You'd think that after they've practically defined the computer-based audio field, Digidesign might take a long vacation. But the recent flood of Digidesign news seems to indicate that they're continuing to develop innovative new technology at the same pace and with the same skill that's kept them at the front of computer-based digital audio for over a decade. The exciting products and bundles once again set new standards in computer-based audio, providing the DAW veteran with greater options and introducing the novice to the ease, efficiency, and power of working with digital audio. Finally, there's also some slightly disappointing news, but we'll save that until last. . .

First up are the Quiet Drives, or Digi Drives, hard drive units designed especially for the Pro Tools user. You're going to need backup, and the Digi Drive gives you a 10,000 RPM, 9GB hard drive and the speed, capacity, and reliability to handle your most complicated and ambitious Pro Tools projects. Though they're designed for use with Pro Tools, you can also use the Digi Drives in any hard drive recording system; the self-contained construction of these hard drives lets you use the drive in different recording facilities without needing a proprietary dock. Up to four Digi Drives can be clipped and locked together. For stand-alone case enclosures, there's a rack mount option. And all of the above isn't even the cool part. The cool part is that these Digi Drives, or Quiet Drives, are very . . . well, they don't make much noise. Unlike other hard drives with this kind of power, the Digi Drive features Digidesign's patented enclosure that makes it one of the quietest hard drives you can find. Absolutely essential for Pro Tools users!

Digidesign's software bundles are famous for providing incredible power and function at a fantastic value, and the Project II Studio Bundle is no exception. Buying comparable hardware would cost you a fortune! The Project II Studio Bundle includes the Project II audio card, one of the finest direct-to-disk recording systems available. This little card can make a mammoth difference in your recordings. The Project II card's "Direct I/O" eliminates the lousy input/output that can make your recordings sound amateur. The result is fully professional sound. You can work in 16-bit or 24-bit, and it's also totally upgradable to a higher Pro Tools system. Three other Digidesign "classics" are included in the Project II Bundle: The Sample Cell II Plus card, the Logic Audio AV, and Masterlist CD to burn your CDs when you finish recording them. And although the bundle comes with Logic AV, you can use any sequencer you like. Comprehensive recording and editing, MIDI, sampling, CD burning — The Project II Bundle does it all for an incredible price. The Project II Bundle has only been out for a short time, but it's incredibly popular. An excellent mix of quality, function and affordability!

Another great package that really outdoes itself in price-for-value is Windows ToolBox, a low-cost, all-in-one recording solution for your studio. Previously available to Mac users, this "new" version of ToolBox is fully compatible with Windows 95/98. It includes the AudioMedia III card, easily one of the most powerful, versatile cards in the world of computer-based audio. With the Audiomedia III card there's no project your computer can't handle. You get complete recording, mixing, and editing power for music production and multimedia projects. It's fully professional quality, and is compatible with a wide variety of software options. And as if the Audiomedia III card wasn't enough, Windows ToolBox adds Session Software (8 tracks of audio record/playback), Logic AV and Sound Forge XP to the package. You also get ACID Rock, a mind-blowing loop-based plug-in that will simply amaze you!

Speaking of plug-ins, there's also a new version of Amp Farm, Line 6’s very popular guitar amplifier emulation TDM Plug-in. Amp Farm Version 1.5 emulates the special, signature tones of classic amplifier and speaker cabinets, giving you a "dream list" of sounds and tones to choose from. The sound is completely authentic, and you have full control over all the audio details in recording and production. With Version 1.5 you get even more Amp Models and it's also fully compatible with Digidesign's Pro Tools|24 MIX systems for Macintosh.

As mentioned in previous issues of SweetNotes, Digidesign's Pro Tools|24 MIX and MIXplus systems are now also available for Windows NT. It's a single-card DAW core system that provides up to 64 tracks, and has massive mixing and processing capabilities. Any PC people out there who've hungered after the earlier Mac versions of Pro Tools |24 MIX and MIXplus now have the opportunity to get their hands on Digidesign's most powerful DAW ever.

Also in the reminder department is SampleCell II Plus for both Mac OS and Windows NT systems. This PCI card takes up where the award-winning SampleCell II left off, bringing superior sample recording and editing capabilities to your DAW. With a trigger time that's faster than any other sampler around and flawless performance, SampleCell II Plus is one powerful sampling solution. You also get 32 MB RAM, and the Windows NT version supports Mac CD-ROMs for access to a huge range of sample libraries.

And now the disappointing news. As of right now, Pro Tools does not support Apple's new, blue G3s. Digidesign is working on it and we should hear something from them pretty soon, but even so, many of the features of the new G3s (no floppy drive, no serial ports, no SCSI ports, shared PCI bandwidth between PCI cards, USB and Firewire) don't make it easy to record music on them. For your computer-based recording system, it might be better to stick with the “old” G3s, at least until further notice.

Digidesign has been at the forefront of computer-based digital audio for over a decade, pushing the limits of the field with innovative designs and standard-setting systems. Perhaps more than any other developer, Digidesign has created new options and opened frontiers for musicians working on computer, from a variety of effects and loop-based plug-ins to a wide range of core systems. At Sweetwater, we've long been aware of the exciting possibilities of making music on computer. To learn more about the world of Pro Tools and what working on a computer can bring to your music, call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer.