Digidesign has announced the Neyrinck SoundCode for Dolby Digital plug-in suite for Pro Tools|HD systems. Tightly integrated with the Pro Tools software, the Neyrinck SoundCode plug-in suite provides mastering-quality tools for the encoding and decoding of Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio directly within Pro Tools software, without the need for any dedicated Dolby hardware. The SoundCode Encoder, which operates as an AudioSuite plug-in, offers a fast way to encode audio either as AC-3 or WAV files, ready for use with DVD audio or video authoring applications or any other application that uses the Dolby Digital standard.
SoundCode encodes to all AC-3 file types, including AC-3 with time code. SoundCode also encodes to 16- or 24-bit stereo interleaved WAV files so users can lay back the Dolby Digital audio to digital tape or create an audio disc for playback on a consumer stereo system that has a Dolby Digital decoder. The Encoder also offers the option of importing the encoded audio back into the Pro Tools timeline, where it can be decoded and monitored using the real-time SoundCode Decoder, which functions as either a real-time RTAS or HTDM plug-in, or a non-real-time AudioSuite plug-in. The real-time Decoder allows users to decode and monitor audio during Pro Tools playback for mastering-quality monitoring. Using SoundCode as an AudioSuite plug-in, users can decode all or a portion of an audio file faster than real time, or directly view the metadata of an AC-3 file.