SweetNotes
With all the home, project and pro studio recording options out there, it’s tough to know where to start. Of course you want something powerful and flexible that fits within your budget. But an equally important necessity is to start with a system that will grow with you as your needs grow. We could get into a lengthy discussion of hard disk recording vs. tape-based recording, but that’s an issue for another forum. Let’s just say you want a flexible solution that will allow you to expand as your needs (and budget) change.

Now call us partial if you’d like, but we do sell an awful lot of Digidesign products. And we’ve had tremendous support from the company, not to mention overwhelming responses from customers who have bought their hardware and software. So when we tell you about their great new products, we’ll admit up front that we’re a bit biased. But please, read on and judge for yourself . . .

Essentially, Digidesign is rebuilding itself from the ground up. How, you may ask. Well as a start, the company is going to be offering two separate product lines. From now on, the home and project products will be marketed under the new name Digi (which many of us called the company anyway). Meanwhile, their high-end professional gear will retain the Digidesign name. So what’s the real difference (after all, the lines between semi pro and pro are getting somewhat blurred, to say the least)? Basically, Digi products are all host-based — that is, they run using the processing power of the host computer, either Mac or PC. Digidesign products meanwhile are hardware-driven — that is, the actual processing gets done by the Digidesign product(s) rather than by the host computer. Yes, this is a simplification, but it really helps see where the company is going, and you can’t help but like the fact that they want the end user (that’s you) to know immediately whether they are looking at a low to mid price product or the somewhat more expensive (but more powerful) high-end professional gear.

In any event, the beauty of all this is that every Digi product can be expanded or upgraded to become a full Digidesign product. Example: Digi offers Pro Tools LE software which can be upgraded to the full Pro Tools 5.0 package should you ever require its additional high-end post production features (some additional hardware is required). All of this is being unveiled at this year’s AES Show and a lot of the minute details regarding each product (including the suggested list prices) are still being finalized as we go to press, but we thought this was pretty exciting news and we wanted to get you the information now to help you make informed decisions about current or future software and hardware purchases (with the aid of your friendly, knowledgeable Sales Engineer, of course).

Let’s talk a little about some of the new product line (again keeping in mind that this is preliminary information): For the home and project studio, Digidesign offers two integrated, easy-to-use packages for recording. Both Digi 001 and Digi ToolBox XP offer the ability to record, edit, sequence, process and mix both audio and MIDI. And both are fully upgradable to the company’s award-winning Pro Tools|24 workstations. By investing in a Digidesign system from the start, you’ll use the same basic software the pros use. When you’re ready to make that quantum leap into the professional ranks, you’ll already have a direct line to the world’s premiere digital audio workstations. Digidesign’s TDM-based Pro Tools|24 and Pro Tools|24 MIX are used in more professional music studios and post-production facilities than all other digital audio workstations combined.

As mentioned, Digidesign will unveil its Pro Tools LE software at the AES Show. It includes everything you need for quality home recording, including the industry’s most intuitive, widely used editing interface, full MIDI sequencing, 24 playback tracks of audio, real-time and file based effects processing, a DigiRack bundle of real-time effects and access to many additional Digidesign and third-party Plug-Ins. Pro Tools LE — a scaled-down, yet feature-laden version of Pro Tools — has all the dynamic automation capabilities, intuitive navigation and basic editing tools Pro Tools is famous for. Up to 24 playback tracks of audio are possible at up to 24-bit resolution. It offers five inserts and sends per track for Plug-In routing and provides up to 16 busses. In fact, Pro Tools LE contains all the MIDI features of the standard Pro Tools package.

Included with Pro Tools LE are two Plug-In platforms that provide multiple options for effects processing. AudioSuite is a file-based Plug-In format, allowing you to create a new file with the processed sound. Real-Time AudioSuite (RTAS) is a host-based architecture that allows an effect to change and be dynamically automated in real time as the audio plays back. Together, these two platforms provide a wide range of creative possibilities for processing audio. With the DigiRack bundle of Plug-Ins, you have plenty of processing power to get you started. Several Third Party Development Partners are also creating Plug-Ins for the RTAS format, and we’ll be giving you full details on these in upcoming issues (if you can’t wait, your Sales Engineer can fill you in immediately). RTAS Plug-In routing looks very similar to the TDM routing on Pro Tools|24 and Pro Tools|24 MIX systems. Although TDM is a more advanced and expandable technology, this transparent appearance again makes it easy to make the switch to a TDM-based system later.

Exciting developments are also currently underway to include a brand new Digidesign technology in the RTAS format. DirectConnect allows your favorite software-based synthesizers or samplers to be independently routed, recorded, processed and mixed in the Pro Tools LE mixing environment. Not only does DirectConnect provide a 24-bit audio path from your software-based applications into Pro Tools, it lets you automate and process that audio just like any other audio in your mixing environment. Expected availability for Mac OS is early 2000 with Windows 98 support to follow.

Digidesign will also be unveiling their full version of the Pro Tools software, Pro Tools 5.0 at AES. There’s so much to tell you about, so many new features and significant enhancements, that we just cannot fit everything into this one article — sorry. A full length feature article on Pro Tools 5.0 will appear in our next issue. What’s important is that you know two things: First, this is easily the largest software project Digidesign has ever undertaken! Second, your Sales Engineer has all the information you need about this exciting new software.

For home project studios requiring multiple options in a single, integrated package at a low price, Digi 001 (see cover photo) is the perfect solution. Digi 001 is a complete audio/MIDI, hardware/software solution in one box from the leaders in digital audio. Digi 001 comes packed with all the I/O options you need: Eight analog ins, eight analog outs, eight channels of ADAT optical I/O and two S/PDIF channels — all at 24-bit resolution. In essence, you have access to up to 18 simultaneous inputs and 20 simultaneous outputs. It also comes with a one-in, one-out MIDI interface built in, a footswitch for QuickPunch control, and an additional pair of analog monitor outputs with volume control.

Two of the eight analog ins on the Digi 001 include high-quality mic pre-amplifiers with gain control and phantom power. This reduces the need to incorporate a separate mixer. Instead, you can plug in an instrument or microphones, set the levels and start recording. Digi 001 is the first completely self-contained, full featured hardware interface for home and project studio recording. With Pro Tools LE software, this cross-platform unit is the perfect place to begin building your dream studio. Note: When you’re ready to move up to a fully professional Pro Tools|24 or Pro Tools|24 MIX system, Digidesign offers an attractive upgrade offer.

Also getting a “facelift” is the popular ToolBox, now known as ToolBox XP. The venerable Audiomedia III card has established itself as the most popular interface card ever for budget conscious audio production. Audio enthusiasts of all disciplines use this simple PCI card to get CD-quality audio into and out of their computer. With 18-bit analog stereo I/O and 24-bit S/PDIF digital I/O, the Audiomedia III makes it easy to interface with any mixer or to transfer DAT recordings. Audiomedia III is the centerpiece of Digi ToolBox XP, Digidesign’s cross-platform solution for budget-conscious multimedia, sound design and music applications. Now, with Pro Tools LE, Digi ToolBox XP has everything you need in a single, cost-effective package. Even given the low cost of this system, you still get up to full 24-track capabilities, depending upon your host computer. (Note: Pro Tools LE for Windows 98 is coming soon. The current Windows version of ToolBox XP includes Sonic Foundary’s Acid and Sound Forge. Pro Tools LE will be available free to all Digi ToolBox XP for Windows owners when the software becomes available.)

Finally, Digidesign will be introducing the new 1622 I/O at AES. The 1622 is Digidesign’s highest-quality, low-price I/O interface designed for connecting entire racks of MIDI gear to Pro Tools for mixing. There are sixteen 20-bit analog inputs with (get this) built-in noise reduction which provide ultra-clean A/D conversion for your synthesizer gear. Plus you get two channels of direct inputs designed specifically for guitars and basses plus a two-channel S/PDIF port. You get balanced or unbalanced operation via TRS connectors and switchable +4 dBu / -10dBV operating mode, all software controllable. Just as we couldn’t possibly fit in information about Pro Tools 5.0, you have to figure that this interface deserves a whole article of its own.

As we mentioned earlier, a lot of this hardware and software is getting last minute attention prior to the official unveiling at the AES Show, so please watch these pages for additional information and final pricing. And once again, please call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for additional information on these amazing new Digidesign products.