Protools | First --- Entry level Pro Tools for 'free'...

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

Avid apparently is seeing some benefit of getting people addicted to software packages by providing a 'free' low capability but high similarity to their $$ packages...

The package is called "Pro Tools|First"

http://apps.avid.com/ProToolsFirst/

At the moment it is a 'signup' page, for when they do release the package.

Here's the comparison of functionality between the Pro Tools packages.
(From the look of it, most of the 'vidoe <-> audio' type functions are 'missing'... so no OMF/AAF import or video display with video clips... etc.

http://www.avid.com/US/products/pro-tools-software-comparison-table

But it looks like it supports up to 4 imput devices, so one could do multitrack recording with the supported input, as well as some amount of editing, using uncompressed WAV files for transfers.

 

[davefisk]

Based on their promotion of it they are marketing it towards the music crowd. You can't save sessions locally and are limited to a small number of saved sessions in the cloud. I look at this is as kind of a testing for them to be cloud based. THEN they make PT subscription based instead of paying for it once up front. Adobe has done that.

 

[DNN]

I wonder if it will be similar to SE or the free version that Digidesign offered years ago for Windows 98.

 

[ZazaCast]

Do yourself a favor and checkout Presonus Studio One...you can get the FULL version free for 30 days. It's quite powerful and supports video. The ARA integration of Melodyne is just awesome.

They also offer a free version, but it's limited to two inputs at a time.

 

[Rick R]

I wonder if it will be similar to SE or the free version that Digidesign offered years ago for Windows 98.

I don't really know, but the 'free' Digidesign Slotools wasn't worth the trouble to install and left a bad taste in my month.

 

[Noiz2]

Studio One doesn't support OMF so for post that is pretty much a killer. If you are just looking for video support then REAPER is probably a better choice. Quite flexible runs on just about anything supports video and costs a LOT less than any of the above. If you are on Windows there is even a third party app that can convert between Reaper and OMF and Pro Tools. If they had that in a Mac version it would make a very acceptable Pro Tools alternative.

I could probably get by with Reper if it could import an OMF and a PT session. I very rarely these days send a session to someone so the fact that I was not working in PT wouldn't be a big deal, but I import OMF's all the time.

 

[ZazaCast]

Studio One doesn't support OMF so for post that is pretty much a killer.

I'm told Version 3 is right around the corner and there has been mention of both OMF & AAF support.
I do mostly music mixing/editing and sound design for my own films. I just moved over to Studio One... so far... so good!

 

[TyFord]

Based on their promotion of it they are marketing it towards the music crowd. You can't save sessions locally and are limited to a small number of saved sessions in the cloud. I look at this is as kind of a testing for them to be cloud based. THEN they make PT subscription based instead of paying for it once up front. Adobe has done that.

Dave,

I would HATE it if they did that. Absolutely HATE it.

Regards,

Ty Ford