Update: Avid Pro Tools 2021.6 – June 2021 Release

The Avid Pro Tools 2021.6 update, released today, features the HDX Hybrid Engine, M1 Mac support, UI customization, and lots more. Below, read the information that comes from the Avid Resource Center with some videos.

What’s new in Avid Pro Tools 2021.6

HDX Hybrid Engine

Turbocharge HDX Systems with the Hybrid Engine. Work with M1-based Macs running macOS Big Sur. Create with more voices, tracks, and I/O. Customize Dark and Classic UI themes. And, if you’re an annual subscriber, fuel your creativity with over $1,500 in plugins, sounds, and training content, FREE with the new Pro Tools Inner Circle program. The latest version of Pro Tools brings you all this and more.

Pro Tools adds support for M1 Macs

With the June 2021 release, you can now run Pro Tools | First, Pro Tools, and Pro Tools | Ultimate as well as Pro Tools | Carbon systems on the latest Macs that use Apple’s new M1 silicon processors.

*Before installing Pro Tools on an M1 Mac, please visit our compatibility page and our dedicated Pro Tools macOS Big Sur support page to ensure that your system and workflow are fully supported.

See our M1 Compatibility list for all products we carry.

Record and mix bigger sessions with more I/O, tracks, and voices

Pro Tools and Pro Tools | Ultimate now support a maximum of 64 channels of I/O—up from 32. Pro Tools now supports a maximum of 256 mono or stereo audio tracks at all sample rates—up from 128 at 48 kHz. And Pro Tools | Ultimate now supports a maximum of 2,048 voices and audio tracks at all sample rates—5x more than previous versions. This means you can track bigger sessions and work with a lot more outboard gear using any Core Audio or ASIO interface. And with more voices, you can handle the largest sessions without constraint.

Customize the Dark and Classic UI themes

Get an unprecedented level of control over the look and feel of Pro Tools. You can now change the brightness and saturation of almost every aspect of the user interface. Save your favorite settings as presets and switch between them at any time. Plus, you can now toggle between the Dark and Classic UI themes dynamically, without having to restart Pro Tools.

QuickTime and file support improvements

(Pro Tools | Ultimate only)

Pro Tools 2021.6 adds important functionality to the Bounce Mix window, including same as source video export, AAC audio export up to 7.1, as well as the ability to import, play, and export H.265/HEVC video in Pro Tools | Ultimate.

Get Automatic Delay Compensation on side chains

Side-chaining lets you use an external signal to trigger dynamics, EQ, or other effects on a track. From compressing a bass to cut through each time the kick drum hits and creating classic EDM pumping effects, to auto-ducking a music bed when it interferes with dialogue, it’s a technique producers use to dial in the perfect mix. And now Pro Tools will apply the correct amount of delay compensation when side-chaining tracks to keep the timing in perfect sync—a feature previously only available for Pro Tools | HDX.

Pro Tools 2021.6 release notes

Read the full release notes on the Updates tab on the Pro Tools product page.