1st Ever Pro Tools Conference to Be Co-Located at Avid World

Digidesign’s Pro Tools is firmly established as an industrystandard in digital audio production, and the system has gained a loyaland passionate user base among audio editors and sounddesigners—whether for recording music or editing audio for filmand TV. However, while it has grown both in popularity and application,there has never been the opportunity for Pro Tools users to discuss the“ins and outs” of what the system can do.

This pent-up interest is one of the driving forces behind thisfall’s Pro Tools Conference, which will be co-located at the AvidWorld Conference, scheduled for December 9 to 12, 2001 at the NewYorker Hotel. The four-day event will feature a complete andcomprehensive Pro Tools track, focusing on such topics as Pro ToolsTechnical Troubleshooting and Set-up for Music and Post Surround,Scoring and Composing for Film & TV Using Pro Tools and SoftSampleCell II, and Mixing in Surround Sound Formats.

“It’s become exceedingly difficult to assemble a largecross-section of Pro Tools end users, and also give them access toleading industry professionals as well as the people who design anddevelop the system,” says Rick Friedman, president and co-founderof Mindshare Ventures, a co-organizer of the conference.“That’s why an event like this conference is so rare and sounique. Pro Tools has become the ‘must-use’ digital editingsystem for the film, TV, music and post-production industries. Still,no matter how familiar users are with Pro Tools, there’s alwayssomething new to be learned. That’s what this conference is allabout: giving editors a chance to hear and learn about what othereditors are doing.”

The conference, which also includes a 2-day expo, will include 4parallel tracks of 70-plus educational classes, keynote speeches andnetworking events designed to offer users all the information andcontacts they need to more effectively use the full range ofAvid’s tools and technology, Media Composer, Symphony and, ofcourse, Pro Tools.

Over the past year, there have been several significantannouncements from Digidesign regarding the Pro Tools system, includingupgrades, strategic alliances and new features. Some of the highlightsthat should spark interesting discussions at the conferenceinclude:

• The availability of Pro Tools 5.2 software—featuringDigiStudio™ Internet collaboration capability—as a freedownload from www.DigiProNet.com for registered Pro Tools 5.1users.

• Pro Tools 5.1.1 software, featuring support for Windows 2000 withPro Tools TDM systems, and including integrated surround mixing withsupport for all currently defined surround formats up to 7.1, as wellas other features implemented in Pro Tools 5.1 for Mac OS.

• The recent shipping of DigiStudio, a major new development forworldwide Internet collaboration within Pro Tools, and the firstproject between Digidesign and its strategic partner, Rocket Network.DigiStudio is a virtual workplace for online audio collaboration andproduction, accessible via the Digidesign Production Network(DigiProNet.com).

• The availability of the new Pro Tools Custom Keyboard, which is aUSB keyboard that offers plug-and-play setup with any current or recentUSB-equipped Macintosh computer, and makes controlling Pro Tools fastand simple.

• The availability of Echo Farm, the vintage echo effects processingplug-in for Pro Tools® 24 MIX, MIXplus, and MIX3 systems.

Just a few of the Pro Tools-focused keynote presenters include:

• Larry Blake, a sound editor who has worked on Traffic, ErinBrockovich, and The Limey.

• Jan Folkson, a MIDI Programmer/Pro Tools Engineer who has workedwith Elton John, Steely Dan, Tony Bennett, Vanessa Williams and BonJovi.

• Phil Benson, a sound editor at Skywalker Sound, and an Academy Awardnominee (Best Sound Editing) for such films as Forrest Gump,Contact and Space Cowboys.

• Eugene Gearty, a sound editor who’s worked on CrouchingTiger, Hidden Dragon; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; andFargo.