Pro Tools | First - Free DAW - What's New

Create your sound

From non-stop audio creation, to new virtual instruments, samples, and sounds, Pro Tools | First enables you to keep your creativity flowing.

May 2019

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Work with unlimited projects

Got a lot more song ideas in your head? You can now create and save as many projects as you want locally on your computer, giving you unlimited creative freedom. You can choose up to any three projects to sync to the cloud for anytime, anywhere access. And cycle through any three projects at a time when you’re ready to work on them—simply select the “Synchronized to Cloud” checkbox of any project to toggle session sync on or off.

Create more fluidly during playback

With the latest version of Pro Tools, you can now interact with and make updates to tracks and timeline selections during playback without interruption. Freely experiment with different effects, presets, loop points, and more as your music plays on, keeping you in your creative groove.

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Updating tracks during playback in Pro Tools daw

Pro Tools Mojave compatibility now available

Support for macOS Mojave

Over the last few months, our Pro Tools team has been working closely with Apple to optimize Pro Tools 2019 for improved performance and reliability on macOS Mojave. You can now use Pro Tools on any Mac running Apple’s latest OS and enjoy a significant boost in performance. With increased power on hand, you can create and mix with more effects, plugins, and virtual instruments and fewer CPU limitations.

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November 2018

Create incredible sounds with UVI Workstation

Got loops, UVI instruments, and/or other sound files? Pro Tools | First now includes UVI Workstation—a powerful multitimbral instrument that enables you to play and edit a wide variety of samples and sounds, layer and manipulate parts, and employ an army of effects to create something truly unique that’ll make your music and audio projects stand out.

Get started with Plugsound Avid Edition

Gain inspiration from a great-sounding 2.6 GB sample library included with UVI Workstation. Designed by some of the industry’s top sound designers, this deeply editable collection offers everything—from high-quality keyboards, drums, synths, and fretted instruments, to loops and atmospheric soundscapes—to enhance any music or sound design project. Plus, you can fuel your creativity even further with additional UVI curated expansion packs available in the Avid Marketplace.

July 2018

Search to access the plugins and busses you need

Forget scrolling through lengthy menus to find the plugin or bus you need. With tag-like search capabilities integrated into the Inserts, Sends, Inputs, and Outputs menus, you can simply start typing and Pro Tools will instantly display all matching items, enabling you to assign VIs, effects, and busses much faster than before.

Speed up multi-item menu selections

Pro Tools | First now makes it easy to select multiple items in a menu in one fell swoop to boost your workflow speed. Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) on a track send or output and select as many items as desired from the context menu. And quickly select multiple options in Soundbase, as well as Edit and Mix window view preferences, using checkboxes in pop-over menus.

Edit audio in the groove

Don’t want everything to perfectly align to the beat when rearranging a session? You can now have Pro Tools maintain the relative grid position when copying, cutting, and pasting audio and MIDI clips and note selections. Not only does this expedite the editing process, it preserves the perfectly imperfect feel of unquantized music by retaining all correct offsets established in your timeline.

Discover more new enhancements in this release

January 2018

Build sessions on the fly with Track Presets

Kick time-consuming tasks to the curb. With Track Presets, you can quickly save, catalog, and recall your favorite effects chains, vocal processing, and other track settings—boosting your efficiency—so you can spend more time creating.

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Capture performances retroactively

Ever jam along to a song and nail the perfect run before hitting record? With retrospective MIDI recording, Pro Tools goes into “listen” mode even when you’re not recording, so you can retroactively drop those inspired improvisations into a track post performance, without missing a beat.

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Take deeper control of your MIDI

Making music has never been easier. With numerous MIDI improvements and enhancements, you can fix and finesse every note to perfection—from transposing and trimming notes with the arrow keys, to building chords and scores faster than ever before.

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Get a better view of your mix

With new EQ curve graphs on all Mix window channel strips, you can see how your settings and automation are impacting each track in real time—even those with multiple EQs (supported plugins only). In addition, pre-fader sends and Automation lane view menu entries are now color-coded, making them easier to distinguish.

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