Pro Tools 11 Pioneer — Part One: Diving In

The first in a series about transitioning to Pro Tools 11, by Zach Hancock, Chief Engineer at Downtown Music Studios.

It’s hard to imagine a more passionate group than the pro audio community.  Even harder to imagine is a more polarizing figure than Avid’s Pro Tools.  Love it or hate it, Pro Tools and its proprietary hardware have been the industry standard for over 20 years.

I discovered Pro-Tools as the sun set on one of Digidesign’s early systems, aptly named the “Mix System”.  A marvel of engineering, it existed at a time when computers struggled to accomplish little more than MIDI sequencing. Its accelerated DSP system provided low latency playback, while providing the extra horsepower required to run plugins in real time.

At the height of recording budgets, “Mix systems” existed in an economy where simply operating Pro Tools was a viable gig in its own right.  Ask yourself, when was the last time you heard the term “Pro Tools op?”

I bought my first Pro Tools rig, during the height of the “TDM” era.  An HD4 system running on a G5 computer, paired with Apogee converters.  Even though I had only a modest bundle of plugins, acquiring it was a major accomplishment.  It felt like the recording engineer’s equivalent of becoming a property owner.

The rig’s computer has since changed twice, the converters swapped for newer ones and now my iLok has more plugins than I can recall.  All told I have logged more than a half-decade of miles on my TDM rig.

Double click the chart below to view the full-size version.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE) Follow the Pro Tools genesis through space and time. (Graphic by Alexandra Tirer)

So it is with great interest that later this month, Pro Tools will celebrate its 11th birthday.

Version 11, set for release at the end of June, is the first incarnation developed specifically for its newest hardware, HDX and HD Native.

Until now many of us have consciously avoided HDX.  Citing plugin incompatibility, many of my clients have yet to adopt it.  Others credit budget issues, or are content with their status quo.  Lastly, there is a fair amount of misinformation in the pro audio-sphere complicating the matter.

With the advent of 11 however, there is new reason to embrace a change, so I have decided to dive into the 11/HDX waters.  As I embark out on this new adventure, I will document my findings here to serve as a resource for others considering a similar change.

To get the ball rolling, let’s take a look at what hardware does and doesn’t work with the new software.

Double click the chart below to view the full-size version.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE) Where does your system stand? (Graphic by Alexandra Tirer)

Noticeably absent is the ubiquitous TDM cards that have come to define the rigs of nearly every major studio.  Studio owners take note: Before you know it, we’ll all need new hardware to run the current version of PTHD.

In my next article, the staff at Downtown and I will get our hands on the new software and take the necessary steps to integrate it in to our setup for a test trial.  I’ll also discuss the software’s new foundation, which has rendered TDM obsolete while presenting new offerings in processing power and workflow.  Please stay tuned!

Zach Hancock is a NY-based engineer and producer.  He works as chief engineer at Downtown Music Studios, where he works with a wide range of artists spanning from David Gray to The Roots.

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