PT6 "officialy" Announced..., at last Options

[Mr.T]

From the DUC (extract from the "AES daily"edition, page 30):

"Digidesign Rolls Out New Pro Tools Software
At Booth 1447 Digidesign is featuring a number of new products, including new Pro Tools software, 6.0 for Mac OS X, and TDM 5.3.3 for Windows XP.
Pro Tools 6.0 boasts an all-new look and new features on Mac OS X. Shipping the end of the year, the new software offers improved performance and support for dual processor Macintosh G4 computers. Pro Tools 6.0 has improved organization and MIDI support, increased mixing options, and much more control. In this new version, Pro Tools has received a MIDI makeover, fully supporting the Mac OS X CoreMIDI engine and including MIDI Time Stamping (MTS) for sample-accurate MIDI timing with software samplers and synths (TDM, RTAS, HTDM and DirectConnect), and sub-millisecond accurate MIDI timing with MIDI I/O and other supported MTS-capable interfaces. Pro Tools 6.0 also has intelligent tools for groove creation and modification, including the new Beat Detective 2.0 that supports extraction and generation of DigiGroove templates based on audio performances for timing and velocity of passage. DigiGroove templates are compatable with new Groove Injection templates.
Pro Tools TDM 5.3.3 for Windows XP includes many of the features previously released in Pro Tools 5.3.1 software for Macintosh computers. Features include integrated control of PRE, mulit-DSP 48 bit mixer, Increased SYNC I/O options, and more. Pro Tools 5.3.3 software for Pro Tools|HD offers Windows XP users improved workflow efficiency through trus simultaneous sharing of media assets."

TDM and HD owners might enjoy this, while PTLE owners might, once again, be left behind...

[Levon River]

Quote:
what is it that sells people on ponying up the extreme cash required to start--and maintain--the ProFools habit? (Levon River @ Oct 7 2002, 09:35)

well i wasn't THAT expensive, considering the Mbox and PTLE bundled for 500$. I'm not saying it's the best but if all you want is to record and edit audio (without having to deal with compatibility issues), then it seems like a fair price.

Yeah, that's *another* reason I personally can barely abide the company. I know that they know that learning any serious DAW+MIDI program is a serious investment in time, work, study, experience, and ripped-out hair.

Start with that "fair price" package, LE and 001, and the day you need your 25th track, or more audio inputs, or more flexibility or performance in any of the directions their high-end systems go, you either pony up the dinero to maintain the habit, or you start over your learning curve on a different system.

They didn't even add integrated stereo tracks--get that: stereo tracks--to LE until the latest version.

We haven't touched on ProTools Free, and of course it's the *only* software they make that will work without thir "DigiDesign approved ProFools Dongle system." Pushers make the first one free. Eight tracks of audio. Let's see: Snare, Kick, HiHat, Crashes, Toms, shaker, bass. Hmmm. Well, I guess this song can have a mono piano. Or... Now where did I put that spare $10,000? My other pants?

I personally think ProTools Free is the stupidest move they every made, because with it they proved conclusively that they *can* make their software work with the native audio of the Mac and/or other hardware interfaces. So the only reason their software versions with more tracks and options doesn't is... Doh!

as for the bigger systems, I really don't know.

Now where did I put that spare $10,000? My other pants?

Anyway, I'd still like to know what the attraction really is. I'd still like to see something that can be done on a ProTools system that can't be done in, e.g., Digital Performer. I'm not stating categorically that there isn't. I'm just saying I've never seen it..