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Pro Tools: The Industry Standard DAW

• Pro Tools is a digital recording solution from Avid, initially developed by Digidesign.
• It stands as a dominant force in the DAW world and is considered an industry standard.
• Most DAWs come from companies experienced in music software and hardware development, and Pro Tools is no different.
• The concept is based around the digital audio workstation, combining hardware and software.

Origins in the E-MU Drumulator

• The story begins in 1983 with E-MU's Drumulator drum machine.
• The Drumulator had EPROM-based memory for its 12-bit samples.
• The Drumulator was simple and users were limited to its built-in sounds.
• Evan Brooks and Peter Gotcher created new sound libraries for the Drumulator.
• Brooks and Gotcher formed Digidrums to offer upgrade EPROM microchips a year after the drum machine's release.
• Digidrums' chips offered alternative sounds, from Simmons electronic drums to John Bonham-inspired samples.

Digidrums and the Move to Software

• Brooks and Gotcher knew users would want more than preset sounds and sought a solution.
• They recorded Digidrums samples on Sony's PCM-F1 digital recording processor.
• They wanted a less cumbersome and more flexible option.
• They saw the audio potential of the new Macintosh computer.
• They created digital audio recording and editing software for their own use.
• The software was developed for general release.
• Digidrums partnered with E-MU, changed its name to Digidesign, and developed a Mac-based sample editing system for the Emulator II keyboard.

Sound Designer: A Groundbreaking Tool

• Released in 1985 for $995, Sound Designer brought visual editing to a larger market.
• The software was developed for each new sampler.
• Eventually, a Universal application was released, compatible with hardware from Akai, Roland, and E-MU.

Sound Tools: The First Direct-to-Disk Solution

• Sound Tools, released in 1989, was Digidesign's first computer-based hardware direct-to-disk recording solution.
• Brooks and Gotcher wanted to design a digital recording solution based on what they'd learned from Sound Designer.
• The Mac's 8-bit AD/DA conversion capabilities weren't sufficient.
• A separate 16-bit interface was connected to the Mac.
• Any serious signal processing pushed the computer's processor to its limit.
• Basic edits required the computer to process the signal.
• The solution came in 1987 with the Macintosh II, complete with six NuBus expansion slots.
• Brooks built an expansion card with a 16-bit DA converter and a Motorola DSP chip.
• Sound Designer used the DSP chip rather than the computer's CPU for audio editing.
• The prototype was shown off at the NAMM trade show.
• Digidesign developed a full audio input, output and processing system.
• They produced the 16-bit Sound Accelerator card, DAT-I/O digital interface, and AD In analogue interface.

Pro Tools: Multitrack Recording Arrives

• Released in 1991, the first version of Pro Tools was based around a hardware-software hybrid setup.
• It featured a four-channel interface.
• Priced at nearly $6,000, the software side was handled by Digidesign's ProEDIT program and a new version of OSC's Deck application.
• Relying on a third party to develop part of the Pro Tools software was a mistake.
• Version 2, released early in 1993, brought the software back in-house and introduced Pro Tools application.
• Pro Tools II introduced TDM (Time Division Multiplexing).
• TDM allows complex routing of multiple digital audio signals between DSP cards.
• TDM enables Pro Tools to run multiple real-time DSP-based TDM plug-ins simultaneously.
• In the early '90s, Steinberg and Emagic were readying audio-capable versions of Cubase and Logic.
• Digidesign opted to license its Digital Audio Engine (DAE) to other software developers.
• Users of other DAWs could run DSP-based TDM plug-ins without using the Pro Tools software.

Hardware and Market Expansion

• The Pro Tools concept combined hardware and software to create a complete package in the 1990s.
• Digidesign merged with Avid in 1994.
• Pro Tools progressed to 24-bit resolution and 24 tracks of audio by 1997.
• By the late 90s, Pro Tools was used alongside tape machines, and starting to replace them altogether.
• In 1999, Digidesign targeted the budget consumer market with the Digi001 package.
• Digi001 comprised a rackmount 24-bit 44.1/48kHz 8-in/8-out audio interface with 1-in/1-out MIDI connections.
• It had a PCI card with no DSP capabilities and Pro Tools LE, a stripped down 24-track version of the software.
• Updated versions were released over the years, with the addition of the 002 control surface/interface in 2001 and the arrival of the current 003 control surface and 003 Rack in 2007.

Pro Tools as an Industry Standard

• In 2002, Apple bought out Emagic, and Steinberg announced Cubase SX.
• Digidesign released Pro Tools HD, an update focusing on new hardware choices.
• The introduction of the 192 I/O interface and new HD Core and Process cards gave Pro Tools more recording flexibility than ever before.
• Pro Tools has defined the workflow of most modern studios.
• Beat Detective, Elastic Audio and Elastic Pitch have become essential tools for recording and mix engineers.
• In recent years, the Pro Tools product line was rebranded as an Avid product.
• The software is available in three varieties: Pro Tools 9, 9 HD Native and 9 HD.
• The former is roughly equivalent to the previous LE or M-Powered editions.
• For the first time, there are no specific hardware requirements for Pro Tools 9.
• HD Native is the full software package for non-DSP Digidesign hardware, while HD is the full TDM-equipped flagship product.

Legacy

• Pro Tools has revolutionized the way music is recorded, edited, and mixed using computers.
• The release of PT 9, hardware independence, and continual enhancement of the feature set have solidified Pro Tools as an industry standard.