Digidesign Unveils Three New Products At AES Convention

Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc., today unveiled three innovative new products at the Audio Engineering Society (AES) Convention in New York. Included was the eagerly anticipated release of its industry-standard software, Pro Tools® 7.4, as well as two stylish new control surfaces for Pro Tools systems. These introductions, along with a new software bundle, reflect a commitment to innovation that has established Digidesign among the undisputed leaders in professional audio technology.

Pro Tools 7.4 Software for Mac OS X and Windows

Pro Tools 7.4 software is the latest release of Digidesign's industry-standard digital audio workstation software. Digidesign® Pro Tools is the most widely used software for digital sound recording, editing, mixing, and MIDI sequencing, and is deployed extensively throughout the music, film, multimedia, television, and radio broadcast industries.

Pro Tools 7.4 software has been updated with numerous music and post-production features and workflow enhancements for users of Pro Tools|HD®, Pro Tools LE®, and Pro Tools M-Powered™ systems. Included among them is a powerful, multifaceted new music composition and production tool called Elastic Time, plus improved networking compatibility with industry-standard Avid® video systems, including Avid Unity ISIS™ shared storage systems and expanded support for Avid video workflows. New features include:

• Elastic Time—Elastic Time allows users to easily change the tempo and timing of loops, music, dialog, and other sound files in real time without cutting up audio tracks. Users can now easily audition or import music loops and audio files that instantly sync with a session's tempo, similar to other well-known applications that focus on loop-based music creation, but with all of the benefits inherent in Pro Tools for editing, processing and mixing. Users can also use Elastic Time to quantize audio to the session grid or extracted grooves, and fine-tune regions with precision control over each individual beat.
• Avid Media Station|PT 2.7 Software with Video Satellite Option—Running on a separate computer, new Avid Media Station|PT 2.7 software coupled with the new Video Satellite Option brings Pro Tools more deeply into the Avid workflow by enabling Pro Tools editors to quickly and easily play Avid video sequences in sync with Pro Tools|HD. The Video Satellite Option eliminates time-consuming video exports and removes all video-processing burdens from the Pro Tools|HD system by synchronizing playback with Media Station|PT on a separate, dedicated computer.
• Avid ISIS Streaming—Avid Unity ISIS offers the most scalable, shared storage option for large, integrated post environments. With Pro Tools HD 7.4 software on Windows XP systems, editors can record and play back audio and video directly from qualified Avid ISIS shared storage systems.

Digidesign Achieves ICON Sales Milestone and Introduces a New ICON Model

The AES Convention marks two significant milestones for Digidesign's flagship ICON integrated console. The ICON system's widespread acclaim among audio professionals in commercial music studios, post-production facilities, broadcast outlets, and leading training institutions has resulted in the delivery of over 2,200 ICON systems worldwide since its 2004 debut. Notable ICON installations include London's renowned Pinewood Group, New York's XM/Effanel Music, and the fabled Village Recorder and Sony Pictures in Los Angeles, to name just a few.

At the AES Convention, Digidesign unveiled an aesthetic enhancement for its large-format ICON D-Control™ integrated console. The D-Control ES, which takes its place alongside the award-winning ICON D-Control™ and medium-format ICON D-Command®, is stylishly enhanced with a darker color scheme that blends easily with today's modern studio décor. D-Control ES also features updated, higher contrast text and graphics for improved legibility in low light, and a new switch LED color layout for easier visual navigation.

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Digidesign Unveils Sleek Medium-Format Control Surface for Pro Tools

Marking the continued evolution of the mid-format control surface category that Digidesign helped to pioneer seven years ago, the new Digidesign C|24™ is a powerful yet affordable control surface that draws upon the legacy of the acclaimed Digidesign Control|24™ by bringing tactile Pro Tools control to mid-sized professional and advanced project studio owners.

Combining an advanced yet intuitive control surface with a full complement of analog inputs and a versatile monitoring section, C|24 is ideal for Pro Tools users looking for a compact solution that is capable enough to command the center of attention in any post-production or music production environment.

New Software Bundle and Sound Library Unveiled

Responding to the growing popularity and unprecedented demand for its new line of award-winning virtual instrument plug-ins, Digidesign and its Advanced Instrument Research (A.I.R.) group are offering a collection of virtual instrument plug-ins in a specially priced bundle. The Digidesign Virtual Instrument Box Set features five instrument plug-ins designed and optimized for Pro Tools systems, including Structure™, Strike™, Velvet™, Hybrid™, and Xpand!™.

In addition, Digidesign has teamed with EastWest, one of the industry's leading providers of award-winning sound sample libraries, to offer EastWest/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Gold Complete—Structure™ Edition, a 35 GB compilation of EastWest's most popular virtual orchestra sound libraries. The collection features multiple microphone perspectives of exquisite orchestral samples, recorded in a multimillion-dollar concert hall, and is available exclusively for Structure, Structure™ LE and Structure™ Free.

For more information, visit their web site at www.digidesign.com.