Because More Is More
Some totally new features are: up to 160 channels of I/O at up to 96kHz; up to ten sends per track, in two blocks of five, with drag and drop copy of send assignment and settings; up to 999 marker/memory locations; Tool Tip bubbles on/off that show, when you mouse over, both the function and details such as which plug-in you have inserted (love this). Mixer fader range is now fixed at +12dB and Bounce-To-Disk is a keyboard shortcut: Command+Option+B. The built-in DigiBase™ file management system supports MIDI data and Red Book audio CD import for PC users. Speaking of PCs, PT 7 uses the same non-backward compatible .ptf session file format on both PCs and MAC platforms.

Pro Tools will import and use REX and ACID files. I pulled .rx2 loop files directly from the finder window onto a tempo-based session audio track without any conversion. The loop audio shows up as a Region Group with tempo information imbedded.

Regions And Region Groups
Both audio and MIDI regions now show up together in a single region list in the right side drawer of the Edit window. The default is to sort by type with audio at the top. Tracks of all types, Audio, Instrument Tracks (More later), MIDI, Aux or Master Fader are listed in the left side drawer under Tracks.

You can group audio with MIDI tracks and you can group together multiple region groups--great when working with large track count sessions. You can loop a region group and know all the internal edits remain intact. A small icon is added to the lower left corner identifies the beginning of a region group and small arrow at the end if you have set them to loop around. A selectable crossfading function smoothes out any bumps between the head and tail of the looped region group. With REX loops, you only have to change the tempo (using time compression/expansion) once at the start of the first file--all the rest change automatically. Unlike a mix group, all tracks within a region group retain their track mixer automation independence--cool beans!

MIDI MIDI MIDI
Although PT|HD 7 still does not have a graphical MIDI events editor page where all MIDI data and tracks are viewed at once, MIDI editing, sequencing and operation garnered special attention in this upgrade. It all starts with the new Instrument track.

An Instrument Track Channel strip combines an Aux track with a MIDI track. There are record enable, mute and solo buttons, volume and pan faders, sends, inserts, automation, delay comp, VU meters and I/O like an audio channel but also, MIDI input/output selectors, velocity meter that indicates MIDI data input to that channel only, MIDI mute, pan and volume controls. MIDI volume and track mixer volume are separate adjustments. MIDI instruments insert into an Instrument track like effect plug-ins.

Like any other track feature under the View menu, an Instrument track view is offered in both the Edit and Mix Windows. In the Edit window, the Instrument's piano keyboard (like a MIDI track) shows eight octaves (in Extreme) and you can click to show only a single note--saving vertical space--i.e. if only a kick drum plays one MIDI note on that track. You can also audition (without changing or adding) any note by clicking and holding the Command key.

Real Tme MIDI Control

Instrument Track In Edit Window

Instrument Mixer Track

Pro Tools 7 introduces real-time MIDI operation governed by the Real-Time Properties window under the Event pull down. Real-Time sets parameters such as note duration, delay, velocity, transpose, and quantize with a choice of groove templates from the MPC, Logic, Cubase and Feel Injector. The updated Input Quantize window also has these groove templates.

You can apply these parameters to all MIDI regions or individual regions as needed 'on the fly.' I found that you could "audition" the changes on a region and leave it. Later if you want to commit and make permanent the changes on just that region and/or others, you can "Write To Region" and see the change on the Instrument track in the Edit window.

Instrument tracks or MIDI tracks with Real-Time settings other than the defaults display a "T" in the upper right corner while changes to specific regions within that track display an "R". Looped regions can use a new feature called Mirrored MIDI Editing where an edit to one region applies to all other MIDI regions of the same name.

In earlier PT software, MIDI data defaults to tick-based timing--bars/beats no matter the tempo change. Audio has always been sample-based. Pro Tools 7 allows for audio and MIDI data to be either sample-based or tick-based at your discretion. Tempo changes only affect the start or sync point of tick-based audio. Tick-based MIDI note data changes duration with tempo changes. Sample-based MIDI events stay fixed to the timeline despite tempo change. This is an incredible capability when composing, editing and manipulating film score music to picture.

Off-line MIDI editing benefits from many time saving features. Split Notes has the option for assigning the new notes to the clipboard, a new track or a new track per new note. This is great for untangling composite MIDI data or to reassign different instruments to certain note ranges. Select Notes (now combined with Split) has more criteria options such as velocity and duration. The new Remove Duplicate Notes removes dupes in a selected region and under the Change Duration menu, Remove Overlaps leaves a designated gap between same notes.

Import And Export MIDI
Three new options when importing MIDI are now available: import to a MIDI track, MIDI region or MIDI Instrument. When exporting MIDI you have control over if Real-Time Properties apply or not and also what SMPTE start time the song data starts.

All Encompassing System
Pro Tools HD 7 is more than this year's model of Digidesign's flagship product--last year's model polished up with a few bells and whistles thrown in. Coupled with a dual-processor computer, this is a big jump in performance, speed and efficiency with many 'power user' features built-in well worth learning and adding to your style of working. I like working with Pro Tools more than ever and I've had no install or crash problems with the 7.1cs6 update. Version 7.2 (I'm told) will be out in July, 2006. For much more information, check www.digidesign.com

Quantize Controls	Change Note Duration
Select Split Notes	Input Quantize Menu