EQ Magazine - January 2009 - (Page 54)

GEAR HEAD external MIDI gear). It’s also an excellent compositional tool with a different “feel” than a standard DAW. And even if you have a primary DAW program, Live LE is a useful complement that opens up other musical options—it provides an inexpensive, simple way to get some of that “Live mojo” in your studio. While LE lacks some features that make Live such an exceptional program, the cost savings are substantial. However, if you download the trials and prefer the full version, you’ll probably regret not getting it over LE. Live 7 still offers savings compared to the Ableton Suite, and you can always add more instruments and content a piece at a time, as your financial situation permits. www.ableton.com SONY VEGAS MOVIE STUDIO PLATINUM PRO PACK ($129.95 BOXED, $114.95 DOWNLOAD WITH LESS CONTENT) If you’re thinking “Why is EQ reviewing a video program?,” Vegas Movie Studio is actually five programs in one: video editor, hard disk audio recorder, digital audio editing program (Sound Forge Audio Studio, Sony’s “lite” version of Sound Forge, is included), DVD creator, and Cinescore, an automatic score generator that has to be heard to be believed. However, like Vegas Pro, there’s no support for MIDI. This is the highest-end version of the Movie Studio series; the lower-level versions (Vegas Movie Studio $69.95 packaged/$54.95 download, and Vegas Movie Studio Platinum ($99.95/$84.95) are more video-only and contain less content. However, given the relatively minor price difference and many extra features, EQ recommends the Platinum Pro Pack. What you don’t get: Compared to Vegas Pro, there are four video and four audio tracks instead of unlimited track counts. (However, you can have an unlimited number of events per video and audio track.) There are also some workflow limitations: You can’t save customized window layouts or create templates, no recording of automation (you can draw envelopes, though), and no control surface support. DVD authoring is basic, but the choice of delivery media sure isn’t: You can burn to video and multimedia CDs, DVD, Blu-Ray(!), and both Disc-AtOnce and Track-At-Once Red Book CDs. Audio-wise, maximum bit depth/resolution is 16/48kHz, whereas Pro does 24/192kHz and 5.1 surround. The same limitations apply to Sound Forge Audio Studio. Pro includes 35 DirectX effects (many automatable) as opposed to Studio’s 25 DirectX effects, which aren’t automatable (nor are 3rd-party DX effects). And there’s no bussing for aux or effects (everything dumps into the master out), or on-the-fly punch-in recording. More esoteric limitations include no support for certain high-end video boards, Broadcast WAV files, systemwide media management, or 32-bit float video processing. Titling is basic, but adequate; however, Vegas Pro includes the Pro Type titler. Also, only Vegas Pro offers 64-bit Windows Vista compatibility—when time is money, that can be a big deal. What you get that you didn’t expect: The Cinescore plug-in, which generates soundtracks based on criteria Vegas Movie Studio’s brilliant one-window interface places video, audio, browsing, transitions, and effects at your fingertips. The floating window is Cinescore, which is about to generate a high-energy techno-type soundtrack. Note the extensive crossfading and automation on the lower audio track. you specify, is very cool, and not included with Vegas Pro (Sony assumes pro users will buy the full Cinescore version, which is more versatile). Also, the inclusion of Sound Forge Audio Studio gives a lot of processing and mastering power (including sound restoration tools that Pro doesn’t have), albeit for up to 16-bit/48kHz files only. “Consumer-friendly” options not found in Vegas Pro include direct publishing to YouTube, 1,001 sound effects, ten Cinescore themes (others are optional at extra cost), and several extra 3D transitions and effects. And while Pro accommodates HD videos, surprisingly Studio does too; capture and export options are plentiful. Studio also includes several movie-making wizards and interactive tutorials, which Sony presumes the typical Pro user won’t need. The bottom line: For getting into video, it’s hard to imagine a more cost-effective/beginner-friendly option for Windows—yet there’s enough depth that it’s also hard to outgrow. Vegas Pro has always had a reputation of being particularly easy to use for musicians, due to its heritage as a hard disk audio recording program. Vegas Movie Studio continues that tradition. Furthermore, the ability to do four tracks of hard disk recording, along with ASIO, Sound Forge Audio Studio editing software, and support for VST/DX plug-ins as well as “Acidizing” files and time-stretching, are a huge plus. www.sonycreativesoftware.com 54 EQ JANUARY 2009 www.eqmag.com http://www.ableton.com http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - January 2009

EQ Magazine - January 2009 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Punch In Bob Dylan The Killers Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Microsoft Windows Vista Apple Mac OS X "Lite" Software Roundup "Lite" Software Gadgets & Goodies Sounds Room With a Vu

EQ Magazine - January 2009

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