We have had some really great conversations with some of the Avid team regarding how the new AAE engine works in Pro Tools. From those conversations we have now created this test to compare virtual instrument and plug-in handling in Pro Tools 10 versus Pro Tools 11.
We invite you to try our Pro Tools 11 virtual instrument handling test and let us know your results.
In Pro Tools 10 we got to 98 tracks of Xpand and then Pro Tools crashed and would not open the session. In Pro Tools 11 we ran out of tracks before we ran out of power.
The test is as follows. First try this in Pro Tools 10.
- Set your machine up with 64 sample buffer. Maximum cores and maximum CPU settings. If you are running HD turn off time-line cache.
- Create a virtual instrument track and insert Xpand2 and beneath that insert Dverb. Set the Xpand2 to patch 011 Electric Pianos “Mark 2+” and the Dverb to Factory Default.
- Record 2 bars of MIDI. Record in single quaver MIDI notes, that is 8 notes per bar for 2 bars.
- Copy the instrument track but move the MIDI to start at bar 5 leaving a 2 bar space - this will test the dynamic plug-in settings later in Pro Tools 11. You can see on the video how this should look. You will now have two identical instrument tracks but the MIDI will have a gap of 4 bars between the first and the second track.
- Create an mono audio track and put it into record armed. This is to make sure Pro Tools uses the lower playback buffer setting when in Pro Tools 11 - in playback only it will not do this, it must be in record.
- Make copies of the instrument track, depending on your CPU this will vary but in most cases start with 32 tracks of Xpand/Dverb, do not duplicate the record track. If you prefer download the Pro Tools test session here
- Then record on the mono audio track at the top of your session.
- If the test is successful keep repeating the test by duplicating instrument tracks in Pro Tools 10 until it will not play anymore at 64 samples. If your machine is low spec then we strongly suggest you do not simply double track count as the CPU creeps up or you may not be able to open the session again.
- Then try the same test in Pro Tools 11 with the settings at 64 samples, dynamic plug-in on and no timeline cache.
- Post your results of both track counts in Pro Tools 10 and 11 with machine spec. You can see our results in the video above.
If you prefer download the Pro Tools test session here
Your session should look like the example below.
click to enlarge
Let’s have some fun!