Avid have today released Pro Tools 2023.9. As we reported in August this update brings Pro Tools Sketch the new non-linear, clip-based creation tool to Pro Tools. Pro Tools Sketch is also available as a free iPad app. It enables musicians to quickly capture new ideas either at the computer or on an iPad, and freely experiment with ideas, songs, and find inspiration with a library of free loops. This new addition to the Pro Tools workflow adds a new creation process directly alongside and complementary to the familiar Edit and Mix windows.

Significant numbers of modern creators, whether they are beat-makers, producers or even sound designers can benefit from a non-linear, clip-based approach when experimenting with ideas. With Pro Tools Sketch, Avid addresses this growing need of modern creators, no matter their preferred music creation style. While the Pro Tools Sketch iPad app is available free to anyone via the Apple App Store, the Pro Tools 2023.9 update is now available to all Pro Tools customers on an active subscription or perpetual license with a current Software Updates + Support Plan, as well as all users of the free Pro Tools Intro application.

Pro Tools Sketch

Pro Tools Sketch is a significant expansion of the Pro Tools music creation workflow. Users can now start with clip-based sketches in which loops, MIDI, and recordings can be freely organised and played and then exported and shared. Sketches can also be moved to the Pro Tools timeline for further production. And since sketches can be moved between computer and iPad at will, users can capture and play with ideas anywhere inspiration strikes.

Pro Tools Sketch features 16 tracks and virtually unlimited scenes and comes with over 1 GB of loops and a variety of onboard effects. Users can audition audio and MIDI loops in the Browser and drag them into the launcher where they can be played, moved, and tweaked. Audio and MIDI can be recorded into Sketch and edited alongside loops, and organized into linear song arrangements.

David Toomey, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Audio & Music Solutions said:

“The next generation of music creators wants to capture moments of inspiration anywhere using simple and intuitive desktop tools and mobile applications that encourage experimentation anywhere without limits. The innovation Avid delivers with Pro Tools Sketch enables artists to start creating music with clip launching functionality using with the free iPad app and Pro Tools Intro that grows with their needs so they can expand and apply the full power of Pro Tools’ world-class editing and mixing tools to take any creation to the next level.”

To find out more about using Pro Tools Sketch either on iPad or in Pro Tools, check out the in depth ‘How To Use’ created by Avid which are available at the bottom of this article.

Other New Pro Tools 2023.9 Features

Export Selected Range

Export Selected Range enables users to export selected portions of the timeline as a new session. This feature is perfect for breaking up large post sessions, separating a live recording into a session per song, and saving important elements of the session as bite size pieces. See it in action in the video below.

Export Selected Range is only available in Pro Tools Studio and Pro Tools Ultimate .

Drag-and-drop Plugin Slot Reordering

While it’s previously been possible to drag inserts between plugin slots, when re-ordering plugins there had to be a vacant slot to move the insert to or plugins would be replaced rather than re-ordered, an action which isn’t undoable, a new warning has been introduced to minimise the chance of accidental replacement in the new update. This new feature give users greater flexibility in experimenting with and changing processing order by shuffling plugins between slots and moving the plugins which follow in much the same way as clips move on the timeline when in Shuffle mode. Watch the video below to see how it works.

Availability

The Pro Tools Sketch iPad app is now available free to anyone via the Apple App Store. The Pro Tools 2023.9 software release is now available to all Pro Tools customers on an active subscription or perpetual license with a current Software Updates + Support Plan, as well as all users of the free Pro Tools Intro application.

New Pro Tools subscriptions (Artist, Studio, and Ultimate) can be purchased on the Avid Webstore or through an authorized Avid reseller. New Pro Tools perpetual licenses are exclusively sold by authorized Avid resellers. Pro Tools Intro can be downloaded for free here.