Track Limits in Pro Tools Ultimate?

[RyanC]

So am I understanding correctly that now a PT Ultimate license will be limited to 128 audio tracks if no HD or HDX hardware is connected?

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/hom...tools-ultimate

Was this always the case (with HD)? I guess I don't go that high that often to have run into the ceiling.

I'm in the process of setting up a new space with 3 workstations using Focusrite Red 8Pre's and while I know it's optimistic I was REALLY hoping that for $2500 PT Ultimate would lift the 32ch IO limit with non-avid hardware.

It's a pretty difficult pill to swallow that for $7500 + $1200/yr (3 Ultimate licenses- which I am prepared to pay) it would be this crippled. To make matters worse, I have an HDN card and the Focusrite TB driver is significantly better, plus integrates with the Ipad control etc.

Hmmm....the dumb thing for avid is this probably pushes me more to just get 2 vanilla licenses and one HD.

Damn. I wish I didn't actually like the software as much as I do.

[KV626]

Originally Posted by RyanC

So am I understanding correctly that now a PT Ultimate license will be limited to 128 audio tracks if no HD or HDX hardware is connected?

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/hom...tools-ultimate

Nowhere does it say that in the article. No HDX card = 256 tracks.

[originalscottyg]

That's 256 simultaneous "voices" in Pro Tools Ultimate (software only, and HD|N) & 256 "voices" per card in HDX. Maximum number of audio tracks in a session (voiced and unvoiced) is 768.

[noiseboyuk]

Originally Posted by RyanC

So am I understanding correctly that now a PT Ultimate license will be limited to 128 audio tracks if no HD or HDX hardware is connected?

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/hom...tools-ultimate

I can see how that table in PTE is confusing, but no it's 256 voices in Ultimate (HD software as was). The glaring omission in their table (which probably came from Avid so might not be their fault as such) is that there is no column for HD Ultimate without Avid hardware, so I can see how it might be construed that Pro Tools software is just 128 tracks. So to be clear - for software, maximum simultaneous audio tracks:

First = 16
Regular / Vanilla / Version With No Name = 128
Ultimate = 256

...which is unchanged.

[originalscottyg]

As I mentioned above, the 256 number in Ultimate (software only or HD|Native) is simultaneous VOICES. You can have up to 768 audio tracks in the session (not all of them voiced, of course). I just tried it on a Pro Tools 12 HD (software only) system, and I am fairly sure this is unchanged in 2018 Ultimate.

[jeffro]

Please check out the comparison table on avid.com for this info.

[originalscottyg]

Hi Jeffro.
I apologize for being contradictory, but the Comparison Table is misleading, in my opinion. Unless this has changed in PT Ultimate 2018.4, I am able to create 768 mono audio tracks on a PT HD 2018.1 (software only) system with no avid hardware. Only the first 256 were voiced.

P.S. This is at 48k.

[noiseboyuk]

Originally Posted by originalscottyg

Hi Jeffro.
I apologize for being contradictory, but the Comparison Table is misleading, in my opinion. Unless this has changed in PT Ultimate 2018.4, I am able to create 768 mono audio tracks on a PT HD 2018.1 (software only) system with no avid hardware. Only the first 256 were voiced.

P.S. This is at 48k.

Goodness knows Avid are often misleading - the current debacle over whether or not Heat is coming to all Ultimate users being a classic case in point - but that table you linked is perfectly clear and accurate on the point of track counts and voices. 256 active tracks / voices at any one time, 768 tracks in total @48k - exactly as it says. I don't see where you find it misleading.

[RyanC]

Originally Posted by KV626

Nowhere does it say that in the article. No HDX card = 256 tracks.

I just tested it, PT Ultimate 2018.4 is definitely limited to 128 audio tracks without Avid HD hardware.

[685]

From my understanding 1 mono track = 1 voice and 1 stereo track = 2 voices. So the 256 limit at 48k = 256 mono tracks or 128 stereo tracks (or an equivalent mixture of mono and stereo. Did this change with Ultimate software?


*edit:
Nothing has changed for Ultimate. I just created 256 mono tracks and all were voiced(or active). I then created 256 stereo tracks and only 128 of those "stereo" tracks were voiced(or active). That was on my MBP with the built-in audio card at 24bit/48k.