ACID Pro - History

History

When it was first launched in 1998 as a loop-based music sequencer, Acid Pro was the first-ever automatic audio loop-based music software of its kind, where someone could simply drag-and-drop an Acid loop file (for example a drum or bass loop) onto a track in Acid, and that loop would automatically adjust itself to the tempo and key of the song, with virtually no sonic degradation.

Due to this breakthrough, ACID became very popular with composers, producers, and DJs in the late 1990s and early 2000s, interested in quickly creating beats, music textures, or even complete compositions and orchestrations, that would work with virtually any tempo or key signature, and these loops would adjust automatically. To be able to do this, Sony's Acid Pro uses specially prepared or "Acidized" music wave files which can be prepared using an audio editing tool such as Sony Soundforge. (for more information on audio editing, see sound effect techniques).

Since then, this looping technique has been adopted by the majority of other digital audio workstations on the market, which can also use these acidized loop files. Acid Pro runs on PCs with all versions of Microsoft Windows since Windows 2000. It currently includes over 20 DirectX audio effects, employs the new Media Manager technology, the Beatmapper tool, and the Chopper tool, as well the ability to mix in 5.1 channel surround.

With Acid Pro 6 (released in Q3-2006), Sony introduced a full digital audio workstation which also includes MIDI and multitrack audio recording with full support for ASIO, VST, and VSTI audio, plugins, and music synthesizer standards.

Sonic Foundry sold the Vegas, ACID, Sound Forge, CD Architect, Siren, VideoFactory, ScreenBlast, and Batch Converter product lines to Sony Pictures Digital in July 2003.

Acid Pro 7 now includes a mixing console with vertical faders and more options.