NAMM 2006 Winter Show: Sony Media Software announced ACID Pro 6, a significant upgrade to its professional loop-based music creation and production software.

This new release includes several major development enhancements to the recording and MIDI capabilities of the program, transforming version 6 into a full-featured professional digital audio and MIDI workstation. ACID Pro 6 is expected to be available in March at an MSRP of US $399.95.

ACID Pro 6 not only continues to provide the powerful loop-based music creation tools that it’s been well known for since 1998, but now provides users with a multi-track recording and MIDI sequencing environment that will appeal to creative professionals and audio engineers looking to record, produce and mix in ACID software’s fast, efficient and easy-to-master platform.

“Since its launch nearly 10 years ago, ACID software has redefined the way music is produced by allowing users to arrange loop-based segments that matched in tempo and pitch. Our newly enhanced digital music workstation technology introduces the optimal creative platform for music composition, recording and mixing by combining our multitrack audio technologies with comprehensive inline MIDI editing and sequencing,” said Dave Chaimson, vice president of marketing, Sony Media Software.

Chaimson continued: “Starting with a new high-performance multi-threaded audio engine, we’ve reengineered ACID Pro 6 to perform faster and more efficiently not only on dual-core and multiprocessor systems, but also on single-CPU machines providing more efficient track buffering for higher performance at lower latencies. No longer simply a loop-based production tool, this application moves into the category of full-featured DAW’s by combining our highly-decorated ACID music creation technologies, superior 24-bit/192kHz audio support, with new MIDI editing and workflow capabilities that truly change the way in which engineers, producers, and musicians will create, produce and mix audio.” Award-winning composer Russ Landau uses ACID® Pro software and Sony® Sound Series™ loops to create music for “Survivor” and other popular television shows.

“Sony® ACID Pro software is my speed tool for assembling a comprehensive collection of thematic variations in minimum time,” said Landau. “Its new multitrack and MIDI capabilities are a significant enhancement to an already stellar application.”

New Digital Music Workstation Technologies

• Multitrack Audio and MIDI Recording – Simultaneously record multiple tracks of audio and MIDI into the ACID timeline through a variety of methods, including step recording, punch in/out, continuous looping and more.
• Multiple Media Files per Track – Layout multiple media files per track, including one-shots, Beatmapped events, loops and disk-based files with new automatic crossfade capabilities.
• Inline MIDI Editing – MIDI data can be manipulated directly on the ACID timeline, using either a piano roll or a drum grid interface. Edit all note position, velocity, pitch bend, and controller information using an easy, visual approach in the main multitrack interface.
• MIDI Filtering and Processing – ACID Pro 6 software provides processing of MIDI data directly on the timeline, including quantization, swing, editing of velocity values, event duration changes, and more.
• VSTi Parameter Automation – Using automation envelopes, ACID Pro 6 software provides increased mixing flexibility for VST instrument parameters.
• Drum Map Editing – The Drum Map Editor provides an intuitive way to create custom Drum Map templates, to make working in the Drum Grid even easier.
• Project Sections – ACID Pro 6 software now provides for the creation of project sections that lets users more efficiently rearrange time-based segments of audio and MIDI events located across multiple tracks.
• External Control Surface Support – ACID Pro 6 software allows for hands-on mixing using external hardware control surfaces. Control record, transport, envelopes, faders, mutes, solos, pans, and effects automation. ACID Pro 6 software includes native support for the Mackie® Control Universal, however the generic control interface option allows user-customizable mapping of up to five generic control surfaces
• Record Input Monitoring – The new multitrack workflow provides users with the ability to monitor audio signals with real-time track effect DSP during recording sessions.

Additional ACID Pro 6 key features include:

• On-the-fly punch-in recording
• Envelope automation recording
• Track record meters
• MIDI track envelopes for controllers
• MIDI keyframes for patch changes and sysex messages
• MIDI Quantize and Velocity filters
• MIDI file import and export
• Freehand envelope drawing on the timeline
• Gracenote® CD album identification
• Dual/Multi-core processor support
• Film-style panning mode for 5.1 surround projects

ACID Pro 6 core features include:

• Unlimited tracks of audio and MIDI
• Real-time pitch and tempo matching
• VST effect and VSTi support
• Over 20 real-time DirectX effects
• 5.1 surround mixing
• ASIO driver support
• Nestable folder tracks
• Beatmapper™ remixing tool
• Groove Mapping quantization tools
• Chopper™ editing tools
• Media Manager search technology
• ReWire mixer and device support
• Video scoring track (AVI, MOV, WMV)
• Integrated disc-at-once CD burning
• One-click music publishing to ACIDplanet.com

Availability

ACID Pro 6 software will be available worldwide through software stores and online retailers at US $399.95. More information on ACID Pro 6 software and the entire line of Sony Media Software products can be found at http://www.sony.com/mediasoftware.