Pro Tools LE 7, M-Powered going Intel
updated 08:50 pm EST, Tue February 14, 2006
Digidesign goes Intel
Digidesign today announced that it will release in May new versions of Digidesign Pro Tools LE 7 and Pro Tools M-Powered 7 software for Apple's Intel-based Macs. The company said that the new versions will be compatible with the new Intel-based MacBook Pro and iMac computers and "will enable customers to combine the improved processing power of Intel-based Mac computers with the creative power of Pro Tools." At the same time, Digidesign said it will release Intel Mac–compatible versions of all Digidesign and Digidesign-distributed RTAS and AudioSuite plug-ins, plus all software options, including the new Music Production Toolkit for Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered systems, as well as the DigiTranslator 2.0 and DV Toolkit 2 options for Pro Tools LE.
Digidesign also said it is working closely with third-party manufacturers to help them port their plug-ins and applications to the Intel-based Mac platform.
"Creative musicians and audio post professionals who use our industry-standard Pro Tools application want to make use of all of the power they can get for audio processing from the host computer," says Digidesign General Manager Dave Lebolt. "Apple's new line of Intel-based Macs is bound to please our customers who want to run large numbers of audio tracks, use innovative signal processing plug-ins, and accomplish heavy-duty MIDI and automation tasks."
The new software versions will be separate releases and available as free downloads from the Digidesign website for all current, registered users of Pro Tools LE 7 software (version 7.0 or higher) and any version of Pro Tools M-Powered software. To use the Intel Mac–compatible software, owners of Pro Tools LE 6.9 or earlier software will need to purchase a software upgrade to Pro Tools LE 7.
Digidesign will continue to support Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered software on the PowerPC platform as well; however, the company said it would not yet release an Intel-native version of Pro Tools HD: "Because neither the MacBook Pro nor the iMac offer the PCI, PCI-X, or PCI Express (PCIe) expansion slots required for Pro Tools|HD systems, Digidesign will not release a new version of Pro Tools HD software for these computers.
