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Pro Tools Software comparison table

Pro Tools Software comparison table

  Pro Tools
Pro Tools | HD Pro Tools Express Pro Tools | First

Pros who want to Aspiring music and

Pros who need maximum Singers, songwriters,
compose, record, edit, audio pros on a limited
track counts, the highest and musicians who are
and mix music or budget who want the
performance, scalability, new to audio
Ideal for... sound for picture with best sound quality
and surround sound for recording, or musicians
a complete set of tools possible and the
demanding music and who have always
and advanced essential features of
post production wanted to try Pro Tools
workflows Pro Tools

Access the software

through a low-cost
monthly or annual
subscription, purchase
Comes bundled as part
and own the software Comes bundled at no
of a Pro Tools | HDX or
(perpetual license), or charge with Pro Tools |
Pro Tools | HD Native Available for free for
purchase it as part of a Mbox, Pro Tools | Fast
Availability system bundle anyone to download
Pro Tools | Duet, Pro Track Solo, and Pro
(perpetual license); can and use
Tools | Quartet, Pro Tools | Fast Track Duo
be used with or without
Tools | Mbox, or Pro interfaces only
hardware
Tools | Eleven Rack
bundle; can be used
with or without
hardware

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Supported Pro Tools | HD Pro Tools Pro Tools Pro Tools | First
Tracks Express
1
Maximum simultaneous 256/128/64 96/48/24 16 / 16 / – 16 / 16 / –
audio tracks @ 2
48/96/192 kHz (up to 768/384/192) (mono or stereo)  (mono or stereo) (mono or stereo)

Maximum inputs
192 32 8 4
(hardware dependent)

Audio recording
(maximum 256 32 4 4
simultaneous tracks)
Instrument 256 128 8 16

MIDI 512 512 16 16

Auxiliary 512 128 8 16

Busses Unlimited Unlimited 16 Unlimited

Video 64 1 1 n/a

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Pro Tools
General Pro Tools | HD Pro Tools Express Pro Tools | First

Three; projects stored in

Unlimited; projects Unlimited; projects Unlimited; projects the cloud; additional
Maximum supported
stored on local or stored on local or stored on local or projects may be
projects/sessions
networked drives networked drives networked drives purchased from the Avid
Store in the near future

Maximum sample rate

supported (hardware 32-bit, 192 kHz 32-bit, 192 kHz 32-bit, 96 kHz 32-bit, 96 kHz
dependent)

Maximum I/O
256 32 8 4
(hardware dependent)

ASIO, Core Audio, and

EUCON support (for
third-party interface Yes Yes No Yes
and control surface
integration)

Supported plug-in
AAX DSP (Pro Tools | AAX Native, AAX
formats (virtual AAX Native, AAX AAX Native, AAX
HDX only), AAX Native, AudioSuite, RTAS,
instruments, effects, AudioSuite AudioSuite
AAX AudioSuite AudioSuite
and sound processors)

Over 60 virtual Over 60 virtual Xpand!2 multitimbral

Three virtual instruments
music workstation
instruments (thousands instruments (thousands (hundreds of sounds),
of sounds), effects, of sounds), effects, (hundreds of sounds),
Bundled software plus over 25 effects,
plus over 20 effects,
sound processing, and sound processing, and sound processing, and
utility plug-ins utility plug-ins sound processing, and
utility plug-ins
utility plug-ins

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Features Pro Tools | HD Pro Tools Pro Tools Pro Tools | First
Express

Composing, recording,
sequencing, editing, ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
and mixing tools
Loop record/track
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
comping

MIDI Editor ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Sibelius Score Editor ✓ ✓ ✓  

Elastic Time and

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Elastic Pitch

Automatic Delay
16k 16k 16k 16k
Compensation

Beat Detective Multitrack Multitrack n/a n/a

QuickPunch ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

AAF/OMF/MXF file
✓ ✓    
interchange

Workspace ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Clip Gain ✓ ✓    

MP3 option ✓ ✓    

Export to iTunes ✓ ✓ ✓  

Export to SoundCloud ✓ ✓    

Offline bounce ✓ ✓   ✓

Timecode Ruler ✓ ✓    

Full Import Session

✓ ✓    
Data

Variable stereo pan

✓ ✓    
depths

Field recorder
✓      
workflows

Avid Video Engine ✓ ✓    

✓
Surround mixing      
(up to 7.1)

Advanced metering
✓      
with gain reduction

Satellite Link ✓      

Extended RAM/disk ✓      
cache

TrackPunch /
✓      
DestructivePunch

Input monitoring ✓      

VCA mixing ✓      

Solo bus AFL/PFL ✓      

Advanced audio
editing (Scrub Trim,
Replace Region, Fit
to Marks, Matching ✓      
Channels, Back and
Play, Auto Fades, and
more)

Advanced automation
(Punch, Capture, Write
on stop, Write to all ✓      
enabled, Automatch,
Preview, and more)

Advanced video editing

(multiple video tracks,
✓      
multiple video playlists,
and video editing tools)

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Hardware Pro Tools

interface Pro Tools | HD Pro Tools Express Pro Tools | First
support

Pro Tools | HD Series

interfaces
Pro Tools | HD I/O
Pro Tools | HD
OMNI
✓      
Pro Tools | HD
MADI
Pro Tools | PRE
Pro Tools | SYNC
HD

Pro Tools | Duet and

✓ ✓   ✓
Pro Tools | Quartet

Pro Tools | Mbox

family (2nd and 3rd
gen)
✓
Pro Tools | Mbox ✓ ✓ (Mbox and Mbox Mini ✓
Mbox Mini 3rd gen only)
 Pro Tools | Mbox
Pro

Pro Tools | Eleven

✓ ✓   ✓
Rack

✓
Pro Tools | Fast Track
✓ ✓ Fast Track Solo and ✓
interfaces
Duo only

Any Core Audio- or Any Core Audio- or Any Core Audio- or

Third party ASIO-compatible ASIO-compatible n/a ASIO-compatible
interface interface interface

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Console and Pro Tools

control surface Pro Tools | HD Pro Tools Pro Tools | First
support Express

C|24 ✓ ✓    

EUCON-enabled
Artist Control
Artist Mix
Artist Transport
MC Pro ✓ ✓   ✓
Pro Tools | S6
S5 Fusion
System 5
System 5-MC

ICON
D-Command ES ✓      
D-Control ES

Any analog or digital Any analog or digital

Third party surface that supports the surface that supports the n/a n/a
HUI protocol HUI protocol

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  1. Per Pro Tools | HDX or Pro Tools | HD Native card.

2. With Pro Tools | HDX systems only.
 Vision
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