Pro Tools Sketch: Innovation or imitation?
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Avid introduces Pro Tools Sketch, a creative clip-orientated music production feature included with the latest Pro Tools 2023.9 update. What’s more, Avid is responding to its user base by bringing perpetual licenses back alongside subscription plans.
We’ve seen similar clip-based workflow features implemented rather lazily on traditional DAW systems like Logic Pro, in recent years. So what is the aim behind Avid’s sudden dive into Ableton Live territory?
Pro Tools Sketch
Well, apparently, Sketch has been in development for years. As Pro Tools has always been a platform for recording, mixing, and editing rather than writing music per se, this expansion is surely a welcome one for a portion of users.
The software allows integration with a free iPad app which, of course, gives you control of Sketch on a multitouch platform, offering more creative immediacy.
The idea behind Sketch is not only to provide users with a tool to manifest ideas from existing loops. The software also encourages musicians to use it as a non-linear arrangement tool to work with their own recorded clips.
With Sketch acting as your ideas mood board, you can then flip seamlessly between the app and your Timeline within Pro Tools as your ideas solidify into fully formed arrangements.
The Sketch iPad interface.
Pro Tools Sketch offers 16 tracks and virtually unlimited scenes, with a library of over 1GB of loops covering a wide range of musical styles and a stack of built-in effects.
Its workflow allows audio and MIDI loops to be quickly auditioned in the browser before you drag and drop them into the launcher. Both audio and MIDI can be recorded and edited together with loops before being incorporated into the final song arrangement.
Overall in the current landscape, new developments from Avid – no matter how small – could never be seen as a bad thing. We can only hope that there are more in the pipeline to keep them relevant in the modern music production industry.
Pricing and availability:
The Pro Tools 2023.9 update includes Sketch and is available to all subscribers and perpetual license holders with Software Updates and the Support Plan. Meanwhile, Sketch for iPad is available for free in the Apple App Store.
You can check out some of the Pro Tools options available here.
More about Pro Tools Sketch:
- Official product page
- More from Avid
Videos:
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- The Sketch iPad interface.: Avid
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