(Remember when eight-track ADATs and DA-88s were the norm, and pro studios had three linked together for 24 tracks? Or better yet, a Studer 24?)

Some complain about the arbitrary track limits in the native version, but when they're this high, I don't think it's a big deal. You also get 1,024 MIDI tracks, 512 instrument tracks, 128 auxiliary tracks, unlimited busses, and a video track. With Pro Tools native, you can play back up to 128 simultaneous stereo tracks at 48kHz, 64 tracks at 96kHz, or 32 tracks at 192kHz, with up to 32 tracks of simultaneous recording. Over time, the money for one of the subscription services might work out if you usually buy the latest upgrades, but it's almost guaranteed to be more expensive like this otherwise if you want ongoing support. You can also commit to a full year up front and pay $29.99 per month, or prepay the year for $299 and save more. With that price, you still own it forever, but you only get 12 months worth of software updates, which is frustrating a support subscription costs $34.99 per month after that, at which point you also get full version upgrades as they're made available.

The middle version (called just Pro Tools, or informally 'the native version,' and the one I tested for this review) costs $599 with a Perpetual license. This convoluted workaround still makes it difficult to recommend First over, say, the surprisingly powerful PreSonus Studio One Prime, but if you need to learn Pro Tools, this is the only way to do it for free. Avid relaxed this somewhat in mid-2019 to theoretically let you make unlimited local saves, but they're stored in a cache and are still not separate project files you must choose three at any one time to sync to the cloud as full projects that can be shared with others. It certainly lets you learn your way around the program, but you only get three genuine project saves, and they must be in the cloud with an Avid account. Pro Tools First gives you 16 audio and 16 MIDI tracks, with the ability to record up to four at once from four inputs. There are three main versions of Pro Tools. Pro Tools is our Editors' Choice for PC-based recording software while it's equally awesome on the Mac side, Apple Logic Pro X edges it out there thanks to its robust feature set and unbeatable value. Pro Tools remains expensive, but it's still the best audio editing app for larger studios with lots of outboard hardware and the need for extensive support networks, and its workflow remains second to none. Aside from the much-maligned move to a subscription-based support model, Avid has steadily improved Pro Tools over the years. For many musicians, recording engineers, and producers alike-at Abbey Road Studios and Skywalker Sound, right on down to the smallest bedroom studios-Pro Tools feels like home.

Pro tools 12 subscriptions