Will Don't Crack, Nomad And Others Support The New Aax Format For Pro Tools?, Support for AAX format? Options

[Audio Doctor]

I purchased the VIP bundle on a whim during the VIP sale and have been pleased with the plugs in VIP. I also look forward to the new plugs being released in 2012.

However I am moving to the new HDX DSP card soon to be released by AVID for their industry leading DAW software, Pro Tools.
Per my understanding the new HDX card will only support AVID's new plug in format called AAX.

This format comes in two flavors. AAX-DSP, the counterpart to TDM, and AAX-Native, the counterpart to RTAS.
I'm extremely hopeful that Don't Crack, Nomad and other developers will embrace this format change by developing their plug-ins for AAX.

Without development of AAX-Native plug-in format, my VIP bundle will be rendered useless.
One way of getting around this in the short term would be to develop an AAX wrapper for RTAS use in AAX.
But in the long term, a dedicated AAX-Native release would be a much better choice.

Pro Tools is arguably the most popular and widely used DAW in the world.
Yet Waves is releasing 64 bit versions of their plugs in First Quarter 2012 and work on the AAX format will begin AFTER that.

Sonnox has two plug-ins ready for AAX, the Oxford EQ and the Inflator. But purchasers of Sonnox plug-ins other than these two products will have to surrender their TDM version and receive a 75% discount on the AAX versions. The other option from Sonnox is for users to keep their TDM versions and receive a 40% discount toward purchase of the AAX versions.
I will be waiting to purchase both the Sonnox Elite and Restore bundle once they are released in AAX format as there will be no change in product price from the current price structure for TDM and or Native.

"Smaller" plug manufacturers such as Softube have already developed for this format. In fact, realizing that my Waves TDM Diamond bundle will be useless until Waves develops for AAX, I have already purchased all Softube plugs that are ready in AAX and as well as TDM versions of Softube plugs that interested me during the Softube sale that ended November 17th 2011. Softube offers a FREE upgrade to AAX for any product purchased from their company as soon as they are released.

Nomad is running a special right now where Magnetic 1 can be upgraded to Magnetic 2 for $20.00 and owners of any Nomad product can purchase the Nomad complete product line for $99.00 thru December 31st, 2011. I would jump at the chance to have the Nomad complete package for a pittance if I knew there would be an AAX version upgrade path, especially if it were at no charge, similar to the Softube program.

From my perspective, development of the AAX format from smaller plug-in developers as soon as possible makes perfect business sense. The smaller players have the opportunity to gain a larger customer base because their larger competitors are slow to develop AAX versions. Plus early HDX card adopter's plug in choices will be severely limited, thereby giving smaller and less well known companies the chance to jump ahead of their larger competitors by sheer availability!

I ran my (then Digidesign) Mix platform for over 7 years.
I adopted Pro Tools HD in 2007, two years after it was introduced when I made a huge update to my Control Room A with an ICON. It is now close to 2012 and AVID has made a reasonably priced upgrade path to HDX available until December 31st 2011; thereby making Pro Tools HD's lifespan 7 years.

According to AVID, HDX's lifespan will be 7-10 years. I believe this based upon the company's past history.

Pro Tools 10 will be the last release to support TDM and RTAS. After that, all of your AVID and third party software AND your AVID hardware go the way of the Dinosaurs. Will it make the smaller and perhaps more agile software developer's lifespan die an early and untimely death should they NOT develop for AAX as early as possible?

Comments anyone?

This post has been edited by Audio Doctor: Nov 20 2011, 10:05 AM