IBC 2016: Avid intros integrated sports solutions, audio editing tools

Avid announced integrated, end-to-end sports solutions that cover every type of production, from small and mid-sized studio organizations, all the way to large broadcasters and remote productions. Powered by the Avid MediaCentral Platform, the new sports workflow provides best of breed tools tightly integrated into a single powerful solution. The sports workflow solution offers everything a sports broadcaster needs to differentiate their brands, create engaging content, and optimize the value of their media.

“Live sports are perhaps the most intense production environment there is, and great productions are rewarded by high ratings and devoted fans,” says Alan Hoff, vice president, Market Solutions at Avid. “We have put together a winning team of solutions so that organizations of all types and sizes, from outside to remote production, as well as collegiate, can get in the game.”

The new sports workflow offering provides organizations with powerful sports tools integrated into a solid solution at a competitive price. Each solution contains everything needed for the fast turnaround world of live sports, centered on the PlayMaker sports ingest, replay and playout server, Spark sports enhancement, and complemented by Avid NEXIS shared storage, Media Composer editing, and Interplay | Production asset management. Even basic installation and training are included in the package.

New sports workflow solutions announced at IBC 2016 include:

• Avid Sports Solution | Studio for medium and small sized broadcasters
• Avid Sports Solution | Remote Productions for big sports and remote productions
• Avid Sports Solution | Trucks for OB, outside, and remote productions
• Avid Sports Solution | EDU for colleges and educational facilities

Avid also introduced audio editing innovations and new flexible options for accessing their flagship Pro Tools | HD toolset, further delivering on key promises of Avid Everywhere. These innovations, enabled by the Avid MediaCentral Platform, accelerate recording, editing, and mixing workflows so audio professionals can create the highest-quality content more powerfully, efficiently, and profitably.

“Audio professionals today are contending with increasingly complex soundtracks, higher client expectations and smaller budgets—all with shorter turnaround times. This makes it necessary to deliver top-quality results quickly and efficiently,” says Hoff. “We are continuing to deliver innovative Pro Tools enhancements that help audio professionals stay ahead of the game. It has never been easier or more affordable to access the world’s leading solutions for audio post and pro mixing.”

Pro Tools 12.6
Avid announced Pro Tools 12.6, enabling audio professionals to work quickly and efficiently using a variety of editing enhancements. The new Clip Effects and layered editing features make it possible to edit and prepare mixes faster and more powerfully. Additionally, audio professionals can accelerate production using automatic playlist creation and selection using shortcut keys. Furthermore, this release improves “in-the-box” dubber workflows requested by the most prominent facilities in the world.

Pro Tools | HD Software standalone
For the first time, customers can buy or subscribe to Pro Tools | HD software as a stand-alone product, independent of Pro Tools | HD hardware bundles. Audio professionals now have more flexible, affordable access to the premium audio post and pro mixing toolset in Pro Tools | HD software. Facilities can now easily add additional seats for offline editing tasks that do not require high channel counts, DSP acceleration, or sync.

More affordable and flexible options for Pro Tools | HDX and HD Native
The components that comprise a Pro Tools | HD system — Pro Tools | HD software, HDX or HD Native card, and HD Series audio interface — are now available à la carte and priced at an even greater value so audio professionals can flexibly and affordably define the system that fits their needs.

Availability

• Pro Tools 12.6 and Pro Tools | HD Subscription and Perpetual license will be available later in September 2016
• More affordable and flexible options for Pro Tools | HDX and HD Native are available now