Pro Tools 9 by AVID (former Digidesign Pro Tools) is now 100% native, which means it will run on any qualified computer (desktop or laptop) without need for an AVID hardware such as HD cards, mixer controllers like 003 and 003 and portable recording interfaces like mbox and mBox mini.

The new version of Pro Tools 9 eliminates the distinction between HD and LE systems (so what happens to the TDM architecture?) with upgrade options mostly confined to the purchase of Music Production Toolkit 2 (additional track counts and additional plugins).

But most important in the ProTools 9 are the following features:

• Automatic Delay Compensation is built-in
• No AVID hardware needed, will work with any computer with a soundcard
• No distinction between HD and LE systems
• Included 70+ virtual instruments, sound processing plug-ins
• Included OMF/AAF/MXF interchange for working with other audio and video software systems like Final Cut Pro, Cubase, Logic and others.
• Mixing/monitoring in surround

Watch this Pro Tools 9 video feature from AVID:

And here’s one of the first early Pro Tools 9 reviews with an onscreen demonstration via a ProTools9 session:

Related links: Recording studio with Pro Tools HD