PT 2021.7 - Where To Download Virtual Instruments

[Bruce Barker]

This seems like a lame question, but... I'm running PT Ultimate, perpetual license ('cause I'm cheap... ha ha!) and in My Products I see all my available downloads... but Virtual Instruments isn't there. I have an older license for PT 10-11 and downloaded that Virtual Instruments to see what would happen, but no dice (it installs properly, but it either puts 'em in the wrong place, they're not AAX, or they're not 64 bit). This PT install--like all of them--should have Virtual Instruments available, right?

[Darryl Ramm]

Do you have a current support/renewal plan? If not you do not get any of the Air Virtual instrument or more recent Avid VI licenses just as part of your standard perpetual license. They are actually subscriptions plugins that run concurrently with the support/renewal period.

[Sardi]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Do you have a current support/renewal plan? If not you do not get any of the Air Virtual instrument or more recent Avid VI licenses just as part of your standard perpetual license. They are actually subscriptions plugins that run concurrently with the support/renewal period.

Unless something has changed that I’m unaware of, you should definitely get the standard AIR instruments included as well as the standard AIR effects.

As you mentioned, you definitely won’t get all the third party stuff that they keep adding, but things like Boom, DB33, Structure Free, Vacuum, Mini Grand and Xpand should all be available to the OP.

Make sure you’re looking in the right place. The AVID user account is a right mess from an organisational point of view.

[Darryl Ramm]

Uh negative ghostrider. Or at least I'm pretty sure negative.

AIR Boom
AIR Structure/Structure Free
AIR DB-33
AIR Vacuum
AIR Mini Grand
AIR Xpand!2

Are all part of the Avid Compete Plugin Bundle (ACPB) (https://www.avid.com/plugins/avid-co...-plugin-bundle), and are included with Pro Tools subscriptions and the support/renewal part of perpetual licenses.

Now the Pro Tools Ultimate product info page (https://www.avid.com/pro-tools/whats-included-ultimate) is *awful* about making clear if these plugins come to you via a perpetual license or as part of the ACPB, but it warns you that when the renewal/support plan or subscription expires you lose access to ACPB plugins and if those plugins did not come to you via that program what is the point of warning you that when the program ends you lose access to those plugins???

---

Now back to the OP if you have a current support/renewal program and cant' find stuff speak up. Otherwise you need to pay up first eithe throguh a support/renewal reinstatement or you can subscribe separately to the ACPB for around $50/year.

[unkJE]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Uh negative ghostrider. Or at least I'm pretty sure negative.

AIR Boom
AIR Structure/Structure Free
AIR DB-33
AIR Vacuum
AIR Mini Grand
AIR Xpand!2

Are all part of the Avid Compete Plugin Bundle (ACPB) (https://www.avid.com/plugins/avid-co...-plugin-bundle), and are included with Pro Tools subscriptions and the support/renewal part of perpetual licenses.

Now the Pro Tools Ultimate product info page (https://www.avid.com/pro-tools/whats-included-ultimate) is *awful* about making clear if these plugins come to you via a perpetual license or as part of the ACPB, but it warns you that when the renewal/support plan or subscription expires you lose access to ACPB plugins and if those plugins did not come to you via that program what is the point of warning you that when the program ends you lose access to those plugins???

---

Now back to the OP if you have a current support/renewal program and cant' find stuff speak up. Otherwise you need to pay up first eithe throguh a support/renewal reinstatement or you can subscribe separately to the ACPB for around $50/year.

There’s a workaround for some who prefer Perpetual licenses:

If you own a Registered earlier AIEP-version, AIEP 3 Select or
at least 1 AIR Music Technology Single Instrument!
(Check iLok License Manager to see your licenses)

US $119 AIR Music Technology Expansion Pack 3 Complete Upgrade

AAX Native, AU, Mac, VST2, Win

https://www.bestservice.com/en/expan...e_upgrade.html

**Upgrade for owners of a previous versions of the AIR Instrument Expansion Pack, the AIEP 3 SELECT or a single AIR Music Technology instrument
The AIEP3 Complete Instrument Pack is an inspiring collection of twenty virtual instruments and progressive sound-design tools for the modern producer, composer and performer. Developed by AIR Music Technology, the team responsible for creating the award-winning virtual instruments and core effects offered with Avid’s Pro Tools software, the AIR Instrument Expansion Pack brings the world’s most innovative virtual instruments to your favorite DAW.

The AIR AIEP3 Complete Instrument Pack Includes:

• Hybrid 3.0 – High-Definition Analog & Wavetable Synth
• Loom II – Modular Additive Synthesizer
• Vacuum Pro – Polyphonic Analog Tube Synthesizer
• Structure (Full Version) – Multi-Timbral Sampler Instrument
• Strike – Ultimate Virtual Drummer Instrument
• Velvet – Vintage Electric Piano Instrument
• Transfuser – Melodic & Rhythmic Groove-Creation Instrument
• THE RISER – Synth-based Transition Designer
• DB-33 – Tonewheel Organ Simulator
• MINI GRAND – Acoustic Grand Piano
• Fresh AIR Expansion – Presets for Vacuum Pro
• Flux Transitions Expansion – Presets for theRiser
• AIR Creative FX Collection PLUS – 28 Classic Audio FX
• XPAND!2 – MULTITIMBRAL ALL–IN–ONE WORKSTATION
• D. Ramirez Expansion – Presets for Hybrid 3
• Marco Lys Expansion – Presets for Hybrid 3
• Mark Knight Expansion – Presets for Hybrid 3
• Rene Amesz Expansion – Presets for Hybrid 3
• Tocadisco Expansion – Presets for Hybrid 3
• Analog Trap Expansion – Presets for Hybrid 3

System Requirements:
• Registered earlier AIEP-version, AIEP 3 Select or at least 1 AIR Music Technology Single Instrument!
• 70GB free hard drive space (Download and Installation)

Mac:
• macOS 10.8.5-10.14
• Intel Core i5 (Intel Core i7 recommended)
• RAM: 2GB (4GB recommended)
Windows:

• Windows 8 or higher
• Intel Core i5 (Intel Core i7 recommended)
• RAM: 2GB (4GB recommended)

Required Registration:
AIR Music Technology products require you to register with the manufacturer at www.airmusictech.com and with my.plugivery.com/redeem to activate your license.
This product requires an activation!
You can either "soft" activate on your computer without additional hardware or transfer the license to an iLok USB dongle which has to be purchased separately. The iLok dongle can be used to run the protected software on different computers. Your licenses can be easily managed using the iLok License Manager. To protect your investment against theft or loss we recommend the iLok Zero Downtime protection with TLC.
An internet connection on any computer and a free user-account at www.ilok.com is required to authorize the product.

[Sardi]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Uh negative ghostrider. Or at least I'm pretty sure negative.

Oh dear.

I’d be interested to know when they did this. It was always part of the included suite of plugins going back to when they were first introduced.

Pretty crap TBH. They’re not exactly new creations.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[unkJE]

Originally Posted by Bruce Barker

This seems like a lame question, but... I'm running PT Ultimate, perpetual license ('cause I'm cheap... ha ha!) and in My Products I see all my available downloads... but Virtual Instruments isn't there. I have an older license for PT 10-11 and downloaded that Virtual Instruments to see what would happen, but no dice (it installs properly, but it either puts 'em in the wrong place, they're not AAX, or they're not 64 bit). This PT install--like all of them--should have Virtual Instruments available, right?

If you have a VST Host, like Blue Cat's PatchWork, you can download & install the VST2 versions to run in Pro Tools, from:

https://help.pluginboutique.com/hc/e...-Download-Area

macOS Catalina, Big Sur & Monterey Compatible (M1 Mac not supported)
PC: Windows 10, 8 or Windows 7 Service Pack 1; Minimum Dual Core 2GHz (Intel Core i5 or i7 Recommended)

https://www.bluecataudio.com/Product...uct_PatchWork/
US $99 Blue Cat's PatchWork is a universal plug-ins patchbay and multi FX that can host up to 64 VST, VST3, Audio Unit or built-in plug-ins into any Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) in a single instance, with both serial and parallel routing options.
Blue Cat's PatchWork (to host FX) includes PatchWork Synth (to host VIs)

[Bruce Barker]

What an amazing bunch, offering some great suggestions. Thanks, all! As to why I don't have access to those Virtual Instruments, all I can figure is that it had been over year since I installed my Pro Tools Ultimate w/perpetual license. AVID's language feels kinda vague on this topic, but perhaps there's a time limit on the VI availability. Why, I have no idea. I paid for that stuff!

Well, already having older AIR/Virtual Instruments licenses from previous PT installs--which were still available for download, go figure!--I followed unkJE's suggestion and coughed up the $119 for the "upgrade". I'm still downloading some of the content but some is already installed and working.

Feels a little dumb to have to pay again for something I already own, but eh, we'll move on. Thanks so much for steering me towards some great options. Much appreciated!

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Bruce Barker

What an amazing bunch, offering some great suggestions. Thanks, all! As to why I don't have access to those Virtual Instruments, all I can figure is that it had been over year since I installed my Pro Tools Ultimate w/perpetual license. AVID's language feels kinda vague on this topic, but perhaps there's a time limit on the VI availability. Why, I have no idea. I paid for that stuff!

Well, already having older AIR/Virtual Instruments licenses from previous PT installs--which were still available for download, go figure!--I followed unkJE's suggestion and coughed up the $119 for the "upgrade". I'm still downloading some of the content but some is already installed and working.

Feels a little dumb to have to pay again for something I already own, but eh, we'll move on. Thanks so much for steering me towards some great options. Much appreciated!

As I explained in the very first reply to this thread you need an active support/upgrade plan for these optional extra plugins to work. You don't own them, they are a subscription provided with that active support/upgrade plan. Since it's been over a year I'm guessing that you did not renew that annual support/upgrade plan.

... And that's your choice, but you should be aware of the implications, including you can no longer access new Pro Tools releases (not after the "Release Limit" date shown for the iLok license), and buying a support/update reinstatement, if they are available, will cost you more than the renewal you did not pay.