Best Editing System?

LOGAN L Productions

LOGAN L Productions

I am looking for the best possible editing software for my new PC. I'm looking at Avid rather than Adobe based on what I've read...

...but even within Avid, there is Liquid and Xpress and FX...which one is the best - most professional. I am working with DVX footage, but want the capacity for HD and as many features as one program can have. Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!
 
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Sonny you hit the nail on the head. It's all down to trying each system. Now if you can get a AVID system then you are laughing but best bet go to local suppliers and ask to try each program, each version.

It's funny that I generally hate Macs but prefer editing on a Mac based system. Odd... But the car ananlogy is spot on. I love Toyota's yet my partner can't drive them because she is too short.

Sonny - What I meant was it's an arse to use and pick up. The software is great on Adobe because it does interact with other Adobe programs which is superb but generally i found the interface and stability very variable.

Also as will all Adobe stuff it's great when you pick it up but it takes a while, whilst I found FCP to be easier!
 
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I'd just like to say that, if you're editing on a PC, it might be wise to use a dedicated PC for editing. In my experience, which is beyond most, when it comes to personal computers (I started programming on a Commodore Vic 20 in 1981, and I've been a professional software developer ever since, working for IBM on PC's, mainframes, AS-400s, Risc 6000s, PS2s, with VM/SP, MVC, CMS, OS/2, DOS, Windows, AIX, and OS400, then started my own business 13 years ago doing software development for Windows 3.1 to XP, OS/2, DOS, and Linux). I know my systems really well, inside and out. Those of you who are still reading can heed this statement, or write me off as a "uninformed", if you wish....

Windows does NOT have a coherent security model. It is inherently unsecure, and if you wish to have a reliable editing system on Windows, keep it firewalled off from the internet (with an external firewall). All of those anti-virus packages and software firewalls interfere with the operation and performance of the machine, and catching some poorly written worm/virus is sure to cause system problems that will impact your schedule. When editing, system performance is a big deal, so you don't need a slew of background processes sapping your performance. Also, you don't need your schedule to be impacted by pesky infections.

That is my professional opinion.
 
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OakStreet is 100% correct in my opinion too. I always use a seperate computer for editing that is not tied to the Internet and does not have games, word processors, or anything else on it. That's why my edit systems are clean & work well with pretty much all the time.
 
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I'd just like to say that, if you're editing on a PC, it might be wise to use a dedicated PC for editing.
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I really agree with this.

I've colleague who is a PC based film maker, who also builds machines and this is his take as well -- a machine for editing shouldn't even have internet capacity -- He makes a machine specifically for grunt media work -- which actually is a pretty cheap machine to build -- and at the same time faster than an all purpose machine.

I've got to say that the one thing that almost swayed me into ditching FCP and learning Adobe was the fact that I could run it on an ultra fast/ultra cheap PC -- that and the real improvements they've built into the new version of the software.

The only thing that stopped me was I've invested too many years in understanding macs for creative work to start from scratch with a different OS.
 
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Yeah those new Macs sure do look nice! It's almost too bad really. I'd love to get one but I can build the same level of machine for a lot less which is really the only reason I haven't gone Mac yet.
 
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Yeah those new Macs sure do look nice! It's almost too bad really. I'd love to get one but I can build the same level of machine for a lot less which is really the only reason I haven't gone Mac yet.
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I want everyone to know, that I restrained myself from responding to this. Ohhhhhh, it hurts to keep silent.
 
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ok shaw...$$$ where mouth ;) ...All the parts for your comparable system with links and prices. You should include software (Final cut express or pro -- perhaps FC studio vs The Adobe Studio). And add harddrives for 512 Gb of storage. Make the assumption that your viewers will be able to put together or find someone to put together the machine. Use the base model of the mac pro for comparison.
 
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Loud Orange Cat said:
I want to get that new quad Mac Pro workstation for an editing box. They start at $2500. Not bad.

<homer>
drool
</homer>
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I'm now cutting uncompressed 1080/24p HD (telecined from S16mm) on my mac (g5 quad) and it's sweet! A G5 quad, plus the AJA Kona LHe card, and a 5-drive SATA array is all you need to cut 1080 24p uncompressed now. The whole system costs less than a used Ford..
The new Mac Pros will be even better.

I'm not aware if Premiere or anything besides AVID can do this on the PC. Besides, the new Intel Macs turn into a PC if you add a spare drive for Windows! Presto, instant dedicated editing system and general purpose PC in one box..

Also, rental costs for Sony HDCAM cameras/decks have been dropping due to the newer HDCAM-SR format and upstart competitors like RED. But HDCAM is still just as nice as it was last year! Near 35mm theatrical quality editing on the desktop..
 
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Hehe, looks like I stirred up the hornets nest on this one :D

I'll post specs soon and prices. Hopefully I won't be proven an idiot but this has been my previous experience with both macs and PCs. I can build one for less than someone else can build it for me. Off to collect my papers and links!

EDIT:

The main problem we have here is that buying woodcrest chips is pretty much impossible for individuals (yet at least - as soon as they are available to the public then the comparison can be made) which makes the comparison a bit moot. I'm still looking to see if I can find a place to get my hands on them of course. The only real benefit in going with Xeon is that you can have multiple processors per board. I find this somewhat ironic though since none of Apples software is really set up to take advantage of the extra two cores.
 
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LOGAN L Productions said:
I'm really looking for something with great audio control and that works fastest.
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While I feel that audio is something best left to a seperate package than to be lumped into an NLE you're editing your video footage on, Vegas has a very nice package for both audio and video in one piece of software. It's easy to learn. As far as "working fastest" that is really going to depend on your processor, as they all for the most part are dependent on that piece of the puzzle.

I will say this though, with the new Adobe Suite, everything integrates seamlessly, updates in, say after effects, are instantly available in the timeline on Premiere without having to reload the asset. As clive stated, their audio editor is top notch, with some features that will blow you away (It's called Audition, not soundtrack) Also, with my dual core processor and GeForce 7800 GT video card, I can preview at full quality, even with processor intensive 'magic bullet' coloring applied, without having to render first.

I prefer Adobe, because the 'Production Studio' suite of programs offers everything I need, not only for Audio or Video (Audition and Premiere), but also DVD authoring (Encore), Print design (Photoshop and Illustrator) etc.. For a easy learning curve, and a decent set of tools Vegas is probably the way to go. It's not strictly a 'professional' choice, not for lack of power but rather lack of acceptance by the 'professional' community.

There are really 3 choices for "Professional" (by that I mean commercially accepted and used industry wide) NLE platforms. Avid (for Mac and PC), Final Cut Pro (for Mac) and Adobe (for PC)
 
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Vegas!

I bought Vegas. I have never used Vegas before recently, but it has SO many features, effects, etc. for such a low price. I am pleasantly surprised! I've been using a 2003 version of Premiere and Vegas is INFINITELY better than that. I had to put the video through so many programs before and now I can control sound, effects, filters, etc. all in one program. Badass. I suggest it...its my new preference. Never could get ahold of a trilal version of Avid...but I've used Final Cut and Premiere and Vegas is so much faster, easier, and effect rich. Thanks for all the input guys!
 
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Just to throw in my $0.02

We use Vegas for video editing. I tested demos of Premiere & Liquid (when it was a Pinnacle product), but the Vegas program just made total sense. I'm sure the other programs all work just fine, but Vegas clicked with me at the intuitive level that the others did not.

Charles does all of the audio mastering in separate programs (I couldn't even begin to comprehend all of the audio things he can do with the tools he has...). In the end, he provides a single WAV file that drops in to the audio layer of Vegas.
 
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My 2c

I use a mac and FCP. Doesnt mean its right for everyone but heres my whys: RT effects - my final outputs with fewer renders are looking great. Integration (adobe has same) with Soundtrack pro, motion, compressor, DVD studio pro, Cinema tools. Now that shake dropped from thousands of dollars down to $500, that too. So my point is FC Studio offers me a total end to end solution which is one of my number one NEEDS.

The overall feel of FCP is intuitive (to me). I can have a timeline with video and sound files take one into another application, edit jump back to the timeline and have the edit sitting there, with the original unaltered.

I havent used Ppro 2 I came from ppro 1.5 and FCP is a big leap ahead IMO. But there were many updates in ppro 2, so Im sure its changed a bit. I guess my beef with Adobe and this is a big factor for me is upgrade and cost. from ppro 1.5 to 2 the upgrade price was pretty expensive. Now with the new FCP 6 imminent I am not so worried as my upgrade will be a whole $99.
 
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ncje said:
I havent used Ppro 2 I came from ppro 1.5 and FCP is a big leap ahead IMO. But there were many updates in ppro 2, so Im sure its changed a bit. I guess my beef with Adobe and this is a big factor for me is upgrade and cost. from ppro 1.5 to 2 the upgrade price was pretty expensive. Now with the new FCP 6 imminent I am not so worried as my upgrade will be a whole $99.
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There were some hefty changes in the new Premiere Pro.. the render engine was pretty much totally rewritten, as well as all the integration stuff and whatnot.. So yes, the upgrade cost was much higher, but it wasn't just a few minor changes either, it was a completely new package.
 
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There were some hefty changes in the new Premiere Pro.. the render engine was pretty much totally rewritten, as well as all the integration stuff and whatnot.. So yes, the upgrade cost was much higher, but it wasn't just a few minor changes either, it was a completely new package.
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I've seen the demos -- Will is right Premiere Pro is a whole new animal and a real contender for the professional videographer -- and I really get the impression that they're targetting people who use lower end formats and who are using minimal crews -- they've really put a lot of thought into how the software can overcome the short comings and common faults of single operator shoots -- ie. bad sound.

I don't see me switching from FCP any time soon, but it's not to do with short comings in the software anymore.
 
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Okay, time for my $0.02.

I use Premiere 6.5 on Windows 2000 on an Athlon XP 3500 with 2GB of RAM. I hate XP and refuse to run it. 2000 has a small memory footprint and 'just works' without all that online authorization crap.

I plan on buying a new Intel based Mac within a year and put FCP on it. I just can't use Windows anymore. The anti-virus, firewalls, spyware, malware, trojans, CRASHES... The list of Windows dislikes is endless.
 
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