Sony Vegas 5 NLE System
by
Stephen Murphy
Sony Vegas 5 is a multitrack audio and video editing application for Windows-based computers. When Sony purchased Sonic Foundry last year, Sony added its name, reputation and a whole lot of powerful features to the latest version of this unique and intuitive editing application.
The combination of Sony's video expertise with the creative programming of Sonic Foundry has made Vegas 5 ($699) a tantalizingly easy-to-use yet powerful audio/video editing system for the Windows platform.
Features
It would be impossible to cover all of the features of Vegas 5 in an article of this length (the "Quick Start" manual is 100+ pages); please visit the Sony Vegas website for a full feature list. Covered in this section are some of the program's base capabilities and a rundown of new features added in this latest version.
On the video side, Vegas boasts unlimited video tracks, a slew of video effects (190+), three-wheel primary and secondary color correction, several video measurement tools and scopes, text animation and titling tools, and over 175 2D and 3D transitions.
Vegas supports any aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9, custom), multiple frame rates (23.976, 24, 25, 29.97 etc.), progressive and interlaced field orientation, and editing of HD and HDV video. Vegas allows the seamless use of multiple file formats and rates on the same timeline without conversion.
New features in Vegas 5 include video track envelope automation and key-framable transition envelopes, 3D track motion, multilevel compositing, Flash (SWF) file import, key-framable Bézier masks, and two-pass variable bit-rate MPEG-2 export for direct use in Sony DVD Architect authoring software.
On the audio side, Vegas features unlimited audio tracks, supports ASIO hardware, is 24-bit/192-kHz capable, comes with over 30 real-time audio effects and provides 5.1 surround mixing capabilities. Sony offers a Vegas + DVD Architect package ($999) that includes a Dolby AC-3 encoder.
New audio features found in Vegas 5 include Sony ACID loop and event pitch shifting support, 19 user-definable time stretch modes, on-the-fly punch-in recording, auto-input record monitoring, bus-to-bus routing, 5.1 surround plug-in support and surround downmix monitoring.
Vegas now includes a network-based render engine that distributes jobs across multiple computers and automatically reassembles the file when complete; two render-only installations are included with Vegas 5.
In Use
It was a year and a half ago that I reviewed Sonic Foundry's Vegas 4, reporting that it had made some earnest strides from its curiosity status towards professional usability and recognition. A lot has changed in the program since then: Sony bought the company, many rough edges were smoothed out and a substantial amount of powerful features were added – some of which are the envy of Vegas’ competition.
The genius of Vegas is its deceptively simple and transparent interface. Much of the mundane and frequently frustrating aspects of video editing – such as compiling a project from a variety of source file types and frame rates – is handled behind the scenes. The program presents a simple set of tools and an easy-to-use interface up front, but for those who wish to dig deeper, more powerful features and in-depth settings are readily available.
If you are familiar with the editing paradigm used in just about every digital audio workstation, you can cut and assemble video projects in Vegas with almost no learning curve (creative and theoretical knowledge of editing, however, is not included with purchase). If a more traditional editing style is preferred, the GUI and keyboard can be customized towards that end.
One advantage I found Vegas to have over other DV editing applications is its powerful scripting language. Based around the Microsoft .NET framework, Vegas scripting provides in-depth access to many of the program's operations and functions, allowing the user to create custom integration with external applications, complete tedious tasks at the click of a mouse and design customized features. There is a very good community based around the sharing of scripts on the Sony Vegas Scripting Forum and some enterprising folks have even created low-cost “wizard” sets of utilitarian scripts.
For example, the creative folks at Mobile Pro Video and Jet Digital Video have co-produced two after-market plug-in collections(Neon and Excalibur) utilizing Vegas scripting that add functionality and enhance many aspects of editing in Vegas. The Excalibur multi-camera wizard expertly simulates live camera switching, including a four-camera real-time preview with the "on-air" camera highlighted in the view. Several other features of the wizard, such redundant camera choice warnings/markers demonstrate the power of combining the speed of live switching with the safety and creativity of post editing.Mobile Pro Video also produces in-depth training DVDs covering Sony's Vegas 5 and DVD Architect 2 software (see www.vegastrainingandtools.com).
It is this kind of open access to the program that fuels creativity and generates the community spirit shown on the Vegas forums – easily some of the most active and helpful forums I have encountered. Sony programmers take an active role in the forums, and seem genuinely interested in listening to the user base in order to improve the application – elements of modern software development to which I assign a great deal of value. The days of "damn the user base, full speed ahead" with little regard for customer feedback seem to be nearing the end, thanks in part to fast-evolving programs such as Vegas. I'll climb back down now...
On the audio front, Vegas 5 now has ACID loop support, expanded time-stretch and pitch-shift support, external controller support, fader-based automation and. discrete surround panning with downmix monitoring functionality - all very welcome additions, thank you.
While the audio improvements in this version are substantial, it still lacks several essential functions in order to use Vegas as a stand-alone audio workstation. For instance, it has no MIDI, VST or VSTi/Dxi instrument support (though some VST plug-ins will work with in Vegas with a VST-to-DX wrapper), no track grouping to speak of, nor does it have the capacity for multiple tempos/time signatures across the length of a project - just a global tempo and signature setting.
While Vegas does have some audio shortcomings, it is important to note that, when compared to other desktop video editing applications such as Avid Xpress and Apple Final Cut Pro, Vegas is years ahead in its integrated audio support – light years, actually.
One of the coolest audio-related perks found in Vegas is nowhere to be seen in other editing systems: a tempo grid to which one can snap video clips. For cutting video to fit music (e.g., music videos, TV commercials, bumpers), the tempo grid was invaluable. I found the ability to cut and assemble video to a tempo grid breathtakingly simple and quick, and the results were always in lock step with the music bed. Two of my full-time Avid editor colleagues were drooling at the possibilities.
Summary
Vegas 5's initial simplicity belies the fact that this is a very powerful program. Despite its ingeniously easy entrée, Vegas 5 possesses a complement of video and audio tools comprehensive enough to satisfy most editors and engineers.
While its flow may initially seem counter to those used to working with traditional video applications, it does not take long to realize the power of Vegas 5's in-depth feature set and highly customizable interface lurking below the surface.
Stephen Murphy, studio editor of Pro Audio Review magazine is a multimedia and audio producer. His website is www.smurphco.com
Key Features:
Windows-based digital video editing system. New in v5: Key-framable transition envelopes; 3D track motion; multilevel/nested compositing; key-framable Bézier masks; ACID loop and event pitch shift support; bus-to-bus routing; 5.1 surround plug-in support; surround downmix monitoring; fader-based automation; hardware controller support.
Price: $699
Contact: Sony Pictures Digital at http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com
Sony Vegas 5 is a multitrack audio and video editing application for Windows-based computers. When Sony purchased Sonic Foundry last year, Sony added its name, reputation and a whole lot of powerful features to the latest version of this unique and intuitive editing application.
The combination of Sony's video expertise with the creative programming of Sonic Foundry has made Vegas 5 ($699) a tantalizingly easy-to-use yet powerful audio/video editing system for the Windows platform.
Features
It would be impossible to cover all of the features of Vegas 5 in an article of this length (the "Quick Start" manual is 100+ pages); please visit the Sony Vegas website for a full feature list. Covered in this section are some of the program's base capabilities and a rundown of new features added in this latest version.
On the video side, Vegas boasts unlimited video tracks, a slew of video effects (190+), three-wheel primary and secondary color correction, several video measurement tools and scopes, text animation and titling tools, and over 175 2D and 3D transitions.
Vegas supports any aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9, custom), multiple frame rates (23.976, 24, 25, 29.97 etc.), progressive and interlaced field orientation, and editing of HD and HDV video. Vegas allows the seamless use of multiple file formats and rates on the same timeline without conversion.
New features in Vegas 5 include video track envelope automation and key-framable transition envelopes, 3D track motion, multilevel compositing, Flash (SWF) file import, key-framable Bézier masks, and two-pass variable bit-rate MPEG-2 export for direct use in Sony DVD Architect authoring software.
On the audio side, Vegas features unlimited audio tracks, supports ASIO hardware, is 24-bit/192-kHz capable, comes with over 30 real-time audio effects and provides 5.1 surround mixing capabilities. Sony offers a Vegas + DVD Architect package ($999) that includes a Dolby AC-3 encoder.
New audio features found in Vegas 5 include Sony ACID loop and event pitch shifting support, 19 user-definable time stretch modes, on-the-fly punch-in recording, auto-input record monitoring, bus-to-bus routing, 5.1 surround plug-in support and surround downmix monitoring.
Vegas now includes a network-based render engine that distributes jobs across multiple computers and automatically reassembles the file when complete; two render-only installations are included with Vegas 5.
In Use
It was a year and a half ago that I reviewed Sonic Foundry's Vegas 4, reporting that it had made some earnest strides from its curiosity status towards professional usability and recognition. A lot has changed in the program since then: Sony bought the company, many rough edges were smoothed out and a substantial amount of powerful features were added – some of which are the envy of Vegas’ competition.
The genius of Vegas is its deceptively simple and transparent interface. Much of the mundane and frequently frustrating aspects of video editing – such as compiling a project from a variety of source file types and frame rates – is handled behind the scenes. The program presents a simple set of tools and an easy-to-use interface up front, but for those who wish to dig deeper, more powerful features and in-depth settings are readily available.
If you are familiar with the editing paradigm used in just about every digital audio workstation, you can cut and assemble video projects in Vegas with almost no learning curve (creative and theoretical knowledge of editing, however, is not included with purchase). If a more traditional editing style is preferred, the GUI and keyboard can be customized towards that end.
One advantage I found Vegas to have over other DV editing applications is its powerful scripting language. Based around the Microsoft .NET framework, Vegas scripting provides in-depth access to many of the program's operations and functions, allowing the user to create custom integration with external applications, complete tedious tasks at the click of a mouse and design customized features. There is a very good community based around the sharing of scripts on the Sony Vegas Scripting Forum and some enterprising folks have even created low-cost “wizard” sets of utilitarian scripts.
For example, the creative folks at Mobile Pro Video and Jet Digital Video have co-produced two after-market plug-in collections(Neon and Excalibur) utilizing Vegas scripting that add functionality and enhance many aspects of editing in Vegas. The Excalibur multi-camera wizard expertly simulates live camera switching, including a four-camera real-time preview with the "on-air" camera highlighted in the view. Several other features of the wizard, such redundant camera choice warnings/markers demonstrate the power of combining the speed of live switching with the safety and creativity of post editing.Mobile Pro Video also produces in-depth training DVDs covering Sony's Vegas 5 and DVD Architect 2 software (see www.vegastrainingandtools.com).
It is this kind of open access to the program that fuels creativity and generates the community spirit shown on the Vegas forums – easily some of the most active and helpful forums I have encountered. Sony programmers take an active role in the forums, and seem genuinely interested in listening to the user base in order to improve the application – elements of modern software development to which I assign a great deal of value. The days of "damn the user base, full speed ahead" with little regard for customer feedback seem to be nearing the end, thanks in part to fast-evolving programs such as Vegas. I'll climb back down now...
On the audio front, Vegas 5 now has ACID loop support, expanded time-stretch and pitch-shift support, external controller support, fader-based automation and. discrete surround panning with downmix monitoring functionality - all very welcome additions, thank you.
While the audio improvements in this version are substantial, it still lacks several essential functions in order to use Vegas as a stand-alone audio workstation. For instance, it has no MIDI, VST or VSTi/Dxi instrument support (though some VST plug-ins will work with in Vegas with a VST-to-DX wrapper), no track grouping to speak of, nor does it have the capacity for multiple tempos/time signatures across the length of a project - just a global tempo and signature setting.
While Vegas does have some audio shortcomings, it is important to note that, when compared to other desktop video editing applications such as Avid Xpress and Apple Final Cut Pro, Vegas is years ahead in its integrated audio support – light years, actually.
One of the coolest audio-related perks found in Vegas is nowhere to be seen in other editing systems: a tempo grid to which one can snap video clips. For cutting video to fit music (e.g., music videos, TV commercials, bumpers), the tempo grid was invaluable. I found the ability to cut and assemble video to a tempo grid breathtakingly simple and quick, and the results were always in lock step with the music bed. Two of my full-time Avid editor colleagues were drooling at the possibilities.
Summary
Vegas 5's initial simplicity belies the fact that this is a very powerful program. Despite its ingeniously easy entrée, Vegas 5 possesses a complement of video and audio tools comprehensive enough to satisfy most editors and engineers.
While its flow may initially seem counter to those used to working with traditional video applications, it does not take long to realize the power of Vegas 5's in-depth feature set and highly customizable interface lurking below the surface.
Stephen Murphy, studio editor of Pro Audio Review magazine is a multimedia and audio producer. His website is www.smurphco.com
Key Features:
Windows-based digital video editing system. New in v5: Key-framable transition envelopes; 3D track motion; multilevel/nested compositing; key-framable Bézier masks; ACID loop and event pitch shift support; bus-to-bus routing; 5.1 surround plug-in support; surround downmix monitoring; fader-based automation; hardware controller support.
Price: $699
Contact: Sony Pictures Digital at http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com