Editing Pro Tools (section)

=== High-resolution audio and consolidation of digital recording and mixing: Pro Tools | HD (2002–2011) ===
Following the launch of [[MacOS#Launch of Mac OS X|Mac OS X]] operating system in 2001, Digidesign made a substantial redesign of Pro Tools hardware and software. Pro Tools | HD was launched in 2002, replacing the Pro Tools | 24 system and relying on a new range of DSP cards (HD Core and HD Process, replacing MIX Core and MIX Farm), new interfaces running at up to [[High-resolution audio|192 kHz]] or 96&nbsp;kHz sample rates (HD 192 and 96, replacing 888 and 882), along with an updated version of the software (Pro Tools 6) with new features and a redesigned GUI, developed for OS X and [[Windows XP]].<ref name=":10" /> Two HD interfaces could be linked together for increased I/O through a proprietary connection. The base system was selling for US$12,000, while the full system was selling for US$20,000.{{sfn|Milner|2009|p=245}}

Both HD Core and Process cards mounted nine [[Motorola 56000|Motorola 56361]] chips running at 100&nbsp;MHz, each providing 25% more processing power than the Motorola 56301 chips mounted on MIX cards; this translated to about twice the power for a single card. A system could combine one HD Core card with up to two HD Process cards, supporting playback for 96/48/12 tracks at 48/96/192&nbsp;kHz sample rates (with a single HD Core card installed) and 128/64/24 tracks at 48/96/192&nbsp;kHz sample rates (with one or two HD Process cards).<ref name=":1" />

When Apple changed the expansion slot architecture of the Mac G5 to [[PCI Express]], Digidesign launched a line of PCIe DSP cards that both adopted the new card slot format and slightly changed the combination of chips. HD Process cards were replaced with HD Accel, each mounting nine Motorola 56321 chips running at 200&nbsp;MHz and each providing twice the power than an HD Process card; track count for systems mounting an HD Accel was extended to 192/96/36 tracks at 48/96/192&nbsp;kHz sample rates.<ref name=":27">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mixonline.com/recording/digidesign-hd-accel-pci-card-374027|title=Digidesign HD Accel PCI Card|date=2003-09-15|website=[[Mix (magazine)|Mix Magazine]]|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-01-07}}</ref> The use of [[PCI Express]] connection reduced [[round-trip delay time]], while DSP audio processing allowed the use of smaller hardware buffer sizes during recording, assuring stable performance with extremely low latency.<ref name=":16" />

Pro Tools, offering a solid and reliable alternative to analog recording and mixing, eventually became a standard in professional studios throughout the decade, while editing features such as Beat Detective (introduced with Pro Tools 5.1 in 2001)<ref name=":29" /> and Elastic Audio (introduced with Pro Tools 7.4 in 2007)<ref name=":30">{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/digidesign-pro-tools-74|title=Digidesign Pro Tools 7.4|last=Thornton|first=Mike|date=January 2008|website=[[Sound on Sound]]|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-02-04}}</ref> redefined the workflow adopted in contemporary music production.<ref name=":6" />

Other software milestones were background tasks processing (such as fade rendering, file conversion or relinking), real-time insertion of TDM plug-ins during playback, and a browser/database environment introduced with Pro Tools 6 in 2003;<ref name=":10" /> Automatic plug-in Delay Compensation (ADC), introduced with Pro Tools 6.4 in 2004 and only available with TDM systems with HD Accel;<ref name=":11" /> a new implementation of RTAS with [[Multithreading (computer architecture)|multi-threading]] support and improved performance, Region groups, Instrument tracks, and real-time MIDI processing, introduced with Pro Tools 7 in 2006;<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/digidesign-pro-tools-v7|title=Digidesign Pro Tools 7|last=Wherry|first=Mark|date=January 2006|website=[[Sound on Sound]]|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-02-04}}</ref> VCA and volume trim, introduced with Pro Tools 7.2 in 2006;<ref name=":13" /> support for ten track inserts, MIDI Editor, and MIDI Score, introduced with Pro Tools 8 in 2009.<ref name=":14" />

Pro Tools | MIX hardware support was dropped with version 6.4.1.

==== Native systems: Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools {{Nowrap|M-Powered}} ====
Pro Tools LE, first introduced and distributed in 1999 with the Digi 001 interface,<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec99/articles/digi001.htm|title=Digidesign Digi 001|date=December 1999|website=[[Sound on Sound]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609073618/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec99/articles/digi001.htm|archive-date=2015-06-09|access-date=2018-02-06}}</ref> was a specific Pro Tools version in which the signal processing entirely relied on the host CPU. The software required a Digidesign interface to run, which acted as a copy-protection mechanism for the software. Mbox was the entry-level range of the available interface; Digi 001 and Digi 002/003, which also provided a control surface, were the upper range. The Eleven Rack also ran on Pro Tools LE, included in-box DSP processing via an FPGA chip, offloading guitar amp/speaker emulation, and guitar effects plug-in processing to the interface, allowing them to run without taxing the host system.

Pro Tools LE shared the same interface of Pro Tools HD but had a smaller track count (24 tracks with Pro Tools 5, extended to 32 tracks with Pro Tools 6<ref name=":10" /> and 48 tracks with Pro Tools 8)<ref name=":17">{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/digidesign-pro-tools-8-part-2|title=Digidesign Pro Tools 8: Part 2|last=Mark|first=Wherry|date=February 2009|website=[[Sound on Sound]]|access-date=2019-12-18}}</ref> and supported a maximum sample rate of 96&nbsp;kHz<ref name=":22" /> (depending on the interface used). Some advanced software features, such as Automatic Delay Compensation, surround mixing, multi-track Beat Detective, OMF/AAF support, and [[Timecode|SMPTE Timecode]], were omitted. Some of them, as well as support for 48 tracks/96 voices (extended to 64 tracks/128 voices with Pro Tools 8) and additional plug-ins, were made available through an expansion package called "Music Production Toolkit".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/digidesign-hybrid-music-production-toolkit|title=Digidesign Hybrid & Music Production Toolkit|last=Inglis|first=Sam|date=June 2006|website=[[Sound on Sound]]|access-date=2019-12-18}}</ref> The "Complete Production Toolkit", introduced with Pro Tools 8, added support for surround mixing and 128 tracks (while the system was still limited to 128 voices).<ref name=":17" />

With the acquisition of [[M-Audio]] in 2004–2005, Digidesign released a specific variant of Pro Tools, called {{Nowrap|M-Powered}}, which was equivalent to Pro Tools LE and could be run with M-Audio interfaces.<ref name=":18">{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/pro-tools-m-powered|title=Pro Tools M-Powered|last=Inglis|first=Sam|date=June 2005|website=[[Sound on Sound]]|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-02-05}}</ref>

The Pro Tools LE/{{Nowrap|M-Powered}} line was discontinued with the release of Pro Tools 9.

==== Hardware-independent native systems: Pro Tools 9 ====
Pro Tools 9, released in November 2010, dropped the requirement of proprietary hardware to run the software. Any audio device could be used through [[Core Audio]] on macOS or the [[Audio Stream Input/Output|ASIO]] driver on a Windows. Core Audio allowed device aggregation, enabling using of more than one interface simultaneously. Some Pro Tools HD software features, such as automatic plug-in delay compensation, OMF/AAF file import, Timecode ruler, and multi-track Beat Detective, were included in the standard version of Pro Tools 9.<ref name=":23">{{Cite web|last=Inglis|first=Sam|date=January 2011|title=Avid Pro Tools 9|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/avid-pro-tools-9|access-date=2018-02-04|website=[[Sound on Sound]]|language=en-gb}}</ref>

When operating on a machine containing one or more HD Core, Accel, or Native cards, the software ran as Pro Tools HD with the complete HD feature set. In all other cases, it ran as Pro Tools 9 standard, with a smaller track count and some advanced features turned off.

====Advanced Instrument Research (AIR): built-in virtual instruments and plug-ins====
In response to Apple's decision to include [[Emagic]]'s complete line of virtual instruments in [[Logic Pro]] in 2004 and following [[Avid Technology|Avid]]'s acquisition of German virtual instruments developer Wizoo in 2005, Pro Tools 8 was supplied with its first built-in virtual instruments library, the AIR Creative Collection, as well as with some new plug-ins, to make it more appealing for music production.<ref name=":17" /> An expansion was also available, called AIR Complete Collection.
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="vertical-align: top;"
|+ style="width: 270px; text-align: left;" | '''List of AIR Virtual Instruments'''
|
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |AIR Creative Collection
|-
|Structure Free
|[[Sampler (musical instrument)|sampler]] with basic library
|-
|Boom
|electronic drum machine
|-
|Vacuum
|virtual [[Subtractive synthesis|subtractive]]-style synthesizer
|-
|Mini Grand
|sampled acoustic piano
|-
|DB33
|sampled [[Hammond organ|Hammond B3 organ]]
|-
|Xpand!2
|synthesis and sample-based library
|}
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |AIR Complete Collection
|-
|Structure
|sampler with full library
|-
|Strike
|virtual drummer
|-
|Hybrid
|virtual [[Subtractive synthesis|subtractive synthesizer]]
|-
|Velvet
|sampled classic electric pianos
|-
|Transfuser
|real-time loop manipulation tool
|}
|}