Avid announced the launch of the Pro Series line of AAX Native and AAX DSP plug-ins, featuring three new advanced processors that enable users to sound their best. Pro Compressor and Pro Expander (available now), along with Pro Limiter (coming soon), are the first plug-ins in the series, joining an expanding line-up for the AAX platform.
Pro Compressor offers a wide range of features and improvements that go way beyond what you can do with the Avid Channel Strip plug-in:
Four advanced compression detectors, plus a unique SMART mode—Change how the compressor sounds and reacts:
Average detector—Level sounds by calculating the average loudness
Peak detector—Optimize sounds based on a set threshold
Fast Peak detector—Smooth transient-heavy tracks (such as drums) using faster attack and release times
RMS detector—Improve tracks with this great “all around” enhancer/optimizer
SMART mode (default)—Breathe life into tracks fast; analyze audio and morph between the four detectors, compressing tracks without distortion or pumping
Q with side-chain control—Target offending frequencies with ease to set up a de-esser, plosive remover, and more
Solo—Isolate just the gain reduction part of your audio material, get a better understanding of what’s being compressed, and adjust settings accordingly
Mix—Blend the compressed sound with the unprocessed input for more creative sound design, making parallel compression easier than ever
PPM metering—Get a more precise and responsive read on highly transient audio material
Front/rear linking mode—Work with surround sound material more easily and link channels for more consistent level management
AAX DSP optimized—Pro Compressor handles monster-sized Pro Tools|HDX mixes with ease, delivering exceptional sound quality and DSP efficiency
Pro Expander offers a wide range of easy-to-use features and improvements, plus some unique features not found in the Pro Compressor:
Look ahead mode—Prevent the gate from cutting into the attack of upcoming audio signals, with up to 15 ms of “look ahead” time
Upward mode—Increase the dynamics of the audio signal and use it creatively in combination with steep Q side-chain filter settings or an external key input to selectively modify parts of the frequency spectrum or re-emphasize the rhythm of the composition
Four advanced expansion detectors, plus a unique SMART mode—Change how the expander sounds and reacts:
Average detector—Level sounds by calculating the average loudness
Peak detector—Optimize sounds based on a set threshold
Fast Peak detector—Smooth transient-heavy tracks (such as drums) using faster attack and release times
RMS detector—Improve tracks with this great “all around” enhancer/optimizer
SMART mode (default)—Breathe life into tracks fast; analyze audio and morph between the four detectors, enabling expansion without distortion or pumping
Ducker—Emulate radio programming easily with this advanced ducker mode, which uses its own dedicated detector and optimized algorithm for smooth audio level changes
Q with side-chain control—Target offending frequencies with ease to set up a de-esser, plosive remover, and more
Solo—Isolate just the gain reduction part of your audio material, get a better understanding of what’s triggering the expansion, and adjust settings accordingly
Mix—Blend the expanded sound with the unprocessed input for creative sound design, making parallel expansion easier than ever
PPM metering—Get a more precise and responsive read on highly transient audio material
Front/rear linking mode—Work with surround sound material more easily and link channels for more consistent level management
AAX DSP optimized—Pro Expander handles monster-sized Pro Tools|HDX mixes with ease, delivering exceptional sound quality and DSP efficiency
Pro Limiter offers a variety of features that go beyond capabilities found in most other limiter products, providing detailed and nuanced control of the audio signal loudness:
Clean and transparent sound—Sits well in the mix while maintaining tight control over output levels
Unique Character knob—Add soft saturation to get more loudness and a higher amount of gain reduction, without the unwanted digital artifacts of standard brick wall limiters
EBU R128 loudness metering—Normalize broadcast audio to EBU specifications using a variety of metering, including True Peak, Integrated Loudness, and Loudness Range
Full surround support—Process up to 7.1 surround mixes in up to 192 kHz resolution, with full metering on all channels
Front/rear linking mode—Work with surround sound material more easily and link channels for more consistent level management
AAX DSP optimized—Pro Limiter handles monster-sized Pro Tools|HDX mixes with ease, delivering exceptional sound quality and DSP efficiency