Original author(s) | Evan Brooks Peter Gotcher |
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Developer(s) | Digidesign (now merged into Avid) |
Initial release | January 20, 1989 |
Stable release |
Pro Tools 12.7.0 / December 21, 2016
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Written in | C, C++, Assembly |
Operating system | OS X, Windows |
Available in | 9 languages |
List of languages
Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish
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Type | Digital Audio Workstation |
License | Proprietary |
Website | www |
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation developed and released by Avid Technology for the Microsoft Windows and OS X operating systems which can be used for a wide range of sound recording and sound production purposes. Pro Tools can run as standalone software, or operate using a range of external analog/digital converters and internal PCI Local Bus (PCI) or PCIe audio cards with onboard digital signal processors (DSP) to provide effects such as reverb and compression. Like all digital audio workstation software, Pro Tools can perform the functions of a multitrack tape recorder and audio mixer, along with additional features that can only be performed in the digital domain, such as non-destructive editing, using the Undo feature, which allows an engineer to undo any changes he or she does not like.
Most of Pro Tools' basic functions can be controlled within Edit or Mix windows, which the user can see on a computer screen. The Edit window displays audio and Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) tracks, and provides graphical representation of the information recorded or imported. Here, audio can be edited in a non-linear, non-destructive fashion. Pro Tools supports 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit float audio at sample rates up to 192 kHz. Pro Tools can handle WAV, AIFF, AIFC, mp3, Windows Media Audio (WMA), and SDII audio files and QuickTime video files. It features time code, tempo maps, elastic audio, automation and surround sound abilities. The Pro Tools mix engine has traditionally employed 48-bit fixed point arithmetic, but floating point is also used in some cases, such as with Pro Tools HD Native. The new HDX hardware uses 64-bit floating point summing.