It's Official:Mix Support coming to an End!!

[MARVINBASS]

Introduced in September of 1998, Pro Tools|24 MIX systems have provided many years of service for our customers. However, for Digidesign to continue to develop new features and refine existing ones, it is necessary for us to focus development and testing on our currently manufactured systems. Consequently, we regret to have to announce that the upcoming Pro Tools 6.4.1 software release will be the last that will include support for Pro Tools|24 MIX systems.


Some of you may wonder how this can be necessary when each system shares the same TDM or LE version of Pro Tools software. While that is true, each of Digidesign's systems requires some specific development and qualification for every Pro Tools release. As we introduce new product offerings, additional options, and new compatibility support, the number of configurations we need to develop for, performance tune, and test expands exponentially: It's simply impossible for us to continue to support all systems indefinitely. Instead, we have to focus our major development efforts on our currently manufactured systems.


We understand that many of you may be disappointed by this news. To help with this transition, we have two special offers for our Pro Tools|24 MIX customers:


A free update to Pro Tools 6.4.1 for Pro Tools|24 MIX owners with Pro Tools 6.x software

Additional savings on Pro Tools|24 MIX to Pro Tools|HD Exchanges (for a limited time)



Free Update to Pro Tools TDM 6.4.1 for Pro Tools|24 MIX Users
This summer, Digidesign will release a Pro Tools|24 MIX-only version of Pro Tools software: version 6.4.1. This upgrade will be available free of charge to registered Pro Tools 6.x customers via Web download, or in CD format for $4.95 plus shipping and tax from the DigiStore. Pro Tools|24 MIX customers registered for Pro Tools 5.x may purchase this version in CD format for $35 plus shipping and tax from the DigiStore.


Pro Tools 6.4.1 will enable Pro Tools|24 MIX owners to extend the effective life of their hardware, and to maintain session compatibility with Pro Tools|HD-series systems. This special Pro Tools|24 MIX version of Pro Tools software will provide the following new features:


+12 dB Fader Gain — Extends the range of fader gain in the Pro Tools mixer to +12 dB over 0 dBfs. This provides more mixing flexibility than with the previous +6 dB fader gain, particularly with recordings made at lower levels. With a new taper above 0 dB, control surface faders also have a more familiar, "console" feel

Track Position Numbering with "Scroll to Track Number" — Now individual tracks on large sessions can easily be located and assigned in the software interface and/or on Digidesign control surfaces

Hierarchical Plug-in Menus — Make it easier to find plug-ins by process type

Support for 23.976 fps — Enables post professionals working with high definition video to use a new frame rate specific to the medium, ensuring proper synchronization to the source

Improved Feet+Frames Timeline Display — Lets you set your "zero feet+frames" point anywhere in the session, and with multiple feet+frame rates, allows the feet+frames timeline to remain in sync with all workflow variations

New Clip Meter Features — Includes a new "clear clips" keyboard shortcut and a "clip hold" preference with three display choices for clip hold: "infinite" (current default), "3 second," and "none"

Support for the new Command|8 — A compact, affordable, yet full-featured control surface



Some of you may be asking why some of the new features in Pro Tools TDM 6.4 — such as Automatic Delay Compensation and TrackPunch/TrackInput — are not available for Pro Tools|24 MIX systems. In general, these features each would have required substantial development and performance tuning specific to Pro Tools|24 MIX systems. There are some technical reasons as well: For example, Automatic Delay Compensation (ADC) relies on DSP hardware with the necessary memory complement for managing mixer channel compensation and applying the necessary delays. ADC's demands on Pro Tools|24 MIX hardware would have left insufficient DSP for typical processing needs (more than twice the amount of DSP would have been required for the mixers, in addition to the DSP required for delays); even then, the functionality would have provided only very limited amounts of delay compensation.


Again, Pro Tools TDM 6.4.1 will be the last software release supporting Pro Tools|24 MIX systems. While further software upgrades and updates for Pro Tools|24 MIX are not expected to be provided after this release, this will not affect your Customer Support eligibility status. If urgent field issues arise, Digidesign may address them with CS releases as before.


Pro Tools|24 MIX Systems are Not Compatible with Apple Power Mac G5s
The architectural changes in the Power Mac G5's PCI bus combined with the more than six-year-old architecture of Pro Tools|24 MIX presented technical challenges too substantial to take on in the available timeframe. Preliminary testing and development indicated that the risks of undertaking a full effort were significant, due to the disparities between older and newer technologies. For this reason, Pro Tools|24 MIX systems will remain incompatible with Power Mac G5s.

[soundboy35]

Totally Bogus...

And, the better features like ADC and Track Punch (the best features of 6.4)are not happening with the last update either. Add to that the incompatability with G5's

How big of an issue is this eventually going to be when working on sessions done with advanced versions of PT software above say 6.1? Are we really getting left in the dust here??
Wasn't really ready to buy an HD system...lol

Let's see some feedback here...anyone used MIX hardware in a G5??


Steve

[Tweakhead]

Is this a reprint of an official Digidesign announcement?

If so I didn't see or receive it. Can you please clarify the source of this information and perhaps post a link if it is a web document?

[Dr. Marius]

http://www.digidesign.com/exchange/m...x_hd_exch.cfm/

Regards,

Marius

[Tim R.]

Totally Bogus...
How big of an issue is this eventually going to be when working on sessions done with advanced versions of PT software above say 6.1?

I'm concerned too. In general Digi has been great about backwords compatability, but does "End of Mix support" mean end of backwords compatibility? ie PT's 7 sessions won't open in 6.4?

Tim

[Chris Cavell]

I'm really not that dissappointed...I've gotten a heck of a lot of use out of our mix plus setup for the past 6 years...my upgrade plans may have to change some though:

we were planning on redesigning the layout of the studio and the location of the control room, but the budget won't allow us to do that AND upgrade to HD at the same time...some serious thought will have to go into this one...and since we don't need 96 or 192 in this particular studio, do we hang onto our 888's...lot's of decisions to be made, but I'm really actually glad that unlike other companies, Digi offers these exchange programs. Money-wise, they won't make up your mind to do the upgrade, but will save you some money if you've already decided to upgrade....time to spec out a new system for our main studio.

[trakbytes]

I'm not that upset about the end of support for Mix hardware either. Mix hardware owners will get some useful features with the free upgrade, and if history is any indication, we'll be able to do "save copy in" to older versions for quite sometime with newer systems after 6.4, although with features limited to 6.4 capability. After all, if Mix systems do what you need today, they'll still do it tomorrow, at least until your wind-tunnel/oven baking G4 computers kill the hardware, in which case you need a new system anyway!

The big question is what will happen to re-sale value for Mix hardware? How fast will it
f
.a
..l
...l
....?

rcm

[phazor]

In the ad business we call this creating a heightened sense of urgency.

After watching the March Mix exchange go away. We feel a need to take advantage of the June special.

It interesting how the 6.4.1 software wont be ready till this summer. I would imagine about July sometime.

[mike connelly]

The big question for me is, will digi make sure 6.4.1 is rock solid? The 6.2.x versions have been pretty buggy.

And if there are bugs in 6.4.1 will digi fix them or will they force users to upgrade just to get bug fixes?

[NK]

Good point, Will 6.4.1 the last official version to support Mix hardware be rock solid? This is a good question. There are times when I feel that I may have a more stable Mix system when running in 5.x on OS9. I would hope that the last version to support the mix will make sure that it works as well as can be and that appropriate bug fixes and patches will still be available if required.