Pro Tools 7.4 software for Mac OS X and Windows has been
updated with several new features for music and post. The Elastic Time feature
allows users to easily change the tempo and timing of loops, music, dialogue
and other sound files in realtime without cutting up audio tracks. Music loops
and audio files can be imported and now instantly sync with a session's tempo.
Elastic Time also allows audio pros to quantize audio to the session grid or
extracted grooves, and fine-tune regions with control over individual beats.
Digidesign and parent company Avid are also offering Avid
Media Station|PT 2.7 software, which, when paired with the Video Satellite
Option, enables Pro Tools users to play Avid video sequences in sync with Pro
Tools|HD. The Video Satellite Option eliminates time-consuming video exports
and removes video-processing burdens from the Pro Tools|HD DAW by synchronizing
playback with Media Station|PT on a separate, dedicated computer.
The company's large-format ICON D-Control integrated console
saw enhancements at AES. The new D-Control ES features a darker color scheme
and updated, higher contrast text and graphics for improved visibility in low-light
settings. ES also features a new switch LED color layout for easier visual
navigation.
On the medium-format console front, Digidesign unveiled the
new C|24 (pictured), an affordable control surface that draws upon the legacy of the
company's Control|24 by bringing tactile Pro Tools control to mid-sized pro and
advanced project studios. C|24 has an intuitive control surface along with a
full complement of analog inputs and a versatile monitoring section.
Digidesign and its Advanced Instrument Research (A.I.R.)
group are offering a collection of virtual instrument plug-ins in the Virtual
Instrument Box Set, which features five instrument plug-ins designed and
optimized for Pro Tools systems. In addition, the company has teamed with
EastWest to offer the EastWest/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Gold Complete -
Structure Edition. The collection is designed for use with its line of Structure
sampling workstations and is a 35GB compilation of EastWest's most popular
virtual orchestra sound libraries.