Pro Tools Sketch is a new non-linear, clip-based creation tool in Pro Tools software that is also available as a free iPad app. Because it's a new window in Pro Tools, the transition from creation to production is seamless - users can work on the iPad and/or in Desktop and move in between each of the Pro Tools workflows easily.
Pro Tools Sketch enables musicians to quickly capture new ideas and freely experiment with concepts and songs, and find inspiration with a massive library of free loops, virtual instruments and effects. Years in the making, this new addition to the Pro Tools workflow adds a must-have creation process directly alongside the Edit and Mix windows that established modern linear audio recording.
With Pro Tools Sketch, Avid addresses the growing needs of modern creators, no matter their preferred music creation style. While the Pro Tools Sketch iPad app is available for free to anyone via the Apple App Store, the Pro Tools 2023.9 update is now available to all Pro Tools customers on an active subscription or perpetual license with a current Software Updates + Support Plan, as well as all users of the free Pro Tools Intro application.
Users can now start with clip-based sketches in which loops, MIDI and recordings can be freely organized and played, and then exported to be shared with friends. Sketches can also be moved to the Pro Tools timeline for further production using its editing and mixing tools. And since sketches can be moved between computer and iPad at will, users can capture and play with ideas anywhere inspiration strikes.
Pro Tools Sketch features 16 tracks and virtually unlimited scenes and includes over 1GB of loops and a variety of onboard effects to create for any kind of music genre. Users can quickly audition audio and MIDI loops in the Browser and drag them into the launcher where they can be played, moved and tweaked. Audio and MIDI can be recorded and edited alongside loops and then quickly organized into linear song arrangements. Whether users are experienced or new to Pro Tools, Sketch gives them new ways to experiment and make something they truly love.
"Every music creator wants to capture inspiration when it arises and act on it precisely at that magical moment — and it should be simple and easy. We made Sketch to go far with ideation, letting any user start experimenting with their notions right away and then simply hop into Pro Tools when they’re ready to take them further forward," says David Toomey, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Audio & Music Solutions, Avid.
"We’re incredibly excited for beginners and pros alike to work out non-linear ideas with total convenience, then mix and edit in Pro Tools. Creators never stop generating new ideas and Sketch lets their output keep pace with their individual creative sparks. Not a single moment wasted, not a single idea lost."
Other New Pro Tools 2023.9 Features
Pro Tools 2023.9 software update also introduces Export Selected Range, which enables Pro Tools Studio and Ultimate customers to export selected portions of the timeline as a new session. This feature is perfect for breaking up large post sessions, separating a live recording into a session per song, and saving important elements of the session as bite size pieces. The release also delivers drag-and-drop plugin slot reordering to give users greater flexibility in experimenting with and changing processing order, and more.
Avid has also announced that it is making available the Pro Tools perpetual license purchase option after receiving clear and consistent feedback from the user community. New Pro Tools perpetual licenses are exclusively sold by authorized Avid resellers.
Pro Tools Improvements
During the recent IBC2023 show in Amsterdam, Avid previewed some of the breakthrough technologies coming soon to Pro Tools® workflows. Avid is expanding its ongoing partnership with Dolby to support developments that keep pace with the demand for immersive sound experiences. The company demonstrated Pro Tools with an integrated Dolby Atmos Renderer, showing how to eliminate complex configurations while mixing immersive sound. Users will be able to easily configure a mix for Dolby Atmos on both macOS- and Windows-based Pro Tools systems, and with the Dolby Atmos Renderer integration, Pro Tools sessions will retain all mix data, ensuring users and facilities have compatibility across projects and seamless collaboration.
To help audio engineers more easily and consistently deliver clean and clear production audio, Avid also previewed new development efforts to utilize Celemony's ARA 2 technology to integrate iZotope’s RX Spectral Editor directly into Pro Tools. This will enable users to have a more fluid workflow to repair and clean-up audio, without the need to hop in-and-out of applications. The professional standard for dialogue editing and other critical processes, RX Spectral Editor visually displays unwanted audio imperfections and interference for easy restoration and clean-up.
Avid also showcased a tighter Pro Tools integration with its own Avid Media Composer non-linear editor, including Pro Tools Track Markers to improve the workflow between Avid’s video and audio editing software tools, so teams can have tighter collaboration notes. Track Markers added to a Media Composer Sequence with detailed, color-coded comments will now appear at Pro Tools track positions, so sound engineers can navigate quickly to do their work. Having compatible Track Markers between video and audio production teams improves and accelerates collaboration workflows.
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