The only thing that matters is that AAX plugins only work in Pro Tools.įor many, this is a real pain. If you’re not a Pro Tools user, you do not need to worry about AAX plugins.
The AAX format combines the best of both worlds from Avid’s prior plug-in formats: RTAS and TDM.
However, these plugins can run on DSP acceleration hardware as well as natively on your computer (but not always both, it depends on the plugin). AAX plugins can be instruments or effects, just like AU or VST plugins. In this article, we’ll explain what AAX plugins are and what makes them different to other plugin formats like VST and AU.ĪAX ( Avid Audio eXtension ) is a plug-in format developed by Avid technologies in 2011, the company behind Pro Tools.ĪAX is Avid’s own plugin format for use in Pro Tools and other Avid media software. If you’re a Pro Tools user, you probably already use these plugins without realizing. Plugin format acronyms can generally be confusing, with the most common being VST, AU, and AAX.ĪAX is Avid’s own audio plugin format and is a successor to their previous “Real Time AudioSuite” ( RTAS) plugin standard. Also check out our guide to VST vs AU plugins.What’s the difference between AAX, AU, and VST plugins?.
