Is Sony Vegas Pro Still Great Editing Software?

[HoosierGuy]

Long time no post on these forums! Last year I learned how to use Sony Vegas Studio 10 and I love that program. But now I want to move up to a more professional program, something like Sony Vegas Pro.

I've not paid much attention to Vegas Pro the last six months because I've been busy doing other things. But I know what to buy a new comptuer that will be powerful enough to edit and render high-def video.

What I'm wondering is: Is Sony Vegas Pro still considered a top notch program? The last time I read these forums some people were saying
Final Cut Pro was being downgraded in price or something and was not that great anymore. What about Sony Vegas Pro?

Thanks!

[budwzr]

Check the Vegas forums too. That's where all things Sony Vegas are discussed, but they're not quite up to speed either.

It's a transitional world right now. We're moving from analog into digital, or converging. So it also depends who you talk to.

But you're not going to get any more presets or automation. You're gonna get compositing tools, A bezier masking tool in the crop dialog box, and something else I can't remember right now.

You might consider HitFilm Ultimate as a special effects software that's friendly with Vegas. I think there's a bundle. You better wait until closer to Xmas, or after, to get a deal.

Last year, I read somewhere that there was a $399 Vegas Pro / HitFilm Ultimate upgrade special.

[HoosierGuy]

Vegas Forums? Are there any on Videohelp.com or are you talking about other sites?

[sanlyn]

If all you want to do is "edit" video, there's plenty of free and lower-cost apps around, and better in several respects. Depends on what you mean by "edit".

[budwzr]

Vegas Forums? Are there any on Videohelp.com or are you talking about other sites?

I mean the Sony Vegas support forums. Or self-help forums, if you call it that. All decent software has a support forum.

[Aleksey Tarasov]

> "But you're not going to get any more presets or automation"

SVP supports scripting, so you can get automation (plugins like Vegasaur, Excalibur etc.)

[HoosierGuy]

If all you want to do is "edit" video, there's plenty of free and lower-cost apps around, and better in several respects. Depends on what you mean by "edit".

I mean create short ( two or three minute) online video commercials/ads for businesses to put on their website. Also, I have four political ads I created using Sony Vegas Studio 10. I probably can't post the videos here though because of the rules. I want to get more heavy into creating online videos/ads for small businesses. Since I'm use to Sony Vegas Studio 10 I figured moving up to their Pro version would be easier than learning a new editing program. And I don't want to buy a Mac so Final Cut Pro is out of the question.

[vkmast]

Hoosier,
one way to find out yourself is to test with the free (now watermarked and 15-days, I believe) trial version of Vegas Pro 12. The current special upgrade offer ends Oct. 31.
https://www.custcenter.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4557/kw/4557

[sanlyn]

If all you want to do is "edit" video, there's plenty of free and lower-cost apps around, and better in several respects. Depends on what you mean by "edit".

I mean create short ( two or three minute) online video commercials/ads for businesses to put on their website. Also, I have four political ads I created using Sony Vegas Studio 10. I probably can't post the videos here though because of the rules. I want to get more heavy into creating online videos/ads for small businesses. Since I'm use to Sony Vegas Studio 10 I figured moving up to their Pro version would be easier than learning a new editing program. And I don't want to buy a Mac so Final Cut Pro is out of the question.

Got it. Then an NLE can do that and add effects, etc. Yes, a ton of free and budget software could do it, but it's nice to have it in one app where it's easier to learn the ropes. I wouldn't go to Mac; there is much more available in video work for Windows nowadays. You'll also come across some free specialized Windows apps that can be mighty handy.

[smrpix]

Vegas pro is till terriffic.

If you're starting from scratch the Adobe suite centered on premiere appears to have a bright future (for now.)

FCP is switching over to a revolutionary way of thinking about video that has alienated its user base and doesn't play well with others (for the forseeable future.)

[sanlyn]

If the funds are available, I'd go with Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects (if you really want to get into it with more options that you can learn to use in a lifetime). But Vegas will still fill the bill.

[HoosierGuy]

I'm going to go with Sony Vegas Pro. Mostly because I know Windows and have never had a Mac. Also I can probably get a Dell that will
handle HD video rendering and editing nicely for under $900.00 and maybe under $800.00 I think I need an I7 processor and 12gb of ram. I will then order 12gb of ram from New Egg and max out the ram. I plan on getting a Dell. I want something that can handle all the high-def formats I might come into contact with.

[usually_quiet]

I'm going to go with Sony Vegas Pro. Mostly because I know Windows and have never had a Mac. Also I can probably get a Dell that will
handle HD video rendering and editing nicely for under $900.00 and maybe under $800.00 I think I need an I7 processor and 12gb of ram. I will then order 12gb of ram from New Egg and max out the ram. I plan on getting a Dell. I want something that can handle all the high-def formats I might come into contact with.

Are you saying that you are aiming for 24GB of RAM total?

DDR3 RAM is made in 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB and 8 GB sticks. 12 GB would probably be comprised of two 4GB sticks plus two 2GB sticks to take advantage of dual channel mode, or three 4 GB sticks.

Since current standard Intel motherboards have a maximum of 4 slots, you will probably need to buy more than 12 GB to have 24 GB on the motherboard. You will have to look to see what is already installed but I'm guessing you will need to buy two 8 GB sticks (16 GB) and remove 4 GB of the installed RAM to wind up with 24 GB of RAM.

However, I don't think you need more than the 12 GB RAM that comes pre-installed just for editing and rendering HD video.

[HoosierGuy]

I'm going to go with Sony Vegas Pro. Mostly because I know Windows and have never had a Mac. Also I can probably get a Dell that will
handle HD video rendering and editing nicely for under $900.00 and maybe under $800.00 I think I need an I7 processor and 12gb of ram. I will then order 12gb of ram from New Egg and max out the ram. I plan on getting a Dell. I want something that can handle all the high-def formats I might come into contact with.

Are you saying that you are aiming for 24GB of RAM total?

DDR3 RAM is made in 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB and 8 GB sticks. 12 GB would probably be comprised of two 4GB sticks plus two 2GB sticks to take advantage of dual channel mode, or three 4 GB sticks.

Since current standard Intel motherboards have a maximum of 4 slots, you will probably need to buy more than 12 GB to have 24 GB on the motherboard. You will have to look to see what is already installed but I'm guessing you will need to buy two 8 GB sticks (16 GB) and remove 4 GB of the installed RAM to wind up with 24 GB of RAM.

However, I don't think you need more than the 12 GB RAM that comes pre-installed just for editing and rendering HD video.

Yeah, I'm aiming for 24GB of total RAM. I want to make sure my PC can handle high-def video editing and rendering.

[usually_quiet]

I'm going to go with Sony Vegas Pro. Mostly because I know Windows and have never had a Mac. Also I can probably get a Dell that will
handle HD video rendering and editing nicely for under $900.00 and maybe under $800.00 I think I need an I7 processor and 12gb of ram. I will then order 12gb of ram from New Egg and max out the ram. I plan on getting a Dell. I want something that can handle all the high-def formats I might come into contact with.

Are you saying that you are aiming for 24GB of RAM total?

DDR3 RAM is made in 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB and 8 GB sticks. 12 GB would probably be comprised of two 4GB sticks plus two 2GB sticks to take advantage of dual channel mode, or three 4 GB sticks.

Since current standard Intel motherboards have a maximum of 4 slots, you will probably need to buy more than 12 GB to have 24 GB on the motherboard. You will have to look to see what is already installed but I'm guessing you will need to buy two 8 GB sticks (16 GB) and remove 4 GB of the installed RAM to wind up with 24 GB of RAM.

However, I don't think you need more than the 12 GB RAM that comes pre-installed just for editing and rendering HD video.

Yeah, I'm aiming for 24GB of total RAM. I want to make sure my PC can handle high-def video editing and rendering.

Programs like Photoshop or Blender can benefit from lots of RAM, but editing and rendering HD video with an NLE like Sony Vegas Pro is CPU intensive, not memory intensive.

[HoosierGuy]

Yeah, I'm aiming for 24GB of total RAM. I want to make sure my PC can handle high-def video editing and rendering.

Programs like Photoshop or Blender can benefit from lots of RAM, but editing and rendering HD video with an NLE like Sony Vegas Pro is CPU intensive, not memory intensive.

That's why I'm going to get an i7 processor.

Here is want my PC to do: Run Sony Vegas Pro and other editing programs (like Photoshop etc...). Render HD video quickly and nicely. And I want a Dell.

What would you all suggest? I'm taking suggestions because I'm probably going to order one this Sunday. I want this to be my video editing machine. I'm willing to go $1200 but was hoping to get one for $800.00

Oh, I also want to add a second hard drive and be able to hook up external hard drives where I can store video. So its got to have the hook ups to be able to hook up external hard drives and access the hard drive quickly.

Do video cameras use firewire anymore? Do I need a firewire port?

Thanks much!

[budwzr]

My "system" is a Qosmio i7 Q740, and I do lots of intensive stuff, but my workflow is adapted to the machine. I prerender and reuse lots of stuff too. I get realtime H264 720p playback in "preview/auto" mode.

Plus I have 4 USB 3slots, and one combo USB/sATA drive connection.

Dell is overpriced, unless you like fancy "innards". HP has broken down on me twice over the last 10 years, and once I opened an HP up to try a fan repair, and it looks like mainland China assembly. Some of the parts looked like they were smelted out of recycled cans. Very shoddy.

But to be fair, I used to let my machines run 24/7. Now I'm on a laptop and I shut it down when not in use. And I have a Zelman cooling stand to keep the heat away.

[poisondeathray]

Oh, I also want to add a second hard drive and be able to hook up external hard drives where I can store video. So its got to have the hook ups to be able to hook up external hard drives and access the hard drive quickly.

This is mandatory. You need other hard drives to store footage. Placing footage on the primary HDD is a very bad idea (you might be able to get away with it if it's a SSD)

Do video cameras use firewire anymore? Do I need a firewire port?

No new cameras use firewire. Only DV/HDV . But it can be handy to have a firewire port for legacy reasons - perhaps you might be editing footage from other people.

[sanlyn]

The PC brand isn't so important. I don't know why people insist on brands like Dell. I've repaired about 40 of them in 2012 alone, usually bad power supplies or drives. That doesn't even count the viruses I removed from the same brand. My best memory of Dell PC's is the time the company I used to work for ordered 2 fairly pricey desktops and monitors. They showed up in 2 days. Everyone was amazed -- and even more amazed when they opened the desktop boxes, which were empty except for the plastic packing. My other favorite Dell was a later one that showed up without its HDD cable connected. A bad power on/off switch is another problem: it's not just a two-pole switch, but a 9-wire cable job that costs plenty to replace. Rather than go brand alone, look at reviews of PC's that haye the features you want, and check user reviews for reliability issues. Brand loyalty won't buy that much anymore.

I'm with budwzr: generally speaking, Dell is overpriced.

[usually_quiet]

That's why I'm going to get an i7 processor.

Here is want my PC to do: Run Sony Vegas Pro and other editing programs (like Photoshop etc...). Render HD video quickly and nicely. And I want a Dell.

What would you all suggest? I'm taking suggestions because I'm probably going to order one this Sunday. I want this to be my video editing machine. I'm willing to go $1200 but was hoping to get one for $800.00

Oh, I also want to add a second hard drive and be able to hook up external hard drives where I can store video. So its got to have the hook ups to be able to hook up external hard drives and access the hard drive quickly.

Do video cameras use firewire anymore? Do I need a firewire port?

Thanks much!

DV and HDV cameras use FireWire. FireWire cards are inexpensive. You can always install one if you don't need the expansion slot for something else that is more critical.

I just looked at a DELL XPS 8500 with an i7-3770 for someone in another thread trying to decide on a machine to be used for video editing. It had only 3 expansion slots on the motherboard, and just one, a PCI-e x1, was usable. A video card was installed in the PCI-e x16 and blocked the other PCI-e x1 next to it. There were 4 SATA connections on the motherboard and no eSATA connections on the backplane. It came with an optical drive and a hard drive installed, leaving 2 available SATA connections. You could install a second hard drive inside the case and get a SATA to eSATA slot plate adapter to add an eSATA connection in the rear of the case or use a USB 3.0 external hard drive.
http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-Bracket-INTERNAL-EXTERNAL-INTCBL/dp/B0067PHM58/ref=sr_1...qid=1350428018
http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-P952-002-Transition-Mounting/dp/B001GV5WBE/ref=sr_1_8...qid=1350428315

[HoosierGuy]

So if I want to hook up external hard drives to a new PC and access the video stored on them very quickly (to edit), what is the main type of
connection/hook up I want in my desktop?

Thanks

[aedipuss]

So if I want to hook up external hard drives to a new PC and access the video stored on them very quickly (to edit), what is the main type of
connection/hook up I want in my desktop?

Thanks

esata would be nice.

[Cornucopia]

Yeah, esata is your best option for prosumer systems.

Scott

[budwzr]

Supposedly USB3 is faster than esata, but I never tried it.

[budwzr]

And don't forget. Vegas Pro and all its compositing tools work on stills too! And it's a Pro audio editor too!!!

If you're a photographer, Vegas Pro can make grade layers every bit as robust as Adobe PhotoShop. Unlimited layers.

I edited this photo I shot today at the bird sanctuary, in Vegas. That bird just jumped to fly during a still sequence. I guess the other leg is in the air.

"Faux Swan"

[usually_quiet]

I should mention that I made a mistake in my description of the XPS 8500 above. I must have looked at the wrong manual the first time. It actually has 4 expansion slots on the motherboard, and two PCI-e x1 slots were usable with a double-wide video card installed in the PCI-e x16, which blocks the PCI-e x1 next to it.

[TreeTops]

Not a swan. Maybe a egret?

[smrpix]

Egrets? I've had a few. But then again, too few to mention.

[budwzr]

Not a swan. Maybe a egret?

I think that's it. An egret.

"Faux Swan" is the pose, I gave a name to it.

I'm not a birder, but they sure are fun for practice.

[HoosierGuy]

I bought the PC. Can't wait to get it.