If you are serious about your music production, you will probably have heard of Digidesign Pro Tools. Used on countless
major label recordings and movie soundtracks, Digidesign Pro Tools is the only platform
recognised as an Industry Standard across the world. Whether you’re in a band, a
singer/songwriter, guitarist, DJ/remixer or producer there’s a Pro Tools system
perfect for you and your budget.
Digital Village is the UK's leading Digidesign Pro Tools retailer and a specialist in providing Pro Tools systems (including installation) to educational establishments. With 8 dedicated Pro Audio Stores each with their own qualified Digidesign specialist and a dedicated Digidesign Pro Tools Installation Team for education, corporate and
studio clients, we are confident we can provide the best Pro Tools systems in the UK. DV are Apple's largest ASE (Apple Solution Expert) in the audio field and we also manufacturer DVPC systems so if you need a new computer to go with your Pro Tools system, we can help.
From the native based Digidesign Pro Tools LE and Digidesign Pro Tools M-Powered personal studio systems that offer everything you need to create music
affordably through to powerful Pro Tools HD® systems using a combination of
dedicated and host DSP, more musicians and post production professionals around
the world use Digidesign Pro Tools systems for their work than any other solution. Contact a DV Pro Audio Store to find out more about Pro Tools but in the meantime, please find this
useful guide to help you choose your Digidesign Pro Tools system.
Pro Tools Masterclass on 15th November at NEW DV Clapham
Digital Village and Gateway School of Recording are having a party on Thursday 15th November to celebrate the arrival of Digital Village in Clapham, South London. The Gateway School of Recording has five recording studios which Digital Village customers can use to review literally hundreds of pro audio products before making a purchasing decision. All Digital Village, DV247 and Music Village customers are invited to this FREE EXPO-style launch party from midday until 5pm. Meet some of the leading manufacturers in a studio-based environment and get the best pro audio advice as well as some fantastic on-the-day offers on both products and training.
Under the watchful eyes (and ears) of recording engineer/producer Tony Platt (pictured right), students from Gateway will be recording Kindred Spirit, using Gateway's live room and Studio One (Pro Tools Studio). Digidesign will also be on hand demonstrating the latest Pro Tools features including their new virtual guitar amp: Eleven!
For more details click here
Digidesign Announce Mbox 2 Micro: UK Launch at DV Clapham
Mbox 2 Micro is the much anticipated answer to one of the top requests from Pro Tools users. Mbox 2 Micro is the smallest member of the Mbox 2 family, enabling
Pro Tools users to edit, sequence and mix sessions created on Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered systems on the go as well as compose with virtual instruments and loops.
The first UK shipment of Mbox 2 Micro is due to arrive in early November. Pre-order your Mbox 2 Micro from Digital Village online, in-store or via telephone mail-order and be guaranteed stock from the limited first UK delivery.
Mbox 2 Micro is about the size of a typical USB flash drive (it’s just 3-1/2” x 1-1/4” and weighs a mere 1.2 ounces). Mbox 2 Micro offers high-quality sound, a 3.5mm stereo minijack output for headphone or speaker
monitoring (no audio inputs), and a convenient volume wheel for quick adjustments.
Mbox 2 Micro gives Pro Tools users the freedom to leave their Pro Tools systems in the studio and
edit and mix sessions in high-quality audio anywhere. The Mbox 2 Pro has a robust, anodised aluminum design and a diminutive size, put the Mbox 2 Micro in your pocket and get ready to welcome the world as your new control room or editing suite. The Mbox 2 doesn’t feature any audio inputs although you can create loop-based and virtual instrument-driven music with it. If you wish to record audio consider another member of the Mbox 2 or 003 families, a Pro Tools M-Powered product, or a Pro Tools|HD solution.
Mbox 2 Micro can record MIDI into Pro Tools (with Mbox 2 Micro connected) by using either a compatible USB MIDI keyboard connected to a computer (such as the M-Audio Axiom series), a MIDI device connected to a
compatible MIDI interface that’s connected to your computer, or by just using the step
sequencing features of Pro Tools software to create MIDI parts.
Mbox 2 Micro offers high-quality sound—up to 24-bit/48 kHz audio—and comes with
award-winning Pro Tools LE software, Digidesign® Xpand! sample-
playback/synthesis workstation, and Bomb Factory® and DigiRack plug-ins. For
higher sample rates, Pro Tools users need to down-convert sessions using their studio
setup prior to using Mbox 2 Micro.
Why doesn’t Mbox 2 Micro support 96 kHz sessions?
Mbox 2 Micro can’t support this studio-quality sample rate because it’s a USB 1.1 device.
Digidesign use USB 1.1 to guarantee the greatest level of compatibility among the wide variety
of desktop and laptop computers Pro Tools customers use. Digidesign want to guarantee Pro Tools users the same great professional sound quality found throughout our Mbox 2 product line, so the Mbox 2 Micro architecture is based on highly successful Mbox 2. Mbox 2 is a USB 1.1 device which has been tested by Digidesign and by users for over 2 years on countless machines. Therefore, it’s a great foundation that lends
itself well to working across many different kinds of host computers.
Mbox 2 Micro UK Launch at DV Clapham
The first UK shipment of Mbox 2 Micro is expected to arrive in early November. Pre-order from Digital Village online, in-store or via telephone mail-order. Digidesign will debut the Mbox 2 Micro at the brand new DV Clapham location on Thursday 15th November between midday and 5pm.
Latest Digidesign News: Pro Tools 7.4 Software Update
Pro Tools 7.4 has been announced by Digidesign. Pro Tools 7.4 features what Digidedesign term Elastic Time, a production tool that can be used to change the tempo and timing of audio on the fly.
Pro Tools 7.4 software will be available soon for all Pro Tools platforms: Pro Tools 7.4 HD, Pro Tools 7.4 LE, and Pro Tools 7.4 M-Powered. Pro Tools 7.4 software will be available in late 2007 for Windows XP and Mac OS X (Tiger)- based Pro Tools HD systems as well as Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X (Tiger)- based Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools M-Powered. Expanded Windows Vista and OS X (Leopard) support will be announced later.
Pro Tools users who have purchased a new Pro Tools system or upgrade within one month prior to the release of Pro Tools 7.4 will be eligible for a free software upgrade. Customers purchasing new systems with old software will also be eligible for the free upgrade. Upgrades will be available through the DigiStore as well as through authorised Digidesign dealers.
Pro Tools HD: £110 ex-vat standard upgrade; £45 ex-vat upgrade from Pro Tools HD 7.3
Pro Tools LE/M-Powered: £40 standard upgrade; £25 upgrade from Pro Tools LE/M-Powered 7.3
Get ready for a revolutionary new way to work with Pro Tools. Digidesign Pro Tools 7.4 software, featuring the time-manipulating power of Elastic Time, will have you approaching your projects in creative new ways, making working with tempo- and time-based sessions a whole lot easier and imaginative. Plus, increased support for Avid® video and shared storage solutions streamline the workflow between audio and video editors.
Stretch Your Sound with Elastic Time
Whether you’re a musician, composer, music producer, ADR engineer, or sound editor, Elastic Time makes it easy to change tempo or time on the fly. Change the tempo and timing of loops, music, dialog, and other sound files without cutting up audio. Easily create loops from any audio file — even entire compositions — with the help of powerful tempo and transient analysis. And when you import audio files and loops, they automatically conform to match your session’s tempo. You can even use REX and Acid loops right in Pro Tools.
To ensure that you get the best results, Elastic Time lets you choose from several high-quality time-stretching algorithms, which deliver the best-sounding processing in the industry, on a per-track basis. Want to hear how a certain audio bit will sound in your song? The new Context Preview lets you easily audition loops and audio files in sync with the tempo of your session. You can also now quantize audio to the session grid or extracted grooves. What’s more, you can fine-tune regions with precision control over each individual beat using the new Warp track view and Warp markers.
Latest Digidesign News: Eleven Virtual Guitar Amp
Digidesign Eleven is an extraordinary, upcoming, virtual guitar amp plug-in (TDM / RTAS / AudioSuite) that emulates ultra-realistic amp tones based on the world's most coveted vintage and modern amplifiers, speaker cabinets, and microphones.
Created using an innovative tone-cloning technique, Eleven lets you experience realistic tones that meticulously emulate the sound of classic Fender, VOX, Marshall, Mesa/Boogie, and Soldano amps* right in your Pro Tools rig. Whether you want to recreate your favorite guitar tones using the included presets or dial-up your own signature sound, Eleven delivers an incredibly realistic guitar playing experience in both sound quality and feel.
Digidesign Eleven: 30 Day FREE TRIAL
Got Pro Tools? Download a free prerelease version of Digidesign Eleven today and strum, shred, pluck, and funk with it for a full 30 days. Please note that you will need an active iLok USB Smart Key to take Eleven out for a test drive.
Digidesign Eleven Coming Soon
Although the trial version of Eleven features the same controls and menus as what you'll see in the final release, please remember that it is an early time-limited release of the software. The final release will come loaded with even more presets and extra features.
Digidesign have not released UK pricing or confirmed the launch date of Digidesign Eleven but please check back with DV News for a Digidesign Eleven review and more details.
* Digidesign Eleven is not connected with, or approved or endorsed by, the owners of the Fender, VOX, Marshall, Mesa/Boogie, and Soldano names. These names are used solely to identify the guitar amplifiers emulated by the Digidesign Eleven plug-in.
What is Digidesign Pro Tools LE?
If you are just getting started or looking for a more compatible system than you are
currently using, Digidesign Pro Tools LE could be the option for you. Every system includes the
latest version of Digidesign’s award-winning Pro Tools LE software. Whether
sequencing a rack of MIDI gear and virtual instruments or recording a microphone,
guitar or drum kit, Pro Tools LE software makes creating, editing and mixing your
music easy. The result? You’ll spend less time learning the software and more time
making music. Best of all when you do get that album deal; your session files are
100 percent compatible with Pro Tools HD systems used in commercial studios.
Digidesign Pro Tools LE Software Features at a Glance:
- 32 Simultaneous audio tracks (128 virtual audio tracks); expandable to 48
tracks*
- Fully integrated MIDI sequencing with 256 simultaneous MIDI tracks and 32
simultaneous virtual instrument tracks
- 60+ free plug-ins, including multiple instruments, EQ’s, dynamics, delays,
reverb and more
- Support for streaming ReWire applications (Ableton Live, Propellerhead
Reason) directly into Pro Tools
- Huge Selection of compatible third-party plug-ins and software options
- Works on both Mac OSX and Windows XP computers
* Requires optional Digidesign Pro Tools Music Production Toolkit or DV Toolkit™ 2
Choosing your Digidesign Pro Tools System
With Digidesign Pro Tools LE personal studio systems you have a wide range of professional and
affordable home and project studio workstations to choose from. When deciding
what setup is right for you there are a few things to think about. What instruments
you need to record, how many simultaneous inputs you require and portability are all
important considerations. The large range of hardware options can look daunting at
first, but we’ve put together a few suggestions for specific systems that may suit
different users with different requirements.
Are you in a band?
If you’d like to record your band and need a variety of connection options, the Digidesign 003
Rack or Digidesign 003 Rack Factory could be suited to your needs. Designed for both recording
and performing musicians in mind, these interfaces are affordable and offer a wide
range of analogue and digital inputs and outputs including ADAT; allowing you to
further expand your system. For example, you could use the Focusrite OctoPre to add
additional inputs; excellent when recording a live gig or recording your
demos at a rehearsal room. Contact a DV Pro Audio Store for great bundle deals on all the 003 systems with your choice of I/O expander whether it's the Focusrite OctoPre/OctoPre Le, PreSonus Digimax FS or M-Audio Octane, for example. Not only does the 003 series provide you with superior sound quality, it also comes with the award winning Digidesign Pro Tools LE software and the Digidesign Pro Tools Ignition Pack 2 that contains a huge range of software and processing plug-ins including EQ’s, Dynamics and Reverbs; perfect for when it comes to mixing
your tracks.
Are you a guitarist?
As a guitarist you may want to consider either the Digidesign Mbox 2 Mini, recent winner of
Computer Music’s value for money award, or the Digidesign Mbox 2. These both offer great
sounding microphone, instrument and line level inputs and are also extremely
portable; making them perfect for the guitarist or solo musician on the move. With
Pro Tools LE, you can take advantage of some of the best recording and editing tools
on the planet including the Pro Tools loop record function to capture your inspiration
over multiple takes then edit the best bits together. All recording in Pro Tools is non
destructive so you won’t risk recording over that perfect take. Need a drummer to
jam along too, but haven’t go room to set up a drum kit? The Pro Tools Ignition Pack
2 contains a selection of free software including FXpansion BFD Lite, Reason Adapted and Digidesign’s
Xpand! sample/synth plug-in that can be used to create great sounding backing
tracks. Capture all the right guitar tones using the Digidesign G-Rack (includes SansAmp PSA-1) or IK Multimedia’s Amplitube LE as buying, borrowing or stealing amps isn’t
always feasible.
Digidesign G-Rack is a useful collection of nine Pro Tools effects plug-ins aimed specifically at recording guitarists using Digidesign Pro Tools:
- Crank your amp up to 11 with Bomb Factory SansAmp PSA-1 (worth £276)
- Put the wobbly Bomb Factory Tel-Ray Variable Delay to work in your mix
- Warm up your tone with the vintage vibes of the Bomb Factory Moogerfooger Bundle, featuring Moogerfooger 12-Stage Phaser, Analog Delay, Ring Modulator, and Lowpass Filter (worth £417)
- Twist your sound with Voce Spin and Chorus/Vibrato
- Dial in the perfect amount of reverb with the studio favorite TL Space Native Edition convolution reverb (worth £295)
Are you a DJ or Remixer?
If the answer to this is yes then you may want to consider the Mbox 2 Pro;
Digidesign’s Firewire based portable production system. Phono inputs allow you to
hook up a turntable directly to your computer; the perfect excuse to dust off your
Vinyl collection for remixing. Pro Tools LE software includes the infamous Beat
Detective groove analysis tool to extract grooves from your loops to then apply to
other loops and make them your own. Got a drum loop at the wrong tempo? Using
Digidesign’s Time Compression and Expansion tool you can easily adjust your loops
and samples to conform to your session tempo. If you are just getting started, the
included Ignition Pack 2 provides various loops and samples from collections
including the M-Audio Pro Sessions. Although there are many tools and virtual
instruments included in the box, you may want to consider adding Digidesign’s new
professional sampler Structure. Incredibly easy to use and very powerful, Structure
makes a great addition to any Pro Tools system but it is particularly useful for DJ’s,
Producers and Remixer’s alike and includes a REX player built in and comes with a
15GB library of content from East West and AIR.
Creating a home project studio?
The Digidesign 003 Factory personal studio system is a great sounding audio and MIDI interface
with all the same connections as the 003 Rack and 003 Rack Factory plus complete
hands on control. As the hub of your studio, 003 give direct control of the Pro Tools
LE software from the interface. Whether you want to mute or solo tracks, grab
control of track volumes or panning, assign sends, insert plug-ins, assign and write
mix automation or scrub video, every change you make on 003 directly affects the
parameters within your Pro Tools session and vice-versa. And since 003 allows you
to control your mix with your hands instead of relying on your computer screen, you
can close your eyes and concentrate on using your most important mixing tool —
your ears. Using the standalone MIDI mode, the 003 can integrate into an existing
MIDI setup or control various other software applications. As with the 003 Rack, BNC
Work Clock connections allow for professional synchronization to external equipment,
perfect when working in a post production environment.
Expanding your Digidesign Pro Tools options
While Digidesign Pro Tools LE systems give you everything you need to start making incredible
sounding music, its good to know there are options. In addition to the wide range of
Digidesign and Digidesign Development Partner plug-ins available, you can also add
the Music Production Toolkit giving you a wealth of powerful plug-ins including
Hybrid, Smack! Compressor, and the TL Space Native edition convolution reverb plus
extended software functionality including multi-track Beat Detective, MP3 option, and
an increased track count to 48 mono or stereo tracks. If you are working with picture
as well as sound, choose the optional DV Toolkit 2 for a comprehensive collection of
essential tools for post production.
For hands-on control of your sessions, consider adding the optional Command|8
control surface, You’ll get total control over Pro Tools-including virtual instruments
and plug-ins plus an analogue monitoring section to get great sound out of your
speakers.
Lastly, the Digidesign AIR Virtual instruments are also a creative option for any Pro
Tools system. Structure, Strike, Hybrid, and Velvet combine innovative plug-in
engine technologies with cutting-edge sounds and interface designs, turning Pro
Tools into the most advanced and flexible instrument on the planet.
Digidesign Pro Tools LE Special Offers
Here at DV, we try and bring you great value package deals on the hardware and software you want to use. In terms of current Digidesign promotions, we have 18 fantastic deals which will save you ££s. These are special bundles of all the Pro Tools LE hardware products with either the G-Rack Guitar Plug-In (includes SansAmp PSA-1) or the acclaimed FXpansion BFD Acoustic Drum Module. Compare the prices of the component parts of the bundles and you'll see fantastic savings from the UK's leading Pro Tools LE retailer.
Pro Tools G-Rack Bundles
Pro Tools BFD Bundles
Please note that the Factory versions contain a FREE iLok which is required for G-Rack and many more professional plug-ins. Moreover, please note that all systems from DV also ship with Pro Tools 7.3 LE and include either the Ignition Pack 2 or the Ignition Pack 2 Pro bundle (see specific products for details).
Digidesign Ignition Pack 2 & Ignition Pack 2 Pro
Digidesign Pro Tools Ignition Pack 2 and Pro Tools Ignition Pack 2 Pro feature an impressive array of versatile Pro Tools-compatible audio applications and virtual instruments to help you make music — with or without instruments and/or musical knowledge — plus software to enhance what’s good, fix what’s bad, and fine-tune everything to total mastered perfection. Here’s a closer look at everything that’s included:
Applications
- Ableton Live Lite 6 Digidesign Edition
- Propellerhead Software Reason Adapted 3
If you like Reason Adapted 3, treat yourself to the DV Exclusive Pro Tools Reason Upgrade offer which includes a FREE Reason Piano Refill and a FREE upgrade to Reason 4 which includes the Mighty Thor polysonic synth - you will also save ££s
Virtual Instruments
- Arturia Analog Factory SE
- Digidesign Xpand! by A.I.R.
- Digidesign Synchronic (Pro Only)
- Way Out Ware TimewARP 2600 Lite
- FXpansion BFD Lite - Upgrade to the full version of BFD with the Pro Tools BFD Upgrade and get a FREE BFD 8 Bit Expansion Kit - Save ££s. Or buy with your Pro Tools LE system and save even more!
Effects & Processing Plug-ins
- Celemony Melodyne essential
- IK Multimedia AmpliTube LE
- iZotope Ozone 3 Lite
- iZotope Trash Lite
- iZotope Spectron Lite
- Trillium Lane Labs TL Ever