The Pro Tools Expert 2016 Innovation Awards have been both nominated and voted for by you, the Pro Tools Expert Community with Universal Audio winning both the Brand Of The Year 2016 and Product Of The Year 2016. 

We can now announce the lucky winners of each of the amazing bundles of prizes we were able to assemble thanks to the support of our partner brands.

Winner of The Mix Bundle - Mick Utley

I'm a Nashville based writer/producer and one half of the indie rock duo, Walking Man. I spend my days writing songs, producing tracks or making production music.

I grew up playing piano and went on to study jazz in college. It was there that I fell in love with writing songs and playing in bands. Through my exposure to the recording process during this time, I started experimenting with recording techniques and production.

These days, I'm obsessed with using computers to make music. When creating music this way, I try to approach the DAW as an instrument. I love seeing a song go from the tiniest iota of an idea to a finished mix. 

What an amazing bundle! I can't wait to start experimenting with these plug-ins and incorporate them into my mixes. 

This is a major upgrade for my studio. Not only will much of this bundle help expedite my workflow but it will give me a much wider palette to choose from in the mixing stage. 

Winner Of The Mixing Bundle Runners Up Bundle - Steve Kolakowsky

I am a freelance engineer and producer, and owner of Kilroy Records, based out of northern New Jersey. Music has been my passion for his entire life. In 2000, I made his first foray behind the glass and was immediately hooked into the world of production. In 2003, I decided to pursue my ambitions and was accepted at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I graduated from Berklee in 2007 with a Bachelor of Music in Production and Engineering. I have since honed his abilities with studies in both analog and digital recording, mixing, mastering, acoustics, MIDI and post production. I am an AES fellow, BMI songwriter and Voting Member of NARAS, Producers and Engineers Wing.

I’m am beyond excited to have won the Mix Bundle. This bundle is filled with useful tools which will allow me to take my clients’ productions to the next level. Various studios I’ve worked in had the McDSP & Sonnox plugins. They’ve always worked well on my projects, and as such, have been on my short-list for years. I’m especially excited to see how iZotope’s new technology in Neutron can help my mixes. I’ve been a follow of Production Expert for several years and am exhilarated to dive in to everything the premium section has to offer. 

Winner Of The Music Production Bundle - Thomas Gillmore

I'm the bassist and singer for the pop punk band Waiting For Yesterday and owner of Red Beard Recording. I live in Duarte, California just a few miles east of Pasadena. I have been a bedroom producer for a little over ten years, mainly recording low quality demos for my band. A few years back I decided that I really wanted to record for a living and went to a fantastically immersive recording technology program at Citrus College. After that I started freelancing where I could and got a part time Job as a house engineer and composer at Atrium Music, a music library for film and TV based in Pasadena, CA, where I received placement for the theme song of a TLC show "My Giant Life". At the same time I reconnected with my best friend and band mate, who is also an engineer, and we started our old high school band back up and started to lay the groundwork for a production company, utilizing both of our talents. I also worked on a billboard (gospel) charting live album for the band Urbana.

That takes us to here. This bundle comes at a perfect time. We are in the final stages of tracking Waiting For Yesterday's debut album. The Neve is guaranteed to elevate the vocal recording. The synthesizer plugins will be perfect for the sweetening that's left to be done. They will also help in my compositions for film and TV. With mixing just around the corner, the host of plugins and sonarworks room calibration tool are a welcome addition, as the room we mix in is less that ideal currently. The plugins will elevate my mixes and help me provide my band and clients with the best possible mixes and masters. 

I am also excited for the Production Expert Subscription, I am always trying to learn new techniques and ways of thinking and the Expert community is the first  place I go. This bundle is the perfect blend of products and fills in gaps in my current system that will allow me to offer more comprehensive services to my clients and better results in my compositions.

I am so grateful for this prize, and it could not have come at a better time. Thank you so much. 

Winner Of The Music Production Runners Up Bundle - Junior Made

I am better known by my stage name "Jay Made". I am 21 years old and I was born in the Dominican Republic. I have been involved with music since the age of 16 when I recorded my first track in Spanish titled "Si Se Cumple". I have worked with a former local record label named "Fatal Musik" where I was fortunate enough to learn audio engineering and music production to a great extent, which is leading me to soon going to college for it.

I recently moved to New Bedford MA where I have a pretty decent audio workstation setup. Thankfully, the transition to this state has been great since now I am around more Spanish people and my name is starting to really get around. I am currently working as an independent artist.

The contents in the music production bundle will help me in my work, by giving me more control over dynamics, more flexibility on sound design, faster workflow and most importantly better quality on my mixes. I feel that there is always room for improvement in every aspect of music, and that you can never have enough plugins.

I can't believe that out of so many people who entered this, I would be a winner. I am still in shock and can only hope this is true. I am incredibly thankful and honored to be chosen as a winner. Thank you soo much.

Winner Of The Recording Bundle - Greg Smith

I am a classically trained composer and two time Emmy nominated sound designer and mixer. For the past 16 years I have been involved in post-production sound for film and television documentaries, series, specials and shorts.  My productions have premiered in major film festivals around the world, and on TV networks including HBO, PBS, A&E, and others. 

I enjoy creating all types of music. I am in the middle of composing a song cycle and a piece for string quartet and tape, which may develop into an interactive piece. I also produce music for a multi-media performance art/music duo, and jam on bluegrass guitar with a fiddle-playing friend. 

I’ve been asked to do a lot of VO recording lately, and up until a few months ago when I was priced out of my studio, I had a really nice VO booth set up. Now I am in the process of building a recording booth and treating my mixing room, so the Sonarworks calibration software will be most beneficial. (I’ve needed to recalibrate my studio for some time). And with the Townsend Labs Mic, to be able to simulate all kinds of boutique mics that I probably can’t afford or even find, is a dream come true for someone interested in high end subtitles, like me. 

There are so many tools for music creation and sound editing these days, and I have a few of them already, but I am definitely looking forward to implementing all of these new products into my varied projects and workflows.

Winner Of The Post Bundle - Sam Auguste

I have been working as a freelancer in audio post for film and television for nearly 20 years. I recently relocated to Liverpool, and after working from my attic for a few years, I decided to open an audio post facility - Onomatopoeia Post and mix feature films, documentaries and television. We also offer sound editing services, ADR / voice over and foley recording.

I’m absolutely delighted to win the post bundle. There are so many tools that will help speed up our workflow. So many of the prizes have been on my wishlist for a long time.

Thank you very much Pro Tools Expert, I’m gobsmacked.

Winner Of The Post Runners Up Bundle - Steve Kitch

I primarily work as a mastering engineer operating from my personal studio in Devon. I set up Audiomaster in 1996 working with artists, bands and labels throughout the world. When I’m not in the studio then I also play keyboards for The Pineapple Thief. The latest album reached no 18 in the album charts and we're about to embark on a European tour. I’m a daily visitor to Pro-Tools-Expert.com and dedicated listener to the podcast.  

Although predominantly work in stereo, I sometimes have to work with high resolution, audiophile surround projects and post-production audio for TV and film. This is certainly an area that I am moving more into. These tools are really going to help out and enhance the quality of my mixes and masters. All the prizes have had excellent reviews and I can’t wait to incorporate them into my workflow. I have literally never won anything in my life so this is a fantastic surprise!   

Winner Of The Voiceover Bundle -  Joe Geoffrey

I "grew-up" in locally owned radio and transitioned out of the industry as consolidation kicked into high gear. When my wife and I sold a direct mail and marketing agency in 2005, I invested in some studio gear and hung-out my VO shingle. I could probably help others more from a standpoint of "don't do as I did" experience. But, I've been blessed to make some great VO friends and work with some terrific repeat clients. 

As I've honed my storytelling skills, it's led to more and more audiobook work and that's where I spend most of my VO time now (you can search for me at Audible.com and hear samples). When I invested in my first studio gear, I knew I wanted to learn and use industry standard solutions. I've never regretted getting Pro Tools and now "punch'n roll" for audiobook recording is such a time-saver! In addition, a couple of years ago I started working part-time for a local Christian broadcast ministry and that has since become a full-time position as station manager. It's come full-circle to "locally owned" radio and is very rewarding.

This bundle is such an amazing collection of tools! I can't believe one-week into the New Year and I get notified of winning a "Major Award". 2017 is starting-off to be the best yet!

I'm super excited to implement the Source-Connect subscription. I invested early on in a Telos phone-patch and it's served me well. But, I've been passed-by on more than a few jobs because I didn't have an "ISDN solution". So, this is definitely something I'll get up-to-speed on quickly and begin to promote.

As a home-studio based VO talent, you switch between talent, director, and engineer (not to mention business development and management). The plug-in packages look amazing! More and more I'm called on to "sweeten" the audio - not just deliver "raw tracks". So, now I'll have more resources to use to help others get the audio they want! 

At the radio station, we just got approved for some equipment upgrades and a dedicated production room has been on the wish list. Between the hardware and software with this package, I'll be able to upgrade my home-studio and get the station some much needed improvements, too!

Thank You

Congratulations to all the lucky winners. Thank you to all the community who told part in our Innovation Awards, they are truly the people's choice with you both nominating and voting for the winners.