Avid has billed its Pro Tools Carbon as ‘a new generation audio interface that empowers artists, bands, engineers and producers to record every detail of every performance with the utmost clarity and precision’. The hybrid system provides intelligent Pro Tools integration that combines native CPU processing with HDX DSP acceleration.
Every AAX DSP plug-in has a native counterpart, allowing Carbon users to move between each at a touch of a button. Putting a track in DSP Mode for recording accelerates real-time AAX DSP plug-ins, while the CPU plays back the rest of the mix. Bringing the track back to native mode for mixing means that Pro Tools automatically takes care of the technical tasks.
Carbon’s converters used four ADCs per channel, providing a 126dB dynamic range. From input, to the HDX DSPs, and into Pro Tools, the entire gain structure works at uniform 32-bit precision, providing increased headroom without any signal degradation.
With a custom-designed FPGA and eight HDX DSPs at its core, the FPGA routes audio one sample at a time with near-zero latency, while the HDX DSPs handle real-time plug-in processing, performing at 22.4 billion operations per second. Seamless integration with Pro Tools ensures that users can take a session to any other Pro Tools system, regardless of hardware.
In terms of I/O, variable Z impedance is offered on two quarter-inch TS jacks and four combo mic/line inputs, alongside eight mic/line inputs There are16 channels of ADAT optical I/O accompanied by expandable onboard analogue I/O using external converters or outboard gear with 16 channels at 48kHz.
Four stereo headphone outputs are provided on the front panel for easy access, and are completely independently configurable. A Built-in monitoring section includes TB Switching for four independent cue mixes, on top of control room speaker switching and control. The front panel also offers a dedicated talkback mic, fully assignable to the four independent cue mixes.
Carbon supports multiple sample rates from 44.1kHz up to 192kHz, with 32-bit internal infrastructure.
More than 70 AAX DSP plug-ins are included with Carbon. With Hybrid DSP/Native design, these work seamlessly all in Pro Tools, even without Carbon connected.
In addition, Pro Tools 2020 introduces a new dramatic dark themed UI to be easier on the eyes, especially in lower light conditions. It also provides new ways to create and advance ideas with the ability to analyse audio and render it as Midi notes. For audio post, Pro Tools 2020 includes native integration to export ADM files for Dolby Atmos, a new space clips function that allows clips to be quickly arranged, and reintroduces the ability to bounce sessions to QuickTime formats in macOS Catalina.
Pro Tools Carbon is available starting at US$3,999, which includes a one-year Pro Tools subscription and partner plug-ins from Arturia, McDSP, Plugin Alliance, UVI, Native Instruments and Embody.
