San Francisco, Calif. — AES: Digidesign today unveiled the third and newest member of its acclaimed Digidesign® 003® family — 003® Rack+ Factory. Featuring eight high-quality microphone preamps, 003 Rack+ Factory is a powerful option for those needing additional mic inputs to handle more complex recording projects. “Today, Pro Tools LE users are taking on more demanding recording projects than ever before — both inside the studio as well as on stage,” says Dusty DiMercurio, Digidesign's marketing manager for personal studio products. “The 003 Rack+ addresses a common customer request for additional microphone inputs to record more sources simultaneously without relying on additional outboard gear. We're very excited to offer the 003 Rack+ Factory to these users as the next evolutionary step in our 003 product family.”

With 18 simultaneous channels of I/O, 003 Rack+ boasts the most extensive array of analog and digital audio I/O ever available from a Pro Tools LE® system, making it the ideal nexus of any home or project studio. Topping the I/O list are eight studio-quality mic preamps, which each feature switchable 48V phantom power and 20 dB pads, high-quality analog high-pass filters, and front-panel trim controls. For instruments and line-level connections, it offers eight analog DI/line inputs and outputs, including one DI/line input on the front panel for quick and easy plug-and-play recording. Digital connections include eight channels of ADAT optical I/O and two channels of S/PDIF digital I/O, along with 16 channels of MIDI I/O.

Dedicated studio monitor outputs and alternate control room outputs allow for connecting two sets of speakers, and dual discrete headphone outputs are ideal for providing separate mixes for the artist and recording engineer. Also included are a host of professional features, including BNC Word Clock I/O and alternate source input for external device monitoring.

003 Rack+ Factory comes bundled with Pro Tools LE 7.4 software; initial purchasers will be eligible to receive a free software upgrade to Pro Tools LE 8 when it becomes available. 003 Rack+ Factory also includes over 80 professional effects and virtual instrument plug-ins (valued at over $3,000), supports a wide variety of third-party plug-ins and software options, and allows for powerful expandability through Digidesign toolkit software options.

003 Rack+ Factory is available for pre-order, with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1,695. Digidesign has also reduced the price of the 003 Rack Factory to $1,495 (reflecting a $200 price drop). In addition, Digidesign offers a unique hardware exchange program, allowing legacy Pro Tools LE and select competitive product owners to trade in their hardware for a discount toward the purchase of a new 003 system; the program will be extended to include the new 003 Rack+ Factory as well.

Visit Digidesign at the AES Convention in San Francisco, Calif., in booth #701 to see 003 Rack+ Factory and Pro Tools® 8 software in action. For more information, visit www.digidesign.com.

About Digidesign

Digidesign is a worldwide leading manufacturer of digital audio production systems and the winner of the 2001 Technical Grammy® Award and 2003 Oscar® statuette representing the Academy Scientific and Technical Award for the design, development, and implementation of the Pro Tools® digital audio workstation. Digidesign provides the professional music, film, video, multimedia, and radio broadcast industries with tools for digital recording, MIDI sequencing, editing, signal processing, and surround mixing. Digidesign products are marketed in more than 40 countries worldwide through a distribution network of value-added dealers, distributors, and OEM relationships. Digidesign is a part of Avid Technology, Inc. For more information, visit www.digidesign.com.

[tags]Digidesign 003 Rack+ Factory, Pro Tools LE users[/tags]