Hello everyone, welcome to
the very first post of the Sound Synthesis Architect blog!
Today we will be taking a
look at the new features that Pro Tools 11 has to offer. I will first introduce
you to the most prominent features of the new system and then I will give my
first impressions of the new software.
The new 64-bit Avid Audio
Engine delivers more processing power than what Pro Tools 10 had to offer. Avid
has incorporated an extended disk cache which loads the entire project session
into RAM so we are now able to layer more virtual instruments and work on more
complex mixes without worrying about PCU workload. They have also incorporated
a dedicated input buffer which means that we are able to record with minimal
latency at no cost to plug-in performance. Another great feature about the
64-bit system is that there is now an offline bounce option that allows us to
bounce our hi-resolution (up to 32-bit/192 kHz) sessions up to 150 times faster
than real-time with no compromise to the quality. For those of you that are
dabbling with 5.1 or 7.1 audio mixes they have now incorporated extended
metering (17 built in metering options) that allows us to monitor the level of
audio sent to each speaker in the audio system. The all new Avid Video Engine allows
us to edit HD video right within Pro Tools.
I have to say that when I
received the e-mail from Avid with my Pro Tools 11 activation code I was
excited but skeptical. I am always skeptical of the latest full versions of
software when they are first released because most of these companies release
their products with bugs and issues that get resolved over the first few months
after release to the public.
When I first open the program I get a warning stating...
Great, off to a good start! Luckily I don’t currently have any plug-ins that are being authorized by my iLok so I can move on. The Quick Start interface has the same set-up with slightly different aesthetics which I could take or leave. It looks clumsier than the polished look of PT10.
When I first open the program I get a warning stating...
Great, off to a good start! Luckily I don’t currently have any plug-ins that are being authorized by my iLok so I can move on. The Quick Start interface has the same set-up with slightly different aesthetics which I could take or leave. It looks clumsier than the polished look of PT10.
From here I go to open one
of my sessions so I can more easily spot differences because I have already
spent a lot of time with the session. The load time seems to be a bit quicker
but my session notes pop up and states that it can’t find a slew of the plug-ins
that I use on the session. My excitement is quickly fading but this is what I
expect of brand new software so I can’t be too disheartened. We’re not off to a great
start but I have hopes that it will get better.
I’m going to have to wrap up this post but stay tuned. I will be continuing my first impressions of Pro Tools
11 with my next post.
Happy synthesizing!
Jared,
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to new software such as Pro Tools, the home user, us in this case, will always be the lab rat. It will never be the big studios that use the update right away; just think of all the down time it would create to have a new program start bugging out on you in the middle of a session. I have noticed lots of students at school saying that they got the update email notification. Maybe I am just more aware of it now, but they sure are pushing the update hard. Just like you I am always hesitant to be the first to try the new product. For that reason, I am going to stay tuned to your blog to see all the updates you have on the update. Thank you for the review!
Kyle Schroeder
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteYou make a valid point, we as students can be seen as beta testers for these new products. Not only does it help us to learn the ins and outs of the new product but gets it ready for studio applications. It does seem like they are really pushing to get the product out there so they can start debugging. Thanks for reading!
Jared
Very informative... I wasn't aware of all the upgraded features pro-tools 11 came with.... So far load time and off line bounce options..
ReplyDelete