For years, MPE users have had to rule out Pro Tools. Per-note pitch bend, pressure and slide did not fit its MIDI model, and expressive players looked elsewhere. That changes with Pro Tools 2026.11, which, according to Production Expert's coverage, adds native MPE support alongside a new Extensions format and built-in stem separation. Avid has details on its What's New page.
What the MPE support offers
Production Expert describes the feature as letting each note in a chord have its own pitch, timbre and pressure control. In the app, you can set any Instrument or MIDI track as an MPE track and connect an MPE-compatible controller, whether it has keys, pads or ribbons. Pro Tools then routes the expressive data to the corresponding notes, which should remove the need for manual MIDI channel workarounds.
Beyond live playing, the article says you can record, edit and automate these per-note parameters natively. MPE data appears in dedicated lanes in the Edit window and MIDI editors, and notes and automation are colour-coded by MIDI channel. That last detail is practical: MPE assigns each note its own channel, so seeing channels at a glance makes it easier to understand which expression belongs to which note.
This follows earlier signals. MPE support in Pro Tools was previewed at NAMM 2026, and we covered the preview in our article on Pro Tools MPE support at NAMM 2026. The 2026.11 release appears to be where it becomes available to users.
What is not yet clear
The coverage leaves a few questions open, and it is worth being careful here. The article does not list which instruments have been tested, does not mention pitch bend range settings, and does not state any per-track or per-channel limits. It mentions Equator 2 and Pigments only as examples of instruments you could use with an MPE controller, not as officially supported or bundled. If you rely on a particular controller or plugin, test it in the free trial before you rebuild a workflow around it.
Our checklist of five questions to ask before buying MPE gear is a good model for that kind of testing, and the same logic applies to any DAW update that promises MPE.
The rest of the release
MPE is one of several headline additions. Pro Tools Extensions is a new plugin format separate from AAX. Extensions are not tied to tracks or audio processing and remain available even when no session is open. The first wave includes Avid's own Stem Separator, plus third-party Extensions from Pro Sound Effects, Forte, Soundly and Pibox, and a redesigned side panel with browser-style tabs.
The Stem Separator splits audio into up to six stems: vocals, drums, bass, guitar, keys and other. Production Expert reports that processing happens locally with no upload or internet connection needed, and that Avid does not use customers' audio to train AI models. The release also adds auto-colouring for alternate takes and native Windows HiDPI scaling.
Price and compatibility
According to the article, the update is free for Pro Tools subscribers, perpetual licence holders with an active Upgrade Plan, and Pro Tools Intro users. Subscription tiers are listed as Artist ($9.99 per month or $99 per year), Studio ($34.99 per month or $299 per year) and Ultimate ($99 per month or $599 per year). It is available through Avid Link or your Avid Account, with a 30-day trial. The article does not say whether MPE availability differs between tiers, so confirm that on Avid's site.
On macOS, supported versions are Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe; on Windows, Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2.
Where this leaves the DAW landscape
With Pro Tools on board, the major DAWs now mostly accept MPE in some form, though implementation depth still varies widely. If you are comparing options, our DAW MPE support comparison shows how editing, recording and routing differ.
The takeaway: Pro Tools 2026.11 removes a long-standing barrier for expressive players who work in post-production and studios built around Avid. Test your own controller first, and watch for Avid's documentation to fill in the details.