A little sketchy

1 min read

In their latest update to Pro Tools, Avid introduced Sketch, a new loop-based route to building up fresh ideas…

With the launch of Pro Tools Sketch – part of the 2023.9 update – Avid is making an even bolder play for the Logic and Live market. On desktop, Sketch is available as a dedicated window within all versions of Pro Tools (including Artist), and is designed to function as a self-contained music-making environment. There are various ways, however, to integrate it with Pro Tools’ traditional timeline.

Sketch is focused around a clip-launching workflow that owes an obvious debt to Ableton Live. However, Sketch also has whiffs of Apple’s GarageBand’s Live Loops and Touch Instruments. In its current state, Sketch offers a significantly pared-back take on the Pro Tools toolset. It lets users create using up to 16 tracks of audio or MIDI clips and unlimited scenes.

Tracks can make use of an included 1GB+ library of loops and samples, along with over 30 instruments for Avid’s Playcell sample player and more than 100 presets for the SynthCell virtual synth. There are also nine effects that can be applied to individual tracks. Simple audio and MIDI editing tools enable users to program and adjust their loops.

The main drawback right now is a lack of plugin support, although Avid tells us that AAX support is on the roadmap for the near future, for the desktop version of Sketch at least. The most appealing aspect of Sketch right now is how seamlessly it works with the main Pro Tools timeline. While the Sketch window has it

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Computer Music Magazine

1 November 2023

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