I acknowledge that I'm asking below about purchasing access to old versions of a software - not usually a supported option - but, I am desperately curious about this:
I think it's an openly discussed issue in the post-pro audio industry that the newest versions of ProTools are something you have to wait out for a bit. Since version 11 and ESPECIALLY version 12, many studio owners I work with simply CAN NOT get into it yet due to massive changes in plug-in compatibility. It's resulted in multiple thousands of dollars worth of plug-ins becoming unstable or flat-out not usable. End result is most pros I work with have 11 and 12 installed on their systems but still actively use version 10 about 99% of the time.
NUTSHELL QUESTION: is there a way to purchase a new ProTools subscription/license right now, today, that would give me access to ProTools 10?
I could explain my convoluted purchase history with Digidesign, and my working relationship with studios and facilities that let me go without a personal license for many interim years etc..
but suffice it to say, I don't have a modern Avid license at all. So, as far as I can tell trying to parse the dense licensing options, I have no real legitimate path to getting into PT10 right now. AFAIK, my not having a recent license to up/cross-grade; that's the roadblock.
It's a curveball - as I had to jump into a gigantic project that branched into my home studio, I downloaded and setup the ProTools 10 demo that Avid provides as a downloadable demo from their site. Bought an iLok gen3, got the demo licenses installed etc.. all my plugins working within ProTools 10 demo.. etc.
But now, the demo period has expired. 
Then, as I went to hopefully buy my new PT subscription or license that would give me backwards compatible access to PT10 or 11... but it looks like it's not possible.
Am I correct in this?
Is there ANYTHING I can do if I know from years of experience that PT12 will not work for me (yet), but want to give Avid my money just to work with a older but (the only) viable version of the product?
ANY help is GREATLY appreciated.