Avid next major upgrade on its way!

You know over the past couple weeks I have been able to get back onto a proper AVID system and while the back end is just so damn great I just cannot get over how clunky I find the interface to be right off the bat. I'm sure that as I grow with it I'll be faster but really I find it like wading through molasses; I can see where I want to go and I know I'll get there, but man it takes a while - and a lot of extra steps. Can't wait to see what this brings.
 
Its not backward compatible

Its not backward compatible

You can't import any of your Media Composer 5 projects.....LOL.....i kid i kid
 
William_Robinette said:
You know over the past couple weeks I have been able to get back onto a proper AVID system and while the back end is just so damn great I just cannot get over how clunky I find the interface to be right off the bat. I'm sure that as I grow with it I'll be faster but really I find it like wading through molasses; I can see where I want to go and I know I'll get there, but man it takes a while - and a lot of extra steps. Can't wait to see what this brings.
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I don't know how well versed you are in Avid so please forgive my ignorance -- but have you done all the new video tutorials? I am way faster in Avid than FCP even though I've only been using it for about 2 months. The extra trimming functions really speed things up. I can edit without ever touching the mouse -- and even though I know all the shortcuts in FCP I still cannot get away from the mouse for a few functions.
 
tfg said:
I don't know how well versed you are in Avid so please forgive my ignorance -- but have you done all the new video tutorials? I am way faster in Avid than FCP even though I've only been using it for about 2 months. The extra trimming functions really speed things up. I can edit without ever touching the mouse -- and even though I know all the shortcuts in FCP I still cannot get away from the mouse for a few functions.
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Admittedly I'm not well versed at all. I'll have to check out the video tutorials for sure. I'm more of a mouse person when it comes to editing; actually trimming and moving things around on the timeline (for better or worse, that's just how I grew up). For instance, I hate the fact there there is a "add transition" button. Why can't I just drag one clip over another and it will auto insert a fade that I can then manipulate? Why do I have to be using the "keyframe" tool to manipulate keyframes? Why can't my cursor just become the correct tool when placed over the keyframe? Make it more dynamic. Things like that are just backward from what I'm used too, and geared for larger projects (I guess) which I don't work on too much. I like AVID though, just need more time on it.
 
William_Robinette said:
Admittedly I'm not well versed at all. I'll have to check out the video tutorials for sure. I'm more of a mouse person when it comes to editing; actually trimming and moving things around on the timeline (for better or worse, that's just how I grew up). For instance, I hate the fact there there is a "add transition" button. Why can't I just drag one clip over another and it will auto insert a fade that I can then manipulate? Why do I have to be using the "keyframe" tool to manipulate keyframes? Why can't my cursor just become the correct tool when placed over the keyframe? Make it more dynamic. Things like that are just backward from what I'm used too, and geared for larger projects (I guess) which I don't work on too much. I like AVID though, just need more time on it.
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Indeed -- you're coming from the graphic design school of thought: that is, editing a bunch of graphic blocks that you can manipulate with the mouse, creating things by how you move them. You call it "dynamic" while Avid would call it ...well I honestly don't know what they call it, but that is particularly what they try to avoid. That is why Avid is hard to grasp at first: it's very anti-graphic design in its nature. Every function goes back to in/out insert/overwrite and track selection. Sometimes this indeed requires you to do 2-3 steps for every 1 step in FCP, but the tradeoff is that it's all accessible via the keyboard. Ultimately hitting 2 or 3 keys on the keyboard is still going to be faster than using the mouse, and that's generally what Avid is based on. I bought one of those Avid keyboard covers and took all the video tutorials. They start you off via the mouse and slowly get you using the shortcuts. You'll spend an extra 1-2 weeks mapping extra functions to the keyboard, and soon enough to rarely ever touch the mouse. It's a much better way to work, especially if you edit all day and worry about carpel tunnel. MC5 did introduce the "smart tool" which tries to appease FCP editors a little bit, but once your muscle memory learns the shortcuts you'll be turning that off half the time.
 
When is Avid going to approve the latest (not so latest actually) version of the Macbook Pro? Will it be when 6.0 comes out? The features look great but I want a new laptop and Avid (goodbye FCP at the home office!)
 
Danny1280 said:
Does anyone know if buying the student or academic version of MC 5.5 will give me a free upgrade to v6.0?
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Are you eligible for the student version? If you are, buy it. It's $295, and you get 4 years of free upgrades. 4 YEARS. However, you won't get the 3rd party software (BCC Effects, Squeeze, etc...). But, you can buy those for about $200 from places like VideoGuys.com
 
I'm super excited for a 64-bit Media Composer! This should fly!!! I just hope they don't dumb everything down for FCP users.
 
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