Nuendo is popular
- Thread starter filmelife
- Start date
SMuir
Well-known member
No arguments here. You could also add the scalable architecture to your list.
However, Digidesign's ProTools systems are the industry standard throughout most of the audio post-production industry. If you'll be recording, editing, and mixing all within a Nuendo environment, then you'll be in good shape. If, on the other hand, you'll be working with a team of outside sound editors, foley artists, ADR recordists, and mixing theatres, then session compatability becomes a very important issue. Project interchange formats exist (eg. OMF), but you may well find yourself constantly facing issues related to migrating sessions from platform to platform.
I'm running an old Mbox in my own editing suite, and besides the surround issue in PT LE (discussed at length elsewhere) and limited track counts I have had no problems integrating with other PT-based facilities. I'm frequently cutting foley tracks recorded on HD systems, while most of my work is eventually passed along to HD-equipped mixing theatres.
However, Digidesign's ProTools systems are the industry standard throughout most of the audio post-production industry. If you'll be recording, editing, and mixing all within a Nuendo environment, then you'll be in good shape. If, on the other hand, you'll be working with a team of outside sound editors, foley artists, ADR recordists, and mixing theatres, then session compatability becomes a very important issue. Project interchange formats exist (eg. OMF), but you may well find yourself constantly facing issues related to migrating sessions from platform to platform.
I'm running an old Mbox in my own editing suite, and besides the surround issue in PT LE (discussed at length elsewhere) and limited track counts I have had no problems integrating with other PT-based facilities. I'm frequently cutting foley tracks recorded on HD systems, while most of my work is eventually passed along to HD-equipped mixing theatres.
A lot of folks use Nuendo and I understand it to be a very high quality piece of software. It does not to my knowledge integrate with Digi hardware directly. It may indirectly using CoreAudio, but the Digidesign CoreAudio support is notoriously / intentionally bad. I would consider that argument to not be credible. Definite yes on VST and DX plugins, as those are not directly supported in PT. It is possible to use VST's indirectly with a wrapper program, but this is also not optimal. For price, Nuendo is probably more cost effective on the low end, specifically in the case of video post production because you can't really do video post without the expensive DV Toolkit on LE systems. Of course, there is the issue of compatibility and portability of your session, but if you aren't taking your work anywhere that isn't an issue.
Noiz2
Sound Ninja
Killfilm,
I hate phrases like "kills", "smokes out of the water", etc THey imply that it's some kind of a contest. There is no "winner" editor out there. They are all tools. Nuendo is somewhat popular in post in europe, partially because of the relatively high price of Mac's there and the fact that Steinberg was/is more PC supportive. Pro Tools is probably 80% - 90% (in the US anyway) of the audio post market. Most of the rest is picked up by a handful of apps, Nuendo being one of the players.
A couple of points to consider.
If you compare price you need to compare Apples and Apples, and you need to compare long term.
Nuendo is ~ $2,500 for the software but you need a good audio interface also, so (to be comparable) add another $4,000 (I know you can get one cheaper but were trying to get a fair comparison and I'm looking at HD VS Nuendo). So your around $6,500, that is around the same price point as an HD system, little less. OK a few years down the line and it's upgrade time. Nuendo is currently at $400, your hardware if you need to upgrade that will be at full price and maybe you make a little back on the used market (not likley to make much, I have racks of boxes that it isn't worth posting on eBay and some were VERY pricey when new, but a 4K box will probably hold some value IF it's still supported, big IF (E4's went for close to 10K fully equipped I bought mine two years ago for $400 on eBay). So upgrade is somewhere between $400 and $4,400. PT upgrade is $175 from any older version right now (Nuendo upgrade goes up to $700 if your more than a version back), or $75 from the last paid update. Hardware typically stays supported for 5 - 7 years with Digi but when you need to upgrade the hardware you get about 50% of the price of the new hardware, sometimes more & they usually add some incentives like plugin bundles or extra hardware (the last push they were trowing in a Digi 003 system for HD upgrades). Also if you do a hardware upgrade the software up grade is included free.
So over the long haul PT can actually be cheaper.
Nuendo includes some nice features that you would have to buy as add ons in PT and you have more flexibility in hardware so it's more customizable. And if your in the middle ground between a PT Le system and a HD system then Nuendo is probably more cost effective. But if you have a PT Le system and want to move up to HD you will get basically the cost of the Le system as a trade in, so moving up is probably cheaper with PT.
All in all they just aren't that diferent in price. For the price of Nuendo (software only) you could get a Digi 003 and the DV toolkit and have a very capable post system with essentially the same track count. Films as a rule are not edited in surround they are mixed in surround so for post I don't consider that an issue. If your mixing surround the cost should not really factor in because if your not in a good, big, room with a control surface your just wanking. If your doing games or TV then it is probably an issue, and ...
However Film, and TV is a team sport and if everyone else on the team is playing PT your not going to be the first choice if your not.
If your your own team, or every one on the team is on Nuendo, or your interfacing with others is minimal (that would include post for a lot of small films) the choice is really up to you. I would go and try out Nuendo somewhere and see how well you like using it. The last version I played with was V1.x, I didn't like it much - but that was a LOT of versions ago.
Another thing that should be mentioned is that to be fair the Nuendo system either has to have a much more powerful CPU or some dedicated DSP cards installed. I'm running a PT HD system on a G4 DP1.25 and can play 96 tracks with no problems, I have had problems on "native" systems on a Intel DP with upwards of 30 tracks and not much in the way of plugins. Nuendo is probably more optimized that the software I was running but still, if your running native you need some big horses.
I hate phrases like "kills", "smokes out of the water", etc THey imply that it's some kind of a contest. There is no "winner" editor out there. They are all tools. Nuendo is somewhat popular in post in europe, partially because of the relatively high price of Mac's there and the fact that Steinberg was/is more PC supportive. Pro Tools is probably 80% - 90% (in the US anyway) of the audio post market. Most of the rest is picked up by a handful of apps, Nuendo being one of the players.
A couple of points to consider.
If you compare price you need to compare Apples and Apples, and you need to compare long term.
Nuendo is ~ $2,500 for the software but you need a good audio interface also, so (to be comparable) add another $4,000 (I know you can get one cheaper but were trying to get a fair comparison and I'm looking at HD VS Nuendo). So your around $6,500, that is around the same price point as an HD system, little less. OK a few years down the line and it's upgrade time. Nuendo is currently at $400, your hardware if you need to upgrade that will be at full price and maybe you make a little back on the used market (not likley to make much, I have racks of boxes that it isn't worth posting on eBay and some were VERY pricey when new, but a 4K box will probably hold some value IF it's still supported, big IF (E4's went for close to 10K fully equipped I bought mine two years ago for $400 on eBay). So upgrade is somewhere between $400 and $4,400. PT upgrade is $175 from any older version right now (Nuendo upgrade goes up to $700 if your more than a version back), or $75 from the last paid update. Hardware typically stays supported for 5 - 7 years with Digi but when you need to upgrade the hardware you get about 50% of the price of the new hardware, sometimes more & they usually add some incentives like plugin bundles or extra hardware (the last push they were trowing in a Digi 003 system for HD upgrades). Also if you do a hardware upgrade the software up grade is included free.
So over the long haul PT can actually be cheaper.
Nuendo includes some nice features that you would have to buy as add ons in PT and you have more flexibility in hardware so it's more customizable. And if your in the middle ground between a PT Le system and a HD system then Nuendo is probably more cost effective. But if you have a PT Le system and want to move up to HD you will get basically the cost of the Le system as a trade in, so moving up is probably cheaper with PT.
All in all they just aren't that diferent in price. For the price of Nuendo (software only) you could get a Digi 003 and the DV toolkit and have a very capable post system with essentially the same track count. Films as a rule are not edited in surround they are mixed in surround so for post I don't consider that an issue. If your mixing surround the cost should not really factor in because if your not in a good, big, room with a control surface your just wanking. If your doing games or TV then it is probably an issue, and ...
However Film, and TV is a team sport and if everyone else on the team is playing PT your not going to be the first choice if your not.
If your your own team, or every one on the team is on Nuendo, or your interfacing with others is minimal (that would include post for a lot of small films) the choice is really up to you. I would go and try out Nuendo somewhere and see how well you like using it. The last version I played with was V1.x, I didn't like it much - but that was a LOT of versions ago.
Another thing that should be mentioned is that to be fair the Nuendo system either has to have a much more powerful CPU or some dedicated DSP cards installed. I'm running a PT HD system on a G4 DP1.25 and can play 96 tracks with no problems, I have had problems on "native" systems on a Intel DP with upwards of 30 tracks and not much in the way of plugins. Nuendo is probably more optimized that the software I was running but still, if your running native you need some big horses.
Nuendo is a great tool. Many Pros in Europe switch from Protools to Nuendo. And Logic Pro is a pain in the a.. for many users since it is Apple.
Do you arrange with virtual instruments? Then no question: Nuendo it is.
Do you want an affordable high quality system? PC, Nuendo, RME.
Do you want to go high end? Then the additional costs of control room, monitors etc. make the pricedifference between protools and nuendo obsolete and you take what fits to your workflow.
Btw: Nuendo and Cubase have the same audio-engine, so they should sound similar.
And Cubase is way cheaper!
Do you arrange with virtual instruments? Then no question: Nuendo it is.
Do you want an affordable high quality system? PC, Nuendo, RME.
Do you want to go high end? Then the additional costs of control room, monitors etc. make the pricedifference between protools and nuendo obsolete and you take what fits to your workflow.
Btw: Nuendo and Cubase have the same audio-engine, so they should sound similar.
And Cubase is way cheaper!