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Pro Tools is a highly regarded Digital Audio Workstation, widely used in the film and television industry for audio production, mixing, …
Starting at $29.99 Per User / Per Month
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What is Pro Tools?
Avid offers Pro Tools, the company's flagship music and audio editing and recording suite.
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Pricing
Pro Tools
$29.99
On Premise
Per User / Per Month
Pro Tools - Ultimate
$79.99
On Premise
Per User / Per Month
Pro Tools - First
Free
On Premise
Entry-level set up fee?
- No setup fee
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Product Details
- About
- Tech Details
- FAQs
What is Pro Tools?
Pro Tools Technical Details
| Deployment Types | On-premise |
|---|---|
| Operating Systems | Windows, Mac |
| Mobile Application | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
Avid offers Pro Tools, the company's flagship music and audio editing and recording suite.
Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 9.1.
The most common users of Pro Tools are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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(38)
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TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!
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Pro Tools is a highly regarded Digital Audio Workstation, widely used in the film and television industry for audio production, mixing, recording, and mastering. The ability to transfer files seamlessly within the Pro Tools system is crucial for maintaining workflow efficiency. Users appreciate that Pro Tools allows them to create their own music, which is particularly important when copyrighted material cannot be used. It is the preferred choice at The Production Studios of Sandbox Music Group for daily audio recording, mixing, and mastering. Additionally, it is widely employed for producing programming at WDNF-Philly.com, an internet radio station focused on independent artists. Pro Tools is also highly regarded for archiving vinyl LPs, working with analog consoles, and producing post-punk bands. While not specifically tailored for beat production, it is considered the industry standard for audio production due to its versatility and functionality. Proficiency with Pro Tools is highly valued as it allows users to easily transition to working with analog consoles. The stability of the software is crucial and any perceived instability can often be attributed to inadequate hardware or operating system compatibility issues. In addition to its extensive use in professional music studios for recording and arranging music, Pro Tools is also commonly utilized in various fields such as podcast production, marketing, instructional videos, and arts organizations. It excels in editing and recording multiple audio tracks as well as cleaning up different voices or sounds for a higher quality end product. Pro Tools streamlines the audio production workflow effectively, making it an indispensable tool in these industries.
Wide range of options: Many users have praised Avid Pro Tools for its wide range of options for recording, mixing, and transferring audio. This versatility makes it a highly flexible program that can meet the diverse needs of different users.
Highly customizable nature: The highly customizable nature of Avid Pro Tools has been commended by reviewers. Users appreciate being able to customize the performance, function, and appearance of the application to suit their specific needs and preferences.
Compatibility with various audio formats: Avid Pro Tools has received positive feedback for its compatibility with various audio formats. This feature makes it easy for users to integrate audio of different formats and sample rates into their projects. Additionally, exporting audio files is also effortless with this software.
Tedious Setup Process: Several users have found the setup process for MIDI production in Pro Tools to be tedious and time-consuming. They feel that it acts as a barrier to entry, making it difficult for new users to get started with the software.
Clunky Virtual Instrument Interfaces: Many reviewers have expressed frustration with the virtual instrument interfaces in Pro Tools, describing them as clunky and non-intuitive. Users find it challenging to navigate and work with these interfaces effectively.
Lack of Features for Loop-based Music Production: Some users have pointed out that Pro Tools lacks features specifically aimed at loop-based music production, such as those commonly used in electronic music and hip-hop genres. This limitation restricts their ability to create music in these styles efficiently.
Reviewers of Pro Tools have provided several recommendations based on their experiences with the software. The three most common recommendations are as follows:
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Try before you buy: Users suggest evaluating the free version of Pro Tools, known as Pro Tools First, before making a purchase. They recommend visiting the AVID website to access this version and also advise trying out other digital audio workstations (DAWs) to compare features and functionality. This allows potential buyers to assess whether Pro Tools meets their specific needs and preferences.
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Invest in learning resources: While acknowledging that Pro Tools can be challenging to learn, reviewers emphasize that it is worth the effort. They recommend having a guide or book to help navigate through the software's extensive features and options. Additionally, users highlight the importance of gaining hands-on experience with Pro Tools to become proficient in its usage.
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Consider cost and long-term investment: Reviewers acknowledge that Pro Tools is widely recognized as an industry standard for audio production. However, they advise potential buyers to consider the cost of purchasing and maintaining Pro Tools, particularly due to its annual subscription and new pricing structure. Nevertheless, users believe that Pro Tools offers exceptional functionality and editing capabilities, resulting in high-quality recordings. They believe that the investment is worthwhile, especially for individuals looking to learn proper mixing and recording techniques.
In summary, reviewers recommend trying out Pro Tools First before committing to a purchase, investing in learning resources, and carefully considering the cost and long-term value of Pro Tools. These recommendations emphasize the software's industry recognition, challenging learning curve, and its suitability for various audio production tasks.
Attribute Ratings
Reviews
(1-7 of 7)Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
April 26, 2022
AVID Pro Tools: Casting A Long Shadow Many Stand In
- Highly-customizable, application and UI (performance, function and appearance).
- Wide audio format compatibility; Ease of integrating audio of different formats, sample rates; equal ease of exporting.
- Broadest hardware compatibility. The ability to tweak performance parameters extends hardware's useful life.
- Virtual instrument interfaces are clunky and non-intuitive.
- Rename/Move session functions should programmatically update subfolder labels.
- Better, more targeted in-app access/help to the myriad of shortcuts, and scripts already present in PT.
October 21, 2021
Steep learning curve, but top-tier performance
- Exceptionally deep shortcuts and workflow tools
- Best-in-show control over individual audio clips
- Excellent UI (especially for DAW veterans)
- Very steep learning curve
- Cloud projects are inconsistent
- Stock plugins lag behind the competition
May 09, 2021
Pro Tools is the Professional Solution
- Recording
- Mixing
- Transfer between other users
- MIDI production
- Pricey Add-ons
- Integration with UAD - I have used Pro Tools with a number of UAD devices over the years and it always integrates perfectly, and saves CPU resources by offloading effects processing to dedicated Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chips on external hardware. Plus, UAD effects sound great!
- Multitrack Recording and Arrangement of Music - This is really the big one for Pro Tools. It's for recording and arranging, and that's really its focus.
- Import and Export - Pro Tools is great for its ability to import and export multitrack files in a way that mimics traditional analog multitrack recording.
- Loop-Based Production - Pro Tools is still in the old world of audio recording where you're expected to record a track from live sources. It has less features aimed at production of loop-based music like electronic music and hiphop.
- Sample-Based Production - While you can sequence samples, you are expected to use MIDI to trigger the samples, for the most part. Of course, you can sequence them out without using MIDI to trigger a sampler plugin, but that's not the use case Pro Tools was designed for.
- Creative Ideation - Pro Tools expects you to figure out what you want to record first, and does not have tools for helping you produce or create the music.
September 16, 2019
Pros and Cons of Pro Tools
- It is an easy to use program that makes overdubs faster.
- The quality of the recording turns out better using this program than when I try to do the same thing in my video program.
- I have templates set up so that setup for each session is fast and easy.
- It does not like to cooperate with third-party interfaces.
- Plug-ins can get quite expensive.
- They are proprietary about their product, so it does not lend itself well to open-source features that you can use with other programs.
August 28, 2019
The best available, but takes a lot of practice. Great for professionals but maybe too much for some.
- Avid does it all. No other program has more options!
- The whole setup process can be very tedious. I'm not sure how it could be improved but can be a real barrier to entry.
July 23, 2019
ProTools- Edit Audio like a Pro!
- Variety of plug-ins and the ability to buy 3rd party plug ins and use them well.
- Recording to multiple tracks, live monitoring while recording, live inserts/sends while recording audio.
- Pro Tools always creates a backup of your audio file that you can restore at any point in time.
- Built in metronome, timeline indicators for beat/time.
- Midi controls/ virtual instruments are fantastic.
- Video tool is buggy- constantly crashes or lags when importing a video.
- No integration with Adobe products- also has to be purchased separately from other Avid products.
- Expensive to buy outright.
- Does not work as well with PC as it does with Mac OS.