Avid Pro Tools Carbon

Pro Tools | Carbon is a new type of audio interface from Avid. It is a hybrid system for professional audio production with unmatched sound quality, combining the power of your computer’s own CPU with built-in HDX DSP acceleration.
You can simultaneously use almost all of your computer’s resources when mixing and still record through AAX DSP plug-ins with near-zero latency. And you stay in Pro Tools throughout the process.

DSP and native – the best of both worlds

Thanks to the new Hybrid Engine, you can move a track and its associated plug-ins and aux channels to DSP mode at the touch of a button, giving you the super-low and completely inaudible latency known from the Pro Tools HDX system. When the track is no longer needed for recording, you move the track back to native mode, freeing up DSP for use on other channels. Since all AAX DSP plug-ins are also available in a native version, Pro Tools handles the entire process imperceptibly for the user.

AAX – designed for more than one format

64-bit float double processing and an unmatched dynamic range characterize AAX plug-ins. The architecture is born for hybrid possibilities, delivering the same sound quality in both DSP and native domains. This means you can take your mix with you and collaborate with others who don’t own a Carbon interface.

HDX DSP acceleration

With eight built-in HDX DSP chips, Carbon is a powerhouse. No matter how big your session gets or how many plug-ins you load up, you can always record with less than 1ms latency. And you free up your computer’s CPU for virtual instruments and mixing.

New converters and preamps

With a dynamic range of 126 dB and support for 32-bit/192 kHz audio conversion, Carbon is also equipped with the best preamps Avid has ever delivered. With Carbon, you can be sure to make the absolute cleanest recordings either through the built-in preamps or by connecting your own favorites. With built-in variable impedance, you can get an optimally matched signal from any type of microphone, or from guitar and bass.

Lots of I/O

With 25×34 simultaneous in/out, Carbon is ready for any type of session from solo artist to full orchestra. Eight crystal-clear preamps, built-in talkback, four headphone outputs and 16-channel ADAT I/O open up countless possibilities for recording, cue mixing and monitoring with multiple speaker sets. The super-fast Ethernet connection not only ensures a stable signal path, but is also designed for future expansion.

Pro Tools and plug-ins included

Carbon comes with
1-year Pro Tools subscription with “perpetual parachute”*
115 AAX plug-ins (of which 70 AAX DSP plug-ins) i.a. UVI Falcon, Avid Complete Plug-in Bundle and Heat
5.4 GB audio library Additional plug-ins included:
• Arturia Rev PLATE-140
• Brainworx bx_console N

• Brainworx bx_rockrack
• Brainworx bx_masterdesk
• Brainworx Purple Audio MC77
• Embody Immerse Virtual Studio
• McDSP 6050 Ultimate Channel Strip HD
• Native Instruments Vintage Organs
• UTI Model D

*Carbon comes with a one-year Pro Tools subscription, which must be renewed annually if you want future updates. If you choose not to renew, the license will be converted to a perpetual license, allowing you to continue using Pro Tools and the plug-ins that came with perpetual licenses. If you already have a Pro Tools or Pro Tools Ultimate license (perpetual or subscription) with an active update plan, instead of starting a new subscription, you can choose to extend your current update plan or subscription by one year.

At launch, Carbon is only available on Mac computers and requires macOS Catalina and Pro Tools 2020.11. Windows compatibility is expected later.