Avid announce their first Thunderbolt interface - the HD Native Thunderbolt interface.

In an exclusive, Avid have announced the new Pro Tools HD Thunderbolt Native box, taking a HD Native card and putting it inside a standalone box, along with what is described as one of the best headphone amps around.

The new box gives all the same features of HD Native but allows users to use it with any Thunderbolt equipped desktop or laptop. Performace will differ from machine to machine, but one will be arriving shortly at Pro Tools Expert HQ where we’ll be putting it through its paces.

Here are some FAQs which we’ve had exclusive answers to from some of the Avid team.

Can I Use It Without Avid Hardware As A Standalone Device?

No it needs at least one Avid interface.

Will It Work With Any Thunderbolt Computer?

That depends on the machine, as different machines have different chipsets. It is qualified to work with all i7 based machines.

What Is The Headphone Story?

This is a brand new audiophile quality headphone design for high quality headphone monitoring, we’ve been told ‘it has to be heard to be believed’. More in our review.

Are There Hardware Upgrades?

There’s a very attractive discount (see below) for Mbox Pro and 00 users.

There’s some attractive pricing for hardware upgrades from non HD hardware.

Pricing

Description In-VAT / Ex-VAT

Pro Tools|HD Native + HD I/O 16x16 Analog System £ 5,518.80 £4,599.00 Pro Tools|HD Native + HD MADI System £ 5,518.80 £4,599.00 Pro Tools|HD Native + HD I/O 8x8x8 System £ 4,798.80 £3,999.00 Pro Tools|HD Native + HD OMNI System £ 3,958.80 £3,299.00 Mbox Family / 00x to HD|Native + HD OMNI Exchange £ 3,118.80 £2,599.00

Download PDF spec sheet

More info here http://www.avid.com/hdnative