Vegas vs Final Cut Pro

[jdmoviemaker]

Hey , Im looking at vegas software and final cut pro.
Im having trouble on what would be best to go with, and what would work better and faster. Im looking for the best video results and good 24p editing.:dankk2:

[HorseFilms]

Are you a Mac or a PC guy? That's the first step in making the decision. They're both good.

[jdmoviemaker]

I like pc , I have never used mac to edit , so im looking to do a big upgrade from pc to mac

[Terry_Lasater]

I like pc , I have never used mac to edit , so im looking to do a big upgrade from pc to mac
You make it sound like a logical progression. Why?

[fpdima]

At one time I was a PC guy, but when it came to buying my own edit rig, I went with Mac and I never regretted it. Now I never use a PC for anything. Macs are that much better. Prior to purchasing the MAC and FCP (I started with verision 4 and am now using V6 in Studio 2). Don't be afraid of the MAC it truly is a better user experience than a PC. The OS learning curve is about 3 minutes.

As for which editing system is better, well I know FCP Studio 2 can do ANYTHING you want it to do - via picture AND sound AND motion graphics AND dvd authoring. I don't know if you can say that about VEgas. But, SONY does offer a free 30 day trial. So if you have a PC, check out the trial version on the Sony site. To the best of my knowledge, Apple doesn't offer a trial version of FCP Studio 2. But they have some great promo videos on the Apple.com website.

Basically if you want a superior computer experience, get a MAC. And if you are getting a MAC - FCP Studio 2 is your best NLE option although arguments can be made for other NLE software (Avid for example). Keep in mind though, you'll need an Apple computer and the FCP software. So it will MUCH more expensive to go with FCP. VEgas software can be bought for under $600. BTW - FCP studio 2 works on the cheapest iMac. I've already tried it on one with NO glitches (although I haven't tested the Motion 3 and Color programs on it). Now I have the Mac Pro tower and and an HVX 200 and life is great.

I hope this helped.

[HorseFilms]

I like pc , I have never used mac to edit , so im looking to do a big upgrade from pc to mac
Before you drop that much cash on a new system, use one and find out if it's the big upgrade you think it's going to be.

[MattinSTL]

I've got a PC and a Mac and I'm still WAY more comfortable on my PC... even though the Mac is supposed to be more intuitive... so if you have years in on a PC then you'll still have a teething period... but if you have almost ZERO experience in an editing APP then go Mac... there is ZERO doubt or debate on this topic if you plan to take the video/film thing anywhere professionally.

Being proficient on Vegas is admirable, but it's really only marketable for freelancers offering complete productions... FCP on the other hand... is growing ever popular in the industry. Look up video/film jobs on any job-listing... nobody is asking for Vegas editors... but everybody wants FCP and/or Avid editors.

I'm just saying... that if this issue really can go either way... then you'd be better off in the long term to go Mac/FCP.

I'll be amazed if this thread can stay open... because the Mac vs. PC debate and the FCP vs. Vegas debate can't usually stay neutral, but I'm speaking from experience in both... so take my opinion for what it's worth... but if you want to see my point proven then look up industry job openings. While I LOVE Vegas... because it's a fantastic program... there's no doubt that on average (in the real world) that it's more of a consumer program in comparison.

[Jim Brennan]

This is like asking if a dvx is better than an xl-2, or is a 4073 better than a me-66. There are advantages to either, depending on your situation. FCP may be more prevalent in the industry, but that only matters if you are going to freelance. There are some bad-ass guys on this site who use Vegas and swear by it. I use FCP. IF you already have a PC, I would try Vegas. Why invest in a system that is a complete unknown when you are already down one path? See if that fits your needs first.

[William_Robinette]

Exactly, Sony offers a 30 day free trail for Vegas so I would try that out first since you already have a PC. In my mind, they are two completely different ways of working and Vegas happens to work better for me, but from my experience they are equal in terms of what they allow you to do. (I like to give the edge to Vegas for it's all-in-one audio capabilities)

[Blaine]

I'm on a Mac with FCP. But if I was on a PC, I think I'd take a look at Adobe Creative Suite 3 (http://www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/production/).

[mrWr0ng]

I learned to edit on the PowerMacs they had at college, Final Cut Pro 4, and I've been using Macs since I graduated. Just bought myself a new macpro over my 3 year old powerbook and WOW.

can't wait to buy final cut studio 2, but I think i'm gonna give that one a miss and just go for 3 when it comes out.

[mcgeedigital]

Exactly, Sony offers a 30 day free trail for Vegas so I would try that out first since you already have a PC. In my mind, they are two completely different ways of working and Vegas happens to work better for me, but from my experience they are equal in terms of what they allow you to do. (I like to give the edge to Vegas for it's all-in-one audio capabilities)


Listen to this man.

As much as I am a Mac and FCPro Fanboy, if you already have a PC and are comfortable on it, at least give Vegas a try.

[jdmoviemaker]

One more question , how would the new apple imac compare to the new power mac

[jdmoviemaker]

Listen to this man.

As much as I am a Mac and FCPro Fanboy, if you already have a PC and are comfortable on it, at least give Vegas a try.

I have gave vegas a try and I like it , but I have the money right now to do the new apple imac and final cut express , later on I will move to fcp and maybe a power mac if I need to

[AdvanTech]

I have gave vegas a try and I like it , but I have the money right now to do the new apple imac and final cut express , later on I will move to fcp and maybe a power mac if I need to

If you're already thinking about upgrading, it seems like a waste of money to me. Save up for what you really want or spend on something else

[TimurCivan]

When i was shopping for a NLE, we had G4 towers in NYU Edit Bays, with FCP 4. I LOATHED FCP. still do. it makes no sense TO ME ( important distinction there.) I swore i;d never use it again...... So i bought a PC laptop.

I tried Avid, Loathe.
Tried Premiere, Loathe.
Tried Pinnacle, Loathe.
Tried Vegas..... FELL in LOVE.

You gotta try it to get it. It has no rules. its like a program that doesnt say no to you.

[Anhar Miah]

I never tried anything other than Vegas, so I can't really say anything about other NLEs

I'm gonna remain silent on this one..

P.S without starting a massive debate,just for information sake, what extra features does FCP have over Vegas or other typical NLEs (again please do not read this in an argumentative way!)

[mrWr0ng]

I can't speak for others, but when I last used Vegas, it didn't even have a blade tool. When I sat down at Final Cut Pro for the first time and saw it, it just all made sense to me. Never went back, though I do use Premiere at work.

[jdmoviemaker]

When i was shopping for a NLE, we had G4 towers in NYU Edit Bays, with FCP 4. I LOATHED FCP. still do. it makes no sense TO ME ( important distinction there.) I swore i;d never use it again...... So i bought a PC laptop.

I tried Avid, Loathe.
Tried Premiere, Loathe.
Tried Pinnacle, Loathe.
Tried Vegas..... FELL in LOVE.

You gotta try it to get it. It has no rules. its like a program that doesnt say no to you.

Dude I have tried alot of those and out of all Vegas was the best. The worst was Pinnacle . Very slow , no 24p edit, won't stop crashing until the 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 of restarting the computer , and would not stop locking up

It became my passion to hate pinnacle:badputer:

[Anhar Miah]

Hmm, had a looke at that razor blade feature after some googling, I'm no expert, but in Vegas using the shortcut "s" does almost the same thing, it cuts/splits at the exact point then you can take it and do whater with it.

But it does seem to offfer things like choosing to cut mutliple tracks at once(the double blade) which sounds very promising.

[TimurCivan]

yea press "s" for slice i suppose.... and it cuts the object youre editing.

onething that throws people off in vegas is theres no Viewer slug. Only one preview window.

[Drew Ott]

But it does seem to offfer things like choosing to cut mutliple tracks at once(the double blade) which sounds very promising.

If you're talking about Premiere, Vegas can do that as well.

You simply highlight all of your tracks at once and then press the shortcut "s".

I've used Premiere and Vegas, and I think Vegas is definitely more intuitive; however, I love After Effects.

Final Cut's Color looks to be pretty cool, but I don't know if the final product is going to any better than color correction in Vegas or After Effects.

Nobody would be able to look at a video or film and tell which application it was edited on. Because of this, it is 100% a matter of preference.

[Anhar Miah]

no I was talking about FCP :)