Pro Editing @ Home

Interview - Matt Brohn, Sony Vegas Product Manager, Sony Creative Services

by Kevin P McAuliffe

Here at Pro Editing @ Home, we strive to give our readers an unbiased look at all possible editing solutions so that you can make an informed choice when choosing your editing application. I have to admit, I have always thought that Vegas was an extremely inferior program to other editing applications such as Avid's Media Composer, Final Cut Pro and even Premiere. I wanted to make sure I gave Vegas a fair shake, so I got in touch with Matt Brohn, Product Manager for Sony Vegas to get a real feel for Vegas, and who this editing application is right for.

PE@H: Sony has recently updated Vegas to version eight. Can you give us a brief history of the product?

MB: Since it was first introduced, the Vegas product line has evolved as follows:

Vegas Pro – July, 1999
Vegas Audio - 2000
Vegas Video (1.0) – 2000
Vegas Video 2 – 2001
Vegas Video 3 – 2002
Vegas Video 4 +DVD – Feb. 2003
Vegas Video 5 +DVD – July, 2004
Vegas Video 6 +DVD – April, 2005
Vegas 7 +DVD – September, 2006
Vegas Pro 8 – September, 2007

 

PE@H: Why should a Final Cut Pro, Media Composer or Premiere Pro CS4 editor Vegas for their post production needs?

MB: Vegas Pro is a powerful yet lightweight product that works quickly and efficiently with laptops as well as high-end production PCs, providing a solid, robust offering for any budget. It provides superior audio production tools to its competitors. The built-in interactive tutorials make it much easier to learn to use than its competitors. It also has the most robust XDCAM workflow of any NLE.

PE@H: To someone looking to purchase Vegas, what would you say it's biggest selling feature is?

MB: Ease of editing is key. Vegas Pro not only gives you traditional editing workflows, but has offered its classic “add anything to the timeline” approach since its inception. This approach provides users with the ability to bring almost media directly to the timeline for editing without transcodeing. With the files on the timeline, an editor can quickly create live real-time edits, transitions and effects to quickly produce projects for anything from radio spots to independent and Hollywood style films and broadcast productions.

PE@H: Does Vegas support third party plug-ins?

MB: Yes, Vegas Pro supports third party plug-ins. We offer a comprehensive programming SDK for third party developers to use to create plug-ins that work with both Vegas Pro and Vegas Movie Studio applications. Manufactures like NewBlue have been using this SDK for several versions and provide a wealth of additional effects and transitions to extend the standard Vegas effect options. In additional to effect and transition plug-ins, Vegas Pro provides a complete scripting API for developers to write custom modules to automate common tasks or extend the editing experience. VASST, for example, offers UltimateS as a robust workflow enhancement tool that integrates directly into the Vegas Pro editing environment.

These SDK’s can be found at http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/download/devkits

PE@H: How would you see Vegas 8 fitting into a post production workflow that already includes Final Cut Pro, Media Composer or Premiere Pro CS4 ?

MB: Vegas can exist side by side to any of these NLEs – even the FC since it will run on a dual boot Intel Mac. This would allow you to take advantage of some of the special tools built into Vegas: ability to accept a verity of file types without transcoding, scripting, Cinescore integration, enhanced editing features like auto cross fade. Then the project could be saved and ported over to one of these other NLEs if needed.

PE@H: These days editors are looking for a "Complete Solution", meaning they want an editing package that takes them from editing & color correction to audio mix and finally to DVD creation. How does Vegas interact with other programs from SCS?

MB: All of the SCS products are developed with a close team including the product manager and engineers, providing a tight alignment for the end-user workflow. Beyond the integrated color correction and robust audio tools that are already provided within the Vegas Pro environment, Vegas Pro software will recognize Sound Forge when installed providing a direct link between the applications. If detected, audio tracks in Vegas Pro can be opened in Sound Forge via a right-click menu. Once in Sound Forge, an editor can provide the traditional surgical level audio processing legendary to Sound Forge as needed. Editors needing royalty-free music can install Cinescore and create custom audio tracks directly within the Vegas Pro environment. When the project is complete, the editor has several delivery options. Beyond simple Blu-ray authoring included with Vegas Pro, DVD Architect Pro is a companion product that utilizes files and markers created in Vegas to quickly create DVD and Blu-ray disks.

PE@H: Are there any features or tools that Vegas offers that Final Cut Pro, Media Composer or Premiere Pro CS4 don't?

MB: Vegas Pro exclusively offers integration with Cinescore and SF; Scripting, flexible editing options – classic source preview and direct timeline; dedicated XDCAM Explorer, the Protype titler and digital signage production tools

PE@H: Does Vegas support audio export in either OMF or AAF for delivery to an Audio Post facility?

MB: Yes it will save to AAF

PE@H: Vegas 8 is the first NLE to support 64-bit workflows. For our readers who don't understand what that means, can you explain it to us?

MB: The key major 64-bit advantages include:

Enhanced CPU performance
Access to more memory
Facilitated working with more complex projects
Increases editing flexibility and speed

In general, The single largest benefit is the ability to address and use more memory. With 32-bit addressing, an application is limited to a maximum of 4 GB of memory. Under most 32-bit operating systems, this is further limited to 2 GB, or sometimes 3 GB in certain cases. With RAM configurations larger than this shipping today, it is imperative to switch operating systems and memory-hungry applications to 64-bit addressing in order to use this memory. A secondary advantage is that 64-bit processors have wider (and often more) registers, which can mean operating on more data per instruction or accessing memory slightly less (since more values can be kept in registers).

Key end user benefits with the 64-bit Vegas Pro 8.1
Increased editing power and flexibility when working with
Complex memory-hungry 3D projects
Multiple instances of Vegas Pro software.
Faster overall performance and rendering
More Memory
More usable memory means more open:
Codecs
Filters and effect
Cache frames (long RAM previews)

PE@H: If you had to pick your favorite new feature in Vegas 8, what would it be?

MB: We continue to develop the product broadly to include workflow support for a wide range of individuals. Each version brings additional support for new codecs and cameras as well as continued developing for both audio and video centric features and output options. I think rather than picking a single favorite feature it might be better to highlight a favorite functionality or “workflow” set of Vegas Pro 8. That group would include the video editing and delivery tools. Vegas Pro 8 added a comprehensive list of new functionality that have been in development for some time and include several mainstream features ; a sampling includes:

Titling with the ProType Titler

Multicamera editing tools

No recompress for Long-GOP HDV and XDCAM file formats

Digital signage support
Blu-ray delivery options

 

I want to thank Matt for taking the time to answer our questions. Now that I've had a chance to sit down with Vegas, read my review, and see what I thought of it. For more information on Sony Creative Software and their products, you can click here!