How does one obtain Pro Tools HD?

[ianbee]

How does someone buy Pro Tools HD and what is the cheapest way? They used to sell HD Native cards separetly but Avid stopped doing this a while ago. Do you have the buy the HD interfaces or hardware to get PTHD? If this is the case, what is the cheapest hardware or cheapest way that someone can obtain PTHD?

[Bookerv12]

I'm not sure they ever sold them separately....
Cheapest way is to find someone selling the system used.
If you buy from Avid dealer, you have to buy either an HD Native Thunderbolt box, software and interface, the cheapest being the Omni.
Or...
An HDX card, software and interface box.

The HD systems are aimed at the serious home user and commercial facilities.

Why do you need HD?

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by ianbee

How does someone buy Pro Tools HD and what is the cheapest way? They used to sell HD Native cards separetly but Avid stopped doing this a while ago. Do you have the buy the HD interfaces or hardware to get PTHD? If this is the case, what is the cheapest hardware or cheapest way that someone can obtain PTHD?

The legitimate way is you purchase a Pro Tools HD bundle that includes the HD hardware. e.g. see http://www.sweetwater.com/c554--Pro_...D_Core_Systems.

"Cheapest" of all those options depends on what you need it to do and we have no clue there. An Omni HD Native bundle might be lowest purchase price bundle but if you need more than the limited IO it has, or need to run HDX (or even TDM) plugins that bundle is going to suck. Call a dealer, they should be able to ask the right questions and answer any questions you have in real-time.

The absolute cheapest way of obtaining Pro Tools HD would be to buy an old used TDM system. But... that locks you into Pro Tools 10 or earlier only. And many folks want 64-bit memory support that comes with Pro Tools 11. What matters for you we have no idea how to guess.

The Avid EULA does not allow unbundling of the HD software licenses . If you try to purchase an iLok with a HD license asset on say EBay (you can nolonger transfer an ILok HD license via iLok.com), you really should be aware what you are getting into. There are some dishonest rip-offs out there, and you may (or may not) be eligible for upgrades etc. Lots of discussion on DUC and elsewhere about this.

Darryl