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Top Recording Gear of 2010: A Review

From , former About.com Guide

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Top 5 in 2010: Pro Tools 9
Top Recording Gear of 2010: A Review

Avid Pro Tools 9

Courtesy Avid, Inc.
What can I say about Pro Tools 9? Finally, Avid (the new consolidated brand, including the one formerly known as Digidesign) has officially unrestricted how and with what hardware you can run your Pro Tools system. While Pro Tools 9 has incredibly impressive upgrades -- upgrades that I'm still finding new uses for every day -- the biggest is certainly Pro Tools stepping in line with Apple's Logic and allowing unrestricted, untethered use of Pro Tools, allowing you to mix, master, and record to your heart's content without a bulky Pro Tools HD or LE system attached.

There's some other amazing features, too -- delay compensation, more tracks (up to 96 to start), built-in file interchange support, and a multitude of powerful new plug-ins -- alongside a pleasantly updated user interface. Expanded features are nice, but the real reward is in the portability. Finally, home studio users don't need to be restricted to using Pro Tools only when they can afford the higher-priced proprietary interfaces; they're good to go with whatever their budget allows.

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