Pro Tools

Pro Tools is the software that replaced tape. Digidesign, founded by Evan Brooks and Peter Gotcher, went from the Sound Designer editor in 1985 to Sound Tools, sold as the first “tapeless studio,” and released Pro Tools in 1991. It became the standard in professional studios worldwide.

History

For years Pro Tools required Digidesign’s own hardware, until Pro Tools 9 in 2010 opened it up. Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ la Vida Loca” (1999) was the first No. 1 hit recorded, edited and mixed entirely in Pro Tools. Avid now sells it with a free entry tier plus subscriptions and perpetual licenses.

The hip hop connection

Dan Charnas’s book Dilla Time argues that J Dilla made much of Donuts in Pro Tools rather than on a small sampler, a claim that challenges the popular story. Sound On Sound has documented Pro Tools on Noah “40” Shebib’s rig for Drake’s “Headlines,” on the recording and mixing of Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “All the Stars,” and in Hit-Boy’s and Metro Boomin’s workflows.

Getting it today

Start with the free Intro version, then choose a tier based on track count and features like Dolby Atmos. Used listings are mostly Digidesign and Avid audio interfaces, which work with older versions.