ProAudio Review - February 2009 - (Page 21)

Russ Long uses the latest version of Pro Tools at his studio, The Carport in Nashville. grasp the mindset of Pro Tools as a whole. PT8 boasts a stylish new GUI that includes redesigned icons and a complete visual overhaul. Most of the familiar Pro Tools functionality is still in place, but with several subtle enhancements and easier access to many editing options that were previously only found in the Preferences. The Edit and Mix windows have been polished and are easier to navigate. Both windows retain their basic layouts but the Edit window features some major improvements including a Universe View at the top of the edit window (which replaces the older Universe window that has been dumped) and several new rulers including Key Signature and Chords. In addition to the omnipresent grid values, counters and core edit controls, the Zoom, Transport, MIDI, and Synchronization controls can now be added to the Edit window’s toolbar and placed in the user’s preferred sequence. While I’ve never felt too strapped for monitor space in my multi-monitor studio setup, having the extra controls on my toolbar is particularly helpful when running LE on my MacBook Pro. Back in Pro Tools 7.3, Digi added the ability in both the Edit and Mix windows to infuse the tracks background with its selected color by using a quick key command (though it was somewhat buggy at the time). PT8 has added control of this feature (which now operates perfectly) in the Color Palette Window by adding Saturation and Brightness sliders to adjust the amount of color that is applied to the background. Several small touches have greatly improved the program. There is now a Timeline Insertion/Play Start Marker Follows Playback button in the Edit window so this function can be changed without opening the Operation Preferences. In addition to the Toolbar’s Zoom controls, there are now horizontal and vertical zoom buttons in the lower-right corner of the Edit window. Automatic Delay Compensation is now applied to Sends as well as Inserts, making it possible to record with Delay Compensation enabled. The Mix window’s horizontal pan controls have been replaced with circular controls and each channel now supports up to 10 inserts instead of five. Thankfully, users are no longer bound to viewing and editing a single type of data on any given track, as the Show/Hide Automation Lane button found on each track in the Edit window makes it possible to simultaneously view and work with unlimited automation parameters. I’ve been begging for this feature since seeing it in Nuendo over half a decade ago. Much like Logic’s Quick Swipe Comping feature, the new track compositing workflow provides a quick, easy, and accurate way to create a composite performance. By using the Playlists view for an audio track, the best parts from a track’s alternate playlists can be selected and copied to the main playlist allowing the “perfect take” to be created from multiple alternate playlists. Alternate playlists are displayed directly below the track in Playlist lanes and can be edited in the Playlist view just like the main playlist in the Waveform view. As with tracks, Playlist lanes can be reordered by simply clicking the name of the alternate playlist and then dragging it to the desired location. A region can be rated on a scale of 1 to 5, which is useful for identifying preferred takes when comping playlists. Playlist lanes can be viewed or hidden based on the ratings of regions in the playlist. Pro Tools 8 (HD only) now maintains a Plug-in and Mixer cache for allocated DSP when closing and opening sessions. This doesn’t change the time it takes to open the first session after launching Pro Tools, but all subsequent sessions open and close much faster. In addition to Pro Tools Elastic Audio time compression and expansion capabilities, the new Elastic Pitch allows whole audio regions to be shifted in semitones and cents in the range of +/- 2 octaves. Pitch transposition can be applied to the Elastic Audio regions by using either the Transpose window or the Elastic Properties window. PT8 includes an impressive collection of music creation and sound-processing plug-ins, including five new virtual instruments (Boom, DB-33, Mini Grand, Vacuum, Xpand!2), 20 new effects, and Eleven Free, which is Digi’s fairly limited, but www.proaudioreview.com PHOTOS BY KONRAD SNYDER February 2009 | ProAudioReview 21 http://www.proaudioreview.com

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ProAudio Review - February 2009 Contents From Razor Slice To Mouse Click Hot Gear At Winter NAMM ’09: Studio Prioritizing Good Acoustics In Tough Times Digidesign Pro Tools 8 Allen & Heath ZED-R16 Analog Mixing Console Mike Rivers Nevaton MC Series Studio Condenser Microphones FMR Audio Really Nice Series Pre-Amp and Dynamics Modules Mojave Audio MA-201 FET Condenser Microphone Genelec 6010A and 5040A Powered Loudspeaker and Subwoofer Massey Plug-Ins De:Esser Hot Gear At Winter NAMM ’09: Live White Space Regulation: What It Means To Us Recording Live Sound Summit Church in Fort Myers, Florida Bag End P-Crystal R Loudspeaker Mark Olson & Gary Louris’ “Turn Your Pretty Name Around”

ProAudio Review - February 2009

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