Avid Officially Announces HD I/O, HD OMNI and HD MADI – New ProTools HD Interfaces
Avid has announced their new HD Series interfaces, HD I/O, HD OMNI and HD MADI, which offer customers flexible configurations to support a variety of analog and open digital formats for audio recording, mixing and playback. They also announced the new HEAT (Harmonically Enhanced Algorithm Technology) software that allows customers to add the realism of vintage analog sound to the Pro Tools mixer via a single global control.
The Avid HD I/O, HD OMNI and HD MADI interfaces for Pro Tools|HD claim to enable customers to achieve the highest-quality audio with improvements to digital audio conversion quality, a variety of new configuration options and increased support for open digital standards like the popular MADI protocol. Features include advances in design, filtering and clocking and flexible digital I/O connectivity, which offers support for a variety of formats. Additionally, Curv, a new soft-knee analog limiter in HD OMNI and HD I/O, cuts the time customers spend re-recording and editing by tracking hotter signals when recording, preventing distortion when overloading inputs. The new I/O options include:
» HD I/O: Enables customers to achieve the highest-quality audio record and playback with the option of three space-saving configurations—16×16 analog, 16×16 digital and 8x8x8 analog and digital—in a 2 RU rack mountable interface.
» HD OMNI: Frees up customer workspace by integrating the functionality of numerous costly outboard components into an all-in-one premium sound solution for recording, mixing and monitoring. Features include state-of-the-art conversion, two world-class mic pre-amps, headphone outputs, a full-featured surround monitor section and a 14×26 channel persistent mixer that functions even when the computer is off—letting users listen to CDs, MP3 players, keyboards and drum machines without the need for an additional mixer.
» HD MADI: Opens up workflows and speeds production time for broadcast, live sound and post production sound professionals by offering the ability to easily connect Pro Tools|HD systems to industry-standard MADI infrastructures, without the need for a format converter. Built-in sample rate conversion on all inputs and outputs allow customers to integrate into workflows with multiple sample rates (upstream and downstream) using a single, 64-channel 1 RU rack mountable interface.
HEAT — Premium Analog Warmth in a Digital Package, Minus the Plug-Ins
Designed in collaboration with digital/analog engineer Dave Hill of Crane Song, the HEAT software option for Pro Tools|HD systems is an innovation for mixers who value the warmth and sound qualities of tubes, tape machines and analog consoles, but want to eliminate the complications and expenses of using tape machines and vintage outboard processors, or managing plug-in changes across multiple tracks. Customers can now directly add the best sounding euphonic qualities to every track in the Pro Tools mixer using a single, global control, dramatically enhancing sound quality and improving settings management.
Avid’s HD OMNI, HD MADI and HD I/O converters and HEAT software are available today worldwide. Pricing begins at $3995 for HD I/O; HD OMNI is available for $2995; HD MADI is available for $4995; and HEAT software is available for $495 in the box or via download on the Avid eStore. More information on Avid’s HD OMNI, HD MADI, HD I/O and HEAT.
