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Digidesign - A division of Avid: Digidesign Ships Pro Tools 8 Software

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  Published in House and Home on Wednesday, December 17th 2008 at 14:19 GMT by Market Wire

DALY CITY, CA--(Marketwire - December 17, 2008) - Digidesign®, a part of Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ AVID ]), today announced the immediate availability of Pro Tools 8 software, the company's highly-anticipated, next-generation music creation and audio production software.

Available now through authorized Digidesign dealers as well as [ digidesign.com ], Pro Tools 8 is the latest version of the industry-leading digital audio workstation. A dramatically enhanced feature set is highlighted by a completely updated user interface, more than 70 bundled plug-ins and virtual instruments, fully-integrated MIDI and score editors and an expanded array of editing features for both music and post production applications.

"Customer excitement for this release of Pro Tools is at an all-time high," stated Tex Schenkkan, Vice President and General Manager, Audio at Avid. "We believe that this is not only in response to the substantial changes and additions we've made to the product, but also because so much of what's new came directly from customer feedback. We are grateful for their contributions, and are looking forward to hearing what they produce using all the powerful new capabilities included in Pro Tools 8."

For composers and musicians, Pro Tools 8 provides powerful functionality for streamlining the creative process, and delivers the most versatile sonic palette ever available out-of-the-box for Pro Tools. New music creation features include:

 -- Fully integrated MIDI and Score Editor windows for greatly enhanced MIDI editing functionality and professional score editing and printing -- A sizable collection of music creation and sound-processing plug-ins, including: 20 all-new effects and five new virtual instruments -- Mini Grand piano, Boom drum machine, DB-33 tonewheel organ, Vacuum tube-modeled synthesizer, and Xpand!2™ sample player -- High-quality amplifiers simulation via Digidesign's acclaimed new guitar amp emulator Eleven™ Free as well as Tech21 SansAmp® amplifier emulator -- An 8 GB bundle of high-quality loops 

For music and post production professionals, Pro Tools 8 offers:

 -- Revolutionary Elastic Pitch, which makes it easy to transpose music in real time right in the Edit window -- 10 inserts per channel -- Enhanced controller integration with Digidesign and M-Audio® control surfaces -- ICON integration enhancements that dramatically increase speed and efficiency -- HD QuickTime support on Mac OS X for increased versatility 

Pro Tools|HD® 8 also enhances the extensive capabilities of Digidesign's flagship Pro Tools|HD audio hardware, with support for the new Satellite Link option, which allows users to control up to five Pro Tools|HD systems as one. Additionally, the Avid® Media Composer® based Video Satellite option brings Avid HD/SD video playback into the Pro Tools|HD audio workflow, while the new Video Satellite LE option allows Pro Tools|HD editors to play QuickTime HD/SD video or Avid® SD video from a separate but synced Pro Tools LE system, thereby preserving track count and processing power on the host Pro Tools|HD system. Satellite Link, Video Satellite and Video Satellite LE will be available in December 2008.

For project studio owners, Pro Tools LE 8 and Pro Tools M-Powered 8 support up to 48 simultaneous audio tracks out of the box. Adding the new Music Production Toolkit 2 or DV Toolkit™ 2 (Pro Tools LE only), gives users access to up to 64 audio tracks. And for serious Pro Tools LE users, the new Complete Production Toolkit (Pro Tools LE only) combines the content of both toolkits, and offers up to 128 simultaneous audio tracks and 7.1 surround mixing. All three toolkits are currently available through authorized Digidesign dealers as well as at [ www.digidesign.com ].

Pricing and Compatibility

Pro Tools 8 software is available for Windows Vista -- (32-bit Business or Ultimate with Service Pack 1), Windows XP -- (Home and Professional with XP Service Pack 3), and Mac OS X 10.5.5 (Leopard)-based Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, and Pro Tools M-Powered systems. Customers who have purchased a new Pro Tools system or upgrade since October 3, 2008, are eligible for a free software upgrade. Customers purchasing new systems with old software are also be eligible for the free upgrade. Pro Tools 8 software is currently available through authorized Digidesign dealers as well as at [ www.digidesign.com ].

 Pro Tools HD 8 Upgrade: $249 US Pro Tools LE/M-Powered Upgrade: $149 US Pro Tools M-Powered Full Version: $299 US (available through authorized dealers only) 

The Music Production Toolkit 2 and DV Toolkit 2 for Pro Tools LE systems are currently available through the authorized Digidesign dealers as well as at [ www.digidesign.com ]. Customers who have purchased a Music Production Toolkit or a DV Toolkit 2 since October 3, 2008 are eligible for a free upgrade to the newer versions. The Complete Production Toolkit is available today through authorized Digidesign dealers as well as at [ www.digidesign.com ].

 Music Production Toolkit 2: $395 US DV Toolkit 2: $1295 US Complete Production Toolkit: $1995 US 

About Digidesign

Digidesign is a worldwide leading manufacturer of digital audio production systems and the winner of the 2001 Technical Grammy® Award and 2003 Oscar® statuette representing the Academy Scientific and Technical Award for the design, development, and implementation of the Pro Tools digital audio workstation. Digidesign provides the professional music, film, video, multimedia, and radio broadcast industries with tools for digital recording, MIDI sequencing, editing, signal processing, and surround mixing. Digidesign products are marketed in more than 40 countries worldwide through a distribution network of value-added dealers, distributors, and OEM relationships. Digidesign is a part of Avid Technology, Inc. For more information, visit [ www.digidesign.com ].

About Avid Technology, Inc.

Avid is a worldwide leader in tools for film, video, audio, 3D animation, gaming and broadcast professionals -- as well as for home audio and video enthusiasts. Avid professional and consumer brands include Avid, Digidesign®, M-Audio®, Pinnacle Systems®, Sibelius®, Softimage® and Sundance Digital®. The vast majority of primetime television shows, feature films, commercials and chart-topping music hits are made using one or more Avid products. Whether used by seasoned professionals or beginning students, Avid's products and services enable customers to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. Avid received an Oscar® statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid Film Composer® system for motion picture editing. For more information about the company's Oscar, Grammy® and Emmy® award-winning products and services, visit [ www.avid.com ], [ del.icio.us ], [ Flickr ], [ technorati ] and [ twitter ]; connect with Avid on [ Facebook ] or subscribe to [ Avid Industry Buzz. ]

© 2008 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice. Promotions and discounts are subject to availability and change without notice. All prices are USMRP for U.S. and Canada only and are subject to change without notice. Contact your local Avid office or reseller for prices outside the U.S. and Canada. Avid, Digidesign, Film Composer, M-Audio, Pinnacle Systems, Sibelius, Sundance Digital, Pro Tools, Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, Pro Tools M-Powered, Boom, Xpand! 2, Eleven, Bomb Factory, Media Composer and DV Toolkit are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Oscar is a trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Grammy is a trademark of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc. Emmy is a registered trademark of ATAS/NATAS. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.