Pro Tools 2019: Delayed until May [RELEASED 9-5-19]

[Guy Rowland]

NB, part of the Pro Tools Expert original story was incorrect, and I've amended this post too.

From Pro Tools Expert on the coming release of Pro Tools 2019:

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/home-p ... s-and-more

• Midi Tracks doubled to 1024

• Increased number of voices for Ultimate, but only as paid extras for software-only. Voice Packs will be available to buy or rent in blocks of 128 voices. HDX users will go up from 256 to 384 per card.
  EDIT - Avid have subsequently clarified that all users will have the voice increase from 256 to 384 voices with no extra charge

• Add plug-ins, change loop duration, and make other timeline and track changes, without Pro Tools stopping and breaking your creative flow.

• EUCON enhancements for iPad control of EUCON monitoring, and adding Scroll to Track and Scroll into view protocols.

Asking for more money for more tracks appears to be going down with customers about as well as you might imagine. Why any limit on midi at all?! And still no folder tracks. Hey ho, it's Avid.

No word yet on release date.

[Jack Weaver]

This is the year I retire Pro Tools. Well, actually last year was, but this year I'm not giving them $400 anymore for updates I no longer want or use.

It's all Logic from here on out - and maybe Bitwig later this year to work with Eurorack. Live seems pretty interesting but Bitwig is the new, interesting kid on the block. Hopefully Bitwig gets it together and finally decides to use AU plugs.

.

[Guy Rowland]

Mike Thornton of Pro Tools Expert has issued an important correction to their story:

We have received clarification from Avid on this and updated the article accordingly. "To clarify, in this new version of Pro Tools, the base voice limit for all Pro Tool Ultimate systems (software stand-alone, HD Native, and HDX) is being increased to 384 voices." So no extra cost to get up to 384 voices for all Pro Tools users when this new version is released. As an HD Native user you will get 384 voices with this new version when it is released up from the current 256 voices.

That is quite an important deal. As it was, it looked like a plain kick in the teeth, whereas it should always have been a simple good news story - double the midi tracks for everyone, 50% more voices for Ultimate users, but its rather stirred the pot as it has once again shone a light once again on Avid's artificial constraints on their platform. Unclear whether it is Avid or Pro Tools Expert to thank for this, but its a pretty major screw up by someone somewhere. While Avid have been busy promoting this at NAMM, there is no word from them on their website.

The original story has been amended, and the quote above is in the comments section.

[Geoff Grace]

...And Mojave support:



Best,

Geoff

[Guy Rowland]

Delayed now until May. Fairly detailed interview at PTE with an Avid boss about what's gone wrong - https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/home-p ... -interview .

[Geoff Grace]

Thanks for the update, Guy. It sounds like they're making a fundamental change in the software. No wonder it's taking so long.

As they're having so many issues with stability of the beta versions, I wonder how buggy the release version will be. I may wait a week or two after it comes out—and see how others are faring with it first—before I download.

Best,

Geoff

[Guy Rowland]

Indeed Geoff, it's been a long time coming but I absolutely won't be first out of the gate when it finally arrives. Hope it is stable because it does look like a pretty significant update.

Speaking of which, FINALLY Avid thought to put some info up about it on their website - https://www.avid.com/pro-tools/whats-new for regular PT, https://www.avid.com/pro-tools-ultimate/whats-new for Ultimate.

[Geoff Grace]

If I recall correctly, they were planning on a first week of May release. If so, it could happen any day now...

Best,

Geoff

[Guy Rowland]

Indeed Geoff, it’s out next week they’ve said,. Hold on to your hats, it could get bumpy - definitely waiting on feedback for this one.

[Geoff Grace]

I suppose I'll make my annual trek to the DUC nest week, then, to read the experiences of the brave first adopters. I imagine there will be plenty of posts about it.

Best,

Geoff

P.S. Speaking of treks, I enjoyed your La Jolla video, Guy. I hope you're enjoying your trip to California!

[Guy Rowland]

P.S. Speaking of treks, I enjoyed your La Jolla video, Guy. I hope you're enjoying your trip to California!

I, um.... huh? I would love to be in Calafornia, but we currently have no plans.... what is my alter ego up to?

[Geoff Grace]

I'm afraid I temporarily confused you with another composer named Guy Michelmore. After listening to your YouTube Symphobia videos and watching his YouTube videos again, I realize your voices are distinctly different. What you both do share—other than being composers with the same first name—is an appealingly playful presentation style. For what it's worth, I thought he was you rather than the other way around.

I hope you aren't insulted by the comparison, and I apologize for my mistake.

(And I still hope you're enjoying yourself wherever you are.)

Best,

Geoff

[Guy Rowland]

Insulted? Au countraire - he is one of two other Guys in the VI world infinitely more talented than I, so I'll lap up the confusion

[Guy Rowland]

Released today, along with new EuControl software. First user reports promising, but very early days.

[Geoff Grace]

Insulted? Au countraire - he is one of two other Guys in the VI world infinitely more talented than I, so I'll lap up the confusion

Your humility is a good quality, Guy, but I think you sell yourself short.

As for Pro Tools 2019, I'm glad it's finally out of the gate. Looking forward to reading more positive reviews before taking the plunge.

Thanks, Anders and Guy, for your reports!

Best,

Geoff

[Guy Rowland]

Thanks Anders, this is good news indeed. The overwhelming response so far has been positive it seems - some reporting issues, but in the minority. Maying seeing less CPU used, and core load balancing improved, not that those were big issues for me in audio work. Given that if I had an install disaster it wouldn't be catastrophic right now, think I'll take the plunge.

[Guy Rowland]

Cheers Andres - I updated this morning hassle free, haven't done much than a basic systems check yet, which it passed very happily. A voice record session this afternoon though, let's see how it does with that

[X-bassist]

Let us know how it goes. I have a long standing rule of waiting for a .1 update, but I may fore go it if I get many thumbs up.

[Guy Rowland]

Oops, forgot to reply to this sorry X - so far so good, but TBH it's been fairly simple projects thus far. No issues though.

[X-bassist]

Oops, forgot to reply to this sorry X - so far so good, but TBH it's been fairly simple projects thus far. No issues though.

Great. Had an internal drive go down then noticed when replacing it that PT2019.05 is out already. I’ve loaded up 2018.12 but wondering if I should take the leap on High Sierra. I’ll make sure everything else is working first...

[Guy Rowland]

No experience with PT 2019.5 on the Mac yet, but from the DUC I think it looks OK on High Sierra and Mojave (though maddeningly the day after it was finally declared compatible with Mojave, a new version of the OS came out which is yet to be approved).

Full disclosure - 2019.5 did collapse for me last week, and out of the blue refused to even launch. Eventually required a reinstall and the slow reinstatement of all plugins until I was back to normal (no plugins required updating in the end). I had this once last year too on a different version. it’s a PT Windows thing not specific to the new release.