Is this something new or has it been around for a while?
Can Cakewalk products (or any other brands for that matter) run it or is it strictly an Avid/Digidesigns/Pro Tools thing?

Mike 

It's relatively new (last October) - stands for Avid Audio eXtension, and at least in part, is intended to streamline Avid's various formats I think - RTAS, TDM. Now there's AAX native and AAX DSP. It'll also allow Avid to transition to 64 bit processing.

I doubt there'd be any advantage for any other DAW manufacturer to adopt the standards - just a way for Avid to catch up w/ VST and AU and enter the realm of 64 bit processing.

Thanks Krist.
That makes sense.
I still find it hard to believe that 64bit has had such a long hard road being accepted by some of these company's.

OK, I can see waiting a year or two to make sure that it's actually going to stick around.
But I know for a fact that 64bit has been around since at least 2006 when I first got into PC recording because my first PC came with XP 64.
WTH have these company's like Pro Tools and Waves been waiting for? 
Come on in boys, don't be afraid.......... The water's fine.

Mike

I think the TDM standard imposed some sort of limitation and made it impossible for them to adopt 64 bit earlier. But they also had to maintain some sort of backwards compatibility, plus they already had different standards for Native and DSP. 

The funny thing is that Waves is now ready to move to 64 bit - almost as if they'd been waiting on Pro Tools to go 64.

so i havent been in the digital recording game in like 10 years. where can i get a VST or whatever plugin i need for rapture?

Deex78
so i havent been in the digital recording game in like 10 years. where can i get a VST or whatever plugin i need for rapture?

Rapture itself IS a VST...more specifically, a VSTi...

VST stands for "Virtual Studio Technology", and was developed by Steinberg.
A VSTi is a "Virtual Studio Technology Instrument", which is what Rapture is...

These standards require a VST compatible host, usually a DAW or stand alone app...

ok thank you but i guess i asked the wrong question. why sound? is that where the DAW comes into play
 

Or do i literally just need like a midi or something hardware wise to plug in and Rapture is only there to manipulate the sound of what device is connected

Deex78
Or do i literally just need like a midi or something hardware wise to plug in and Rapture is only there to manipulate the sound of what device is connected

Actually it's the opposite.  A MIDI Interface (keyboard or controller) is designed to utilize
the VSTi.  The notes on the Keyboard send a MIDI message sent to the VSTi to activate
whatever sound is mapped to that note.  So, if you have a Piano VSTi, and play Middle C
on the Keyboard, you will be playing Middle C on the Piano VSTi.

Some VSTi's have "virtual Keyboards" on the interface.  If you press a note on that keyboard
you get the associated sound, so that you don't need a MIDI controller.