Pro Tools 101_ An Introduction to Pro Tools 11 ( PDFDrive )

Pro Tools will convert files on import, if necessary. Pro Tools can import
many common audio file formats, including the following:
▪ Sound Designer II (SD II). SD II is a monophonic or stereo interleaved
file format supported on Macintosh systems only. This format supports
only 44.1- and 48-kHz sample rates and can be imported into sessions on
either platform with conversion.
▪ Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF). This file format is used
primarily on Macintosh systems, although the Windows versions of Pro
Tools also support this file format. AIFF files can be recorded directly or
imported without requiring conversion. The AIFF file format is
commonly used with multimedia software programs for Macintosh, such
as Final Cut, and is the standard audio file format used by Apple’s
QuickTime software.
▪ Audio Interchange File Compressed (AIFC). A variant of the original
AIFF audio file standard for the Macintosh, AIFC allows users to apply
audio compression standards to AIFF files. In Avid systems, AIFC file
compression is usually turned off; as such, there is essentially no
difference between the Avid AIFC format and the standard AIFF file
format.
▪ Waveform Audio File Format (WAV/WAVE). Pro Tools reads and
plays back any standard WAV (WAVE) format files. However, it records
and exports WAV files exclusively in the Broadcast WAV or BWF format.
(Like other WAV files, BWF files are denoted by the .wav extension.)
BWF files store timestamps in a way that makes them ideal for file
interchange operations. BWF is the default file format for both Mac- and
Windows-based Pro Tools systems. BWF/WAV files can be recorded
directly and imported (without conversion) on either platform, allowing
seamless audio file exchange between Mac and Windows.
▪ MP3 (MPEG-1 Layer-3). MP3 files are supported on all common
computer platforms and employ file compression of 10:1, while still
maintaining reasonable audio quality. Because of their small size and
cross-platform support, they are well suited for use in email messages,
web publishing, bulk file transfer, and storage. MP3 files must be
converted for import to a Pro Tools session.
▪ Windows Media Audio (WMA). The WMA Standard format is a
popular, Windows-only compressed audio format. The WMA