ADR

After having a bit more of a play on ProTools 8 I wanted to write about the new playlist features.

With PT8, playlists are far more functional than they were to this version. In particular is the ability to list all alternate playlist under the primary track as a collapsable group of tracks. This allows you to view all tracks at once, and not just simply cycle through the playlist tracks one by one. where this is particularly useful is when recording ADR takes. After going to your "preferences" and selecting "Automatically create new playlists when loop recording", Pro tools will create playlists for all of your takes. These takes can then be made visible, showing up lined up directly under the main playlist.
This is excellent for editing dialogues and ADR (and of course music). What you can do is solo through the alternate playlist (alternate takes) select the portion of the track you like and edit it into a "cut track" or "final edit track". Another great feature is that the main playlist will keep the track coloring from the original playlists so that you are always aware visualy where the edit selection came from. An example is below.



The green edits are original from the main playlist.
However as you can see I have taken edits from the other three alternate playlists and simply placed them on the main playlist. An easy method is by using the "separation grabber" This allows all automation to be tied to these tracks making it easier when shifting tracks (with alt playlists) to various sessions.