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Avid Pro Tools First | Free DAW Overview

Avid Pro Tools is the industry standard. It’s the platform for virtually every studio because it excels at tracking, editing, mixing, and production. Pro Tools First provides an introduction to the gold standard DAW without committing to a pricey monthly subscription or perpetual license.

What is Pro Tools First?

First is a free download giving new DAW users an opportunity to experience why Pro Tools has been the leading DAW for music and film post-production. Choosing a DAW can be tough based on a number of factors, so being able to try a few out with no obligation is a must.

First is just a ‘lite’ version of the real deal, but it uses the same exact same format as the full version. The free version allows 16 audio tracks, 16 virtual instrument tracks, and lets you to record up to 4 tracks simultaneously.

First also comes with the Xpand!2 virtual instrument, plus a 500MB library of samples, loops, and sounds. It also includes session templates in different genres to help you get up and running right away.

Pro Tools First includes:

Session templates in different genres for quick start-up
Loop recording
Xpand!2 virtual instrument
MIDI editing tools
Soundbase for locating loops, samples, and sounds from the included 500MB sample library
20 effects/utility plugins
Track freeze saves CPU resources
Record up to 4 tracks simultaneously
Remotely collaborate with musicians as a member of Avid’s Artist Community

Session Templates

Templates give you a base to work from. Instead of opening up a blank session and having to create and route new audio tracks, virtual instrument tracks, auxiliary tracks, and more, you can pop open a genre-based template.

Related: Pro Tools Keyboard Shortcuts

Pro Tools First is about giving users fast and easy access to the full-fledged DAW. Especially if you’ve never used music production software before, the routing in Pro Tools can be a bit daunting. Luckily, you can start with a template to not only create music, but also to study before creating fresh sessions on your own.

Loop Recording

Loop recording is a fundamental DAW function that allows you to make a time-based selection and record multiple takes over and over. This makes tracking a bit easier, because you can capture a ton of different takes and then comp them together for one ‘super take’ later.

Xpand!2 Virtual Instrument

Pro Tools First includes a virtual instrument so you can experiment with sounds and produce your own music from the jump. Xpand!2 offers a pretty wide variety of sounds, from beats and drum loops, to guitar power chords.

The instrument has virtually everything you’d need to produce a full track, including strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, sound effects, and more. Avid Pro Tools First lets you stack up to 16 virtual instrument tracks.

Included Plugins

Effects, instruments, and utility plugins:

AIR Xpand!2 virtual instrument

Dynamics III Compressor/Limiter, De-Esser, and Expander/Gate

EQ III 1-Band and 7-band

D-Verb: studio-quality reverbs

Mod Delay III: modulating delay effects

Click II: metronome

DC Offset: removes pops and clicks caused by converters

Dither: reduce quantization artifacts when reducing bit-depth for 2-track master

Gain: boost or lower an audio clip’s volume

Invert: reverses phase of audio tracks

Normalize: optimize volume level

POWr Dither: retains highest audio quality when reducing bit-depth for mastering

Reverse: plays audio backwards

ReWire: stream audio and MIDI between Pro Tools and ReWire applications

Signal Generator: sine wave generator; use for calibrating your room with analysis software

Time Adjuster: delay compensation, gain compensation, and phase inversion

Time Shift: time stretch/pitch shift

Trim: gain adjustment for individual channels from infinity to +6dB or +12dB\

RELATED ARTICLE: Free Pro Tools Plugins: The ULTIMATE List

Pro Tools First System Requirements

In order to make sure the software works on your computer or laptop, be sure to check out the minimum system requirements. Most modern machines should be able to handle it, especially because it’s not as feature-rich as the full version. Fewer tracks means less CPU usage, and thus less horsepower required.

As of December 2020, Pro Tools First works best on the following Mac and Windows setups:

Mac:

Intel® Mac with macOS High Sierra (10.13.6), or macOS Mojave (10.14.5), or macOS Catalina (10.15.6)
Note: OS X 10.15.4 is NOT qualified, find out more.
Intel® i5 processor or higher
4GB RAM (8GB or more recommended)
Minimum 1280 Horizontal Monitor Resolution
Internet connection for installation
Minimum of 15GB disk space for installation
USB-port, FireWire-port or Thunderbolt-port for CoreAudio-supported audio device
Supports Marketplace in-app purchased AAX plug-ins in Pro Tools | First
PACE hard disk authorization (no iLok required)

Windows:

Intel® PC with Windows 10 (build 1909 only)
Note: Windows 8.1 and previous are no longer tested or supported with Pro Tools First
Intel® i5 processor or higher
4GB RAM (8GB or more recommended)
Minimum 1280 Horizontal Monitor Resolution
Internet connection for installation
Minimum of 15GB disk space for installation
USB-port or FireWire-port for ASIO-supported audio device OR install ASIO4ALL to use Pro Tools First with your PC’s built-in audio I/O
Supports Marketplace in-app purchased AAX plug-ins in Pro Tools | First
PACE hard disk authorization (no iLok required)

Pro Tools First Limitations

It’s a free introduction, so there will be limitations as to what you can do with Avid Pro Tools First. The biggest and most obvious restriction is track count and maximum inputs.

First caps users at 16 audio, MIDI, aux, and virtual instrument tracks, and 4 inputs. Compare this to the full version of Pro Tools which gives you 128 audio tracks, 1024 MIDI tracks, 128 aux tracks, 512 instrument tracks, and 32 inputs.

Next, Pro Tools First comes with only a fraction of the plugins and instruments included in the full version. Compare First’s 23 plugins/virtual instruments to the 116 included with the paid software.

In terms of mixing, First lacks a seriously useful tool called Clip Gain. Clip Gain in the full DAW lets you turn individual audio clips up or down in volume. This is indispensable when mixing in a variety of ways.

And if you plan to use the free DAW for any light video post-production, think again. Unfortunately, First does not support a video engine.

Avid Pro Tools First: Conclusion

For a free DAW, First is pretty comprehensive. You can do most of what the paid software does with some basic limitations — the biggest being track count.

If you’re on the fence about which DAW is right for you, there’s nothing to lose in giving Pro Tools First a shot.