If you’ve been waiting for the release of the latest M-Powered Pro Tools software, your wait is over. M-Audio has confirmed that it is now shipping Pro Tools M-Powered version 7.4, which offers numerous new features and workflow enhancements including a powerful, multifaceted new music composition and production tool called Elastic Time. This allows users to easily change the tempo and timing of loops, music, dialog, and other sound files in real time without chopping up audio tracks. Users can now easily audition or import loops and audio files (including REX and Acid files) that instantly sync with a session’s tempo. You can use the Elastic Time feature to quantize audio to the session grid or extracted grooves, and fine-tune regions with precise control over each individual beat. Version 7.4 also delivers a host of other improvements and enhancements and now includes Structure Free, Digidesign’s powerful sample player, which comes with over 885MB of high-quality instrument samples from the acclaimed Digidesign Advanced Instrument Research group. For those who use ReWire applications (such as Reason), version 7.4 accepts MIDI directly from ReWire applications for recording controller data to a Pro Tools MIDI or Instrument track.
With the release of Pro Tools M-Powered 7.4, M-Audio’s KeyStudio 49i keyboard controller/audio interface joins the list of nearly two dozen compatible M-Audio hardware peripherals. The software also extends support to Windows Vista Ultimate or Business (32-bit versions only), in addition to its current Windows XP and Mac OS X 10.4.9 support. Pro Tools M-Powered 7.4 software is now available for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X (Tiger) Pro Tools M-Powered systems. Expanded Windows Vista and OS X (Leopard) support will be announced at a later date. The standard upgrade cost is $75; the cost of upgrading from M-Powered 7.3 is $49. Customers who purchased a new Pro Tools M-Powered system or upgrade on or after October 1, 2007, or who purchase new systems that contain Pro Tools M-Powered 7.3 software are eligible to upgrade to 7.4 at no additional cost.
