Digidesign Integrates MIDI into Pro Tools 5.0

September 27, 1999 -- Bringing user-friendly MIDI functionality to the world's leading digital audio workstation, Digidesign announced today Pro Tools v5.0 software for their flagship TDM-based systems, and Pro Tools LE v5.0 for the new Digi 001 and Digi Toolbox XP home studio workstations. Both versions of the software release include a new full-featured MIDI sequencer that offers new opportunities for musical creativity and MIDI-enabled device control.

MIDI and Audio Side-by-Side

By integrating MIDI capabilities into the proven Pro Tools user interface, Digidesign is offering a fresh take on MIDI sequencing. Pro Tools eliminates the barriers between MIDI and audio that often arise when digital audio is grafted onto a MIDI sequencing environment. "We enhanced Pro Tools' MIDI capabilities because our customers have been asking for it. We've taken a user-friendly approach by making MIDI sequencing an intuitive extension of the program's audio features and layout," says Digidesign's Dave Lebolt, director, product strategy. "We ensured that all of the basics you need to record and edit MIDI are available directly within Pro Tools, while at the same time making MIDI as easy to work with as audio."

For maximum ease of use, Pro Tools v5.0's MIDI editing functionality is concentrated in a single location, the program's Edit window. "Other applications offer the option of working in a wide overview of MIDI and audio simultaneously, or viewing one or the other up close in separate areas," Lebolt says. "But with Pro Tools, you don't have to constantly open, close and reposition multiple windows. You can zoom right down to the sample level for both MIDI data and audio, and manipulate every aspect of each in a single location with complete sample-accuracy."

MIDI features in Pro Tools v5.0 include up to 128 tracks, graphic controller editing (including drawing), Regions and Edit Groups for easy arranging, and, MIDI data modification with such functions as Quantize, Transpose, Split, Change Velocity and Change Duration. Users also gain the ability to control MIDI volume and mutes via a MIDI control surface, Digidesign ProControl, or Mackie HUI.

Pro Tools v5.0 is available mid-November and runs on the Digidesign Pro Tools|24 family of digital audio workstations for Mac OS and Windows NT, with prices starting at $5995 (U.S.). Pro Tools v5.0 is available mid-November as a free upgrade to customers who purchased Pro Tools|24, Pro Tools|24 MIX, or Pro Tools|24 MIXplus systems after April 19, 1999. Pro Tools users who purchased Pro Tools TDM-based systems before April 19, 1999 may purchase the software upgrade for $199 and are advised to contact their local Digidesign office for details. Digi 001 and Digi Toolbox XP is available mid-November. Registered owners of Audiomedia III systems may upgrade their software to Pro Tools LE v5.0 for the price of $99 (U.S.) available in mid-November.

For more information, visit Digidesign at www.digidesign.com.