For over three decades, Pro Tools has been the industry-standard digital audio workstation. Over the years, it has seen numerous updates and continuous improvements, but its core workflow, prized for its straightforward and efficient nature, has remained. Pro Tools has helped countless artists achieve their creative visions in the studio with exceptional sound quality, a host of powerful plug-ins, and an ever-expanding suite of production tools. This spring, Avid is launching a new way to Pro Tools, moving to a fully subscription-based model with three tiers to meet artists where they’re at in their recording and producing processes. Let’s take a look at Pro Tools’ three new offerings: Pro Tools Artist, Pro Tools Studio, and Pro Tools Ultimate.
Pro Tools Artist
Aimed at aspiring recording artists, producers, and engineers, Pro Tools Artist replaces Avid’s previous entry-level DAW, Pro Tools | First. However, Pro Tools Artist provides a more robust experience, making it an ideal first DAW that’s powerful enough to craft fully fleshed-out songs. Pro Tools Artist provides 32 audio tracks, 32 auxiliary tracks, 32 instrument tracks, and 64 MIDI tracks — plenty for even dense arrangements. Additionally, Pro Tools Artist can host your favorite third-party native plug-ins and empowers you with a bundled collection of over 100 plug-in FX and software instruments.
Pro Tools Studio
The perfect choice for project studios and advanced home recordists, Pro Tools Studio is a complete music production platform. Pro Tools Studio doubles the track count over previous iterations of Pro Tools, offering a whopping 512 audio tracks, 128 auxiliary tracks, 512 instrument tracks, and 1,024 MIDI tracks. It also includes 64 tracks of native I/O for large recording sessions and mixing outside of the box, and it’s compatible with Avid’s Pro Tools Carbon hardware interface and S6L control surfaces for DSP acceleration. Plus, you get Pro Tools’ complete plug-in bundle with hundreds of top-tier processors.
Pro Tools Ultimate
Primed for large music recording studios and audio post facilities, Pro Tools Ultimate is designed to handle the most complex productions. Pro Tools Ultimate comprises all the features of Pro Tools Studio and much more. Pro Tools Ultimate boasts 2,048 audio tracks, 1,024 auxiliary tracks, 512 instrument tracks, and 1,024 MIDI tracks. With 256 channels of native I/O, Pro Tools Ultimate accommodates massive tracking and mixing sessions through outboard gear. Pro Tools Ultimate also includes ExpertPlus support, a DigiLink I/O license at no additional charge, and flexible team license support and management, plus it is compatible with Pro Tools HDX and HD Native systems.
A New Way to Pro Tools: FAQs
If you’re a current Pro Tools user, you’re probably curious how this update will affect you, and you likely have some questions about the new features associated with the update. Check out this FAQ provided by Avid for some clarity.
Is Avid discontinuing all Pro Tools perpetual licenses?
Yes. Avid will not sell Pro Tools (standard) and Pro Tools | Ultimate perpetual licenses as of April 26.
What happens to existing customers on April 26, including perpetual customers?
Customers with active subscriptions and current Update + Support plans (perpetual) will automatically get the equivalent tier moving forward: Pro Tools becomes Pro Tools Studio; Pro Tools | Ultimate subscription becomes Pro Tools Ultimate subscription; Pro Tools | Ultimate perpetual stays the same: Pro Tools Ultimate perpetual.
Will Pro Tools Artist be available as Multiseat licenses?
No, only Studio and Ultimate subscriptions will support EDU Institution Multiseat licensing.
Will Pro Tools Artist support EUCON?
Yes.
Will Pro Tools Studio support Pro Tools | Sync X?
No. Pro Tools Studio does not support HD hardware, including Sync X. HD and HDX hardware require Pro Tools Ultimate.
Is Beat Detective included in Pro Tools Studio?
Yes.
Is DigiLink license now automatically included in Ultimate and not an extra $300 for third party I/O users
Yes, DigiLink license is now part of the Pro Tools Ultimate product.
Can Avid Link autoloading at startup be disabled in MacOS System Preferences instead of digging into Library and manually changing a text file?
No. It’s a process and not wrapped as an application.
With the new Avid Link installation, will it block installation on a computer with a non-supported OS?
No, Avid Link will not block customers from installing on an OS that has not been qualified.
Will all versions of Pro Tools still require iLok?
Yes, including iLok Cloud.
Does my computer need to be online to be licensed via iLok Cloud?
Yes. When using iLok Cloud, your workstation will need to remain online to license.
What Pro Tools will be available for Academic?
Both Studio and Ultimate (and only as annual subscriptions — not monthly).
Will there be a migration path from current perpetual license to subscription for current Pro Tools and Ultimate customers?
No. The previous “crossgrade” products that require surrendering their perpetual licenses are being discontinued.
Will perpetual Ultimate customers get all the added content included in the Ultimate offering?
No, the added solutions only included with Pro Tools Ultimate annual subscriptions.
What if you crossgraded Ultimate to subscription (since that was the only possibility for a while for customers who dropped out of renewal plan) — can you reinstate the original perpetual to a current renewal plan?
No. There is no way to reinstate a surrendered perpetual license.
What is the difference between Pro Tools Studio and current Pro Tools Ultimate?
Many specs are different. See the comparison chart for details.
Will Pro Tools Studio support HDX hardware?
No, HDX and HD Native require Pro Tools Ultimate software.
Pro Tools Product Comparison
| PRODUCT TIER | Pro Tools Artist | Pro Tools Studio | Pro Tools Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| INCLUDED SOFTWARE | Pro Tools Artist | Pro Tools Studio | Pro Tools Ultimate |
| AUDIO TRACKS | 32 | 512 | 2,048 |
| AUX TRACKS | 32 | 128 | 1,024 |
| INSTRUMENT TRACKS | 32 | 512 | 512 |
| MIDI TRACKS | 64 | 1,024 | 1,024 |
| VCA TRACKS | 0 | 128 | 128 |
| MASTER TRACKS | 1 | 64 | 512 |
| VIDEO TRACKS | 0 | 1 | 64 |
| ROUTING FOLDERS | 32 | 128 | 1,024 |
| NATIVE I/O | 16 | 64 | 256 |
| SUPPORT | STANDARD | STANDARD | EXPERTPLUS |
| HARDWARE SUPPORTED | NATIVE ONLY | NATIVE + CARBON + S6L | NATIVE + CARBON + S6L + HDX + HD NATIVE |
| DIGILINK LICENSE | – | – | YES |
| CLIP FX | – | CLIP FX EDITING | |
| BOUNCE MIX MULTISTEM | – | YES | YES |
| AAF/OMF IMPORT/EXPORT | – | YES | YES |
| INCLUDED PLUGINS | ARTIST BUNDLE (100+ PLUGINS) | COMPLETE BUNDLE | COMPLETE BUNDLE |
| HEAT | – | YES | YES |
| GROOVECELL/SYNTHCELL VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS | YES | YES | YES |
| INNER CIRCLE REWARDS | ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION ONLY | ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION ONLY | ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION ONLY |
Conclusion
Whether you’re a first time Pro Tools user or a seasoned veteran, Sweetwater has the right version of Pro Tools for you. For any questions about Pro Tools Artist, Pro Tools Studio, and Pro Tools Ultimate, please contact your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700. We’re always happy to help!
