Is the writing on the wall for Avid AAX DSP plug-in development? If not dead, then the signs are that the continued support from third-party developers has slowed to a glacial pace, with fewer announcing new plug-ins with AAX DSP support and some dropping it on new releases.
Things did not bode well for AAX DSP at the outset with huge brands like Waves and iZotope choosing not to support AAX DSP from the very start. Speaking to many top developers they cite investment versus return as the primary reason. In other words, this is not dogma but simple economic reality, for many developers the effort required to bring an AAX DSP plug-in to the market does not pay.
Even brands that started strong like Softube, in fact, the first to announce AAX DSP support, have since dropped it in later plug-in releases.
Some brands like Plugin Alliance and SKnote have made efforts to continue to support AAX DSP, but they seem to be the exception and not the rule.
Whilst there may be a lot of AAX DSP plug-ins already available, this lack of support for plug-ins could make a new investment in AAX DSP less attractive, after all, who wants to invest in a platform that developers don't want to support? Native computing coupled with the latest generation of audio interfaces is offering a more flexible option for many of those who in the past would have chosen a DSP powered Pro Tools system.
It does make one wonder just how long AAX DSP plug-ins have left.
What do you think, are you investing in AAX DSP, or moving to a native Pro Tools solution? Take our poll and leave comments about your own feelings on AAX DSP.