Avid sucks
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Aaron Koolen
Well-known member
Are you using a turnkey system? If not, then that's just the way it is. You take the chance. I hate AVID for that reason. I tried running it on my PC (Where Premiere and Vegas ran fine) and AVID had all manner of problems. Christ, it's a standard PC with a firewire cable for god sake, it should just work.
Aza
Aza
thisiswells
Retired
Avid has a list of approved systems for all their products, both video and audio apps.
From what I've gathered reading your other posts, you work in "the industry" as a news photog. Okay ... don't you think "the industry, i.e. - Michael Phillips from Avid" would be interested in helping sort out your issues? Or, maybe this post, your first in two months, was made only to stir embittered/unhealthy discussion from disgruntled Avid users. I don't know.
But, I think they'd be willing to help out if asked nicely and in a non-confrontational way.
Avid shouldn't have to defend themselves on discussions like this one.
From what I've gathered reading your other posts, you work in "the industry" as a news photog. Okay ... don't you think "the industry, i.e. - Michael Phillips from Avid" would be interested in helping sort out your issues? Or, maybe this post, your first in two months, was made only to stir embittered/unhealthy discussion from disgruntled Avid users. I don't know.
But, I think they'd be willing to help out if asked nicely and in a non-confrontational way.
Avid shouldn't have to defend themselves on discussions like this one.
I think Avid sucks....but it's just because I'm not used to using it. I think it has alot higher learning curve than premeire or vegas. Would anyone agree? Maybe I'm just a big dummy. I thought I'd be *cool* like the pros and use Avid. OH MY!! I thought I was going to need a manual, a set of instructional DVD's, and a week-long Avid Cram course just to cut a 4 minute music video. 
To make a long story short....I used Adobe......and liked it!! :happy:
I never had the *crashing* problem though. It ran fine.
~reservoir~
To make a long story short....I used Adobe......and liked it!! :happy:
I never had the *crashing* problem though. It ran fine.
~reservoir~
FatDaddy
Veteran
reservoir - just the opposite for me. I tried premeire when it first came out (after working on a Media Composer for a while) and I hated it. Felt like some computer guys made themselves an edit system.
I teach a introduction to video editing class at a local college and students with some NLE experience come in hating it, then accepting it and some go on to really like it. Use what works for you and enjoy it!
I teach a introduction to video editing class at a local college and students with some NLE experience come in hating it, then accepting it and some go on to really like it. Use what works for you and enjoy it!
thisiswells
Retired
Your opinions are all over the map. You say PC's suck and yet you use a PC. You say Mac's are the best thing since fried icecream and yet have no real information in this area beyond your opinion. I know part of this is your screename"reservoir" and that you always have something to say.. But, to helpful.. what do you actually own? Or, what have you checked out at tradeshows or a friends house or a college class, etc? What do you actually have experience with? I currently use FCP on a Mac, but my first system was Premier on an SGI O2 with RM5400 co-processor upgrade. Now, there's a system that totally sucked bad.. But, that's because it was uncompressed and I didn't have enough hard drives space back then (6-7 years ago) to handle that much information. Used a Sony Vaio with dual monitors and Premier for a while. Good, but PIII's are sloowww.. Beta Tester for Macrosystems Casablanca and Avio editors for three years. Used a Avid DV Xpress system for a short while at a company a few years ago, but never realy dug into it so much (slow as they didn't have a Mojo) but overall a pretty solid system. Matrox/Premier Pro for better part of last year at one job and Apple/FCP/G5 for another job. Personal computer is a lowly old Powerbook that barely scrapes by for editing these days, but at least I can still burn DVD's if I need to. Otherwise, I have access to a G5 rig whenever I need it. What about you? Does everything suck? I mean, tell us your credentials and background a bit. Thx.reservoir said:
Wells....Why are you always being such a prick lately? You are posting like a million posts a day....alot of times being a smart ass and not really being very helpful.
Maybe if you'd read what I wrote:
I THINK AVID SUCKS!!
I THINK IT HAS A HIGH LEARNING CURVE!!
Maybe it's a breeze for you and your infinite wisdom.
And here's the most important part that you obviously overlooked:
Isn't that what everybody preaches around here? Use what works for YOU? I thought so!!
I clearly stated my problem with Avid WAS ME!! Not the program or the PC. I know you want to look cool and *smart* in front of all the mods and platinum members on here and I guess by putting me on the spot and saying "What are your credentials" that is suppose to make me run into my hole with my tail between my legs. I guess every forum has it's bully, and you are pointing ME out what whatever reasons?!? To make yoursel feel better? :huh: To be quite honest in the past few weeks you have been very shrewd to numerous people in your responses and it is really not appreciated.
How about getting a life and trying to post more helpful comments every now and then. Hell...I tried it and I love helping people out where I can. Maybe you should post replies that doesn't always have your cynical edge to it. You are obviously unhappy or feeling inadequate about something? Want to talk about it privately using the Private message feature?
Otherwise, leave me be please. I think I've toned my posts WAY down since I began here and have become a pretty regular member. Thx.
~reservoir~
Maybe if you'd read what I wrote:
I THINK AVID SUCKS!!
I THINK IT HAS A HIGH LEARNING CURVE!!
Maybe it's a breeze for you and your infinite wisdom.
And here's the most important part that you obviously overlooked:
reservoir said:
Isn't that what everybody preaches around here? Use what works for YOU? I thought so!!
I clearly stated my problem with Avid WAS ME!! Not the program or the PC. I know you want to look cool and *smart* in front of all the mods and platinum members on here and I guess by putting me on the spot and saying "What are your credentials" that is suppose to make me run into my hole with my tail between my legs. I guess every forum has it's bully, and you are pointing ME out what whatever reasons?!? To make yoursel feel better? :huh: To be quite honest in the past few weeks you have been very shrewd to numerous people in your responses and it is really not appreciated.
How about getting a life and trying to post more helpful comments every now and then. Hell...I tried it and I love helping people out where I can. Maybe you should post replies that doesn't always have your cynical edge to it. You are obviously unhappy or feeling inadequate about something? Want to talk about it privately using the Private message feature?
Otherwise, leave me be please. I think I've toned my posts WAY down since I began here and have become a pretty regular member. Thx.
~reservoir~
thisiswells
Retired
The biggest frustration I had about PC's or Mac's was the learning curve. That's why I went with Casablanca in '98... It was based on a Motorola chipset (60Mhz) and VXworks OS (sort of like an Amiga) and was incredibly simple to use. I never even considered anything else because of the "learning curve" Truth is, I was scared to try anything else. Until I finally realized all of the workarounds on the simple little editor were actually creating more work and "learning curve" than if I had a tool that was designed for higher-end features.. That's pretty much when I switched over the Mac for my personal gigs. Sure, I know Premier well enough to get by in a hired editing capacity but it's not what I prefer and my experience with any Avid is pretty low. My only, hopefully helpful, point is that I used to be worried about using "high end gear" because of the supposed "learning curve" and in my situation I never found the learning curve to be any different than the workarounds I faced using lesser systems. Do I use Avid today? No, not really. Haven't touched one in over a year. But, I know that some things would actually be easier on an Avid than Premier, or heck even an Avio because it's designed around features that "pro's" need and they need those features to be accessible and easy to use. The whole "Avid is hard to learn" mentality is mostly spread by the guys who use the system for a living and are trying to warn off young guys from being their competitors. In my experience, whenever there's a "learning curve" to something it's no more than if you tried to use a workaround using something else, only the other way brings quicker, better results with less work. That's all I'd like to say.
Glad you were able to express yourself without bashing me every 2 seconds. Thanx buddy!! :undecided
So anyways, I do still use Avid Xpress Pro. I don't use it as often as Premiere Pro. I am editing music videos that consist of 4-5 minutes so Avid was sort of an overkill in terms of "Editing Horsepower." I need only a few transitions and simple cuts. Period. Adobe works for me. I like it. That's all I'd like to say.
~reservoir~
So anyways, I do still use Avid Xpress Pro. I don't use it as often as Premiere Pro. I am editing music videos that consist of 4-5 minutes so Avid was sort of an overkill in terms of "Editing Horsepower." I need only a few transitions and simple cuts. Period. Adobe works for me. I like it. That's all I'd like to say.
~reservoir~
thisiswells
Retired
"I am editing music videos that consist of 4-5 minutes so Avid was sort of an overkill in terms of "Editing Horsepower." I need only a few transitions and simple cuts. Period. Adobe works for me. I like it."
Interesting your preference for cutting music videos in Premier.. That's the specific instance where I wish I had a full blown Avid setup. Avid is the only software that allows you to convert an LTC timecode signal recorded onto one of the audio channels on a camera into a bonafide LTC TC reference within the editor. What this means is that you could burn a playback CD with Music panned Left and make some Timecode in an audio program, sync'd with the music, and burn it on the CD panned Right.. Then upon music playback on set, you could send the TC channel (Right channel) through a long cable to the camera and have frame accurate playback timecode recorded onto the miniDV tape. You'd then import it into Avid using the aforementioned method. The value in this? It's easy as pie to sync up the video to the song during the edits. There's no "eyeballing" it with this approach. Premier doesn't do it. Vegas doesn't do it. And, FinalCutPro doesn't do it, either. Only Avid. reservoir, I envy you, bro.
Interesting your preference for cutting music videos in Premier.. That's the specific instance where I wish I had a full blown Avid setup. Avid is the only software that allows you to convert an LTC timecode signal recorded onto one of the audio channels on a camera into a bonafide LTC TC reference within the editor. What this means is that you could burn a playback CD with Music panned Left and make some Timecode in an audio program, sync'd with the music, and burn it on the CD panned Right.. Then upon music playback on set, you could send the TC channel (Right channel) through a long cable to the camera and have frame accurate playback timecode recorded onto the miniDV tape. You'd then import it into Avid using the aforementioned method. The value in this? It's easy as pie to sync up the video to the song during the edits. There's no "eyeballing" it with this approach. Premier doesn't do it. Vegas doesn't do it. And, FinalCutPro doesn't do it, either. Only Avid. reservoir, I envy you, bro.
BLUESPIDER
DVXuser Ninja
I've used Avid and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I just think its alittle overrated! The same jobn can be done in Final Cut, Vegas and Premiere. Plus Avid requires too much computer power to run the beast. Plus I don't think I would want to fork out 20k for a NLE to make cuts and dissovles..
Discussions like this aren't very usefull, if you like Premiere, you say Premiere is better, if you like Avid, you say Avid is better. It doesn't matter, use the program you like to work with.
But it is a fact that the industry is all Avid. Why u ask? Because it is made for the pro who cut's every day in a efficient way! It has all the practical things in it that you not may need if you're just a hobby editor. It may be hard to learn, but once you know it, you don't want to go back, because then you know what real editing is all about.
Once there was a professional editor that said: If Avid quit making editing programs, than I quit editing.
Believe me, Avid make sense.
But it is a fact that the industry is all Avid. Why u ask? Because it is made for the pro who cut's every day in a efficient way! It has all the practical things in it that you not may need if you're just a hobby editor. It may be hard to learn, but once you know it, you don't want to go back, because then you know what real editing is all about.
Once there was a professional editor that said: If Avid quit making editing programs, than I quit editing.
Believe me, Avid make sense.
I still don' t know what everyone takes tools of the trade as a religious war. Same for platforms, OS. Cameras, formats, frame rates, etc. etc. etc. These discussions never really go anywhere and is of no real help to anyone.
If your tool of choice is Premiere, stay on the Premiere forum and be a help to others who have chosen that product. Same for FCP, Vegas and the 25 other NLE systems out there.
I applaud the art of creation - not the tools used to get there. As a filmmaker myself, my job is to design tools that ease the art and workflow of that creation. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. But life is a continuously learning experience and that's what these forums are for.
Michael
If your tool of choice is Premiere, stay on the Premiere forum and be a help to others who have chosen that product. Same for FCP, Vegas and the 25 other NLE systems out there.
I applaud the art of creation - not the tools used to get there. As a filmmaker myself, my job is to design tools that ease the art and workflow of that creation. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. But life is a continuously learning experience and that's what these forums are for.
Michael
Don't mind Wells....he's just on a crusade lately to show everyone how big of a *hotshot* he is.
*HE* would do it this way....*HE* would do it that way....etc. Even after explaining my simplistic needs, he is more than happy to let me know how *superior* Avid is to Premiere for what I am doing. He can keep his Avid. I don't think it's overstating it to say that Avid is indeed "overrated!!" And it is resource intensive.
So just ignore Wells and his *If you don't do it the way I do it, you are crazy* sentiment. I guess anyone that is doing music videos on Vegas, Premiere, or Final Cut Pro are just uninformed or stupid!! Well I guess that includes myself, along with a whole host of others like Darren Doane and my friends at Digital Interference. What a bunch of morons we are. That's all I'd like to say.
~reservoir~
*HE* would do it this way....*HE* would do it that way....etc. Even after explaining my simplistic needs, he is more than happy to let me know how *superior* Avid is to Premiere for what I am doing. He can keep his Avid. I don't think it's overstating it to say that Avid is indeed "overrated!!" And it is resource intensive.
So just ignore Wells and his *If you don't do it the way I do it, you are crazy* sentiment. I guess anyone that is doing music videos on Vegas, Premiere, or Final Cut Pro are just uninformed or stupid!! Well I guess that includes myself, along with a whole host of others like Darren Doane and my friends at Digital Interference. What a bunch of morons we are.
That's all I'd like to say.~reservoir~
Aaron Koolen
Well-known member
I hate Avid too, but not cause of some religious ideal because it's not Vegas - which is my NLE. I hate it because in the few times I've installed it to use (Occasionally think about giving it another go to see if it's improved), it has ALWAYS had issues recognising my OHCI card and capturing footage. Sometimes I've managed to get it to work, other times no go. And this is on different machines. So if someone asks about Avid I'll tell them that I've had crashes, it's slow, the interface is awful, and it won't recognise my Firewire card most of the time - but that these are my experiences. If this is considered bashing it for no reason, too bad. I think it is a pile of steaming poo for what I do.
I use Vegas. It has always just worked. When I download a trial, install it, run it, plug in my camera, I can just capture and be happily editing. Not with Avid.
If you have a turnkey solution with Avid I think you'll be fine though.
Aaron
I use Vegas. It has always just worked. When I download a trial, install it, run it, plug in my camera, I can just capture and be happily editing. Not with Avid.
If you have a turnkey solution with Avid I think you'll be fine though.
Aaron
Kumaran
Member
jusy my two cents
i was a premiere 6 user. it came with the pinnacle setup. ran just fine on my 1gig computer, a beast at the time. when i was doing my feature film, i needed an NLE that did color correction, so i got Avid 3.5.4. color correction was great, but the darn thing crashed everyday without fail, at least three times a day. it was a miracle that i completed my movie editing on that PC. finally my PC gave up on me.
now i invested in a PC 3.06gig gigabyte board 865chipset. running avid 4.6.
not a problem in the world, an absolute pleasure to edit with. it was not Avid that was crashing my previous PC, but the drivers that did not conform with Windows XP Pro.
also, when i first tried out avid, it was completely different to Premiere. i hated its workflow at first. but as i worked with it, i realised that there is no better way of editing, Avid makes more sense to me now, and editing is such a pleasure. i have worked with other NLE's, but i will stick with Avid.
it makes no sense to bash an NLE, as many of them have weaknesses and strengths. if you prefer a certain NLE, and you understand the in's and out's, then go for it. if you do not understand an NLE, it just means that you are not qualified to give an unbiased opinion.
i would not say that premiere was not good, if PPro was out at the time, i would definately would have got that, cause i also enjoyed editing on Premiere. but now that i tried Avid, i feel comfortable with that. it just depends on your workflow, mouse vs keyboard.
just for note, Avid's media management is the best in the industry, among other things..........but that's another topic.
i was a premiere 6 user. it came with the pinnacle setup. ran just fine on my 1gig computer, a beast at the time. when i was doing my feature film, i needed an NLE that did color correction, so i got Avid 3.5.4. color correction was great, but the darn thing crashed everyday without fail, at least three times a day. it was a miracle that i completed my movie editing on that PC. finally my PC gave up on me.
now i invested in a PC 3.06gig gigabyte board 865chipset. running avid 4.6.
not a problem in the world, an absolute pleasure to edit with. it was not Avid that was crashing my previous PC, but the drivers that did not conform with Windows XP Pro.
also, when i first tried out avid, it was completely different to Premiere. i hated its workflow at first. but as i worked with it, i realised that there is no better way of editing, Avid makes more sense to me now, and editing is such a pleasure. i have worked with other NLE's, but i will stick with Avid.
it makes no sense to bash an NLE, as many of them have weaknesses and strengths. if you prefer a certain NLE, and you understand the in's and out's, then go for it. if you do not understand an NLE, it just means that you are not qualified to give an unbiased opinion.
i would not say that premiere was not good, if PPro was out at the time, i would definately would have got that, cause i also enjoyed editing on Premiere. but now that i tried Avid, i feel comfortable with that. it just depends on your workflow, mouse vs keyboard.
just for note, Avid's media management is the best in the industry, among other things..........but that's another topic.
Luka_Brazzi
Member
Kumaran I agree. Media Management in Avid is G R E A T. Than again Premiere/FCP type NLE's are faster as you only drag and drop. For certain Avid is less "understable" for a rookie but AP/FCP have less "profesional" utilities (CC in those two is not that good same goes for basic FX).
The most important thing is how you edit. What you use is secondary.
For me Avid is the best (I edit from 30 sec spot to feature films) and I must say it has a great help file and avid knowlege base lets you fid a solution to any problem but this is my personal oppinion. As goes for a PC that I use. I have a duron 1200 with 512 SDRAM and my Avid Pro runs with NO problems.. only slow if I try viewing in full resolution so you might say i work online/offline editing
The most important thing is how you edit. What you use is secondary.
For me Avid is the best (I edit from 30 sec spot to feature films) and I must say it has a great help file and avid knowlege base lets you fid a solution to any problem but this is my personal oppinion. As goes for a PC that I use. I have a duron 1200 with 512 SDRAM and my Avid Pro runs with NO problems.. only slow if I try viewing in full resolution so you might say i work online/offline editing
Kumaran
Member
Luka_Brazzi said:
I totally and sadly agree. unfortunately AXP holds back on alot of other functions that Media Composer , DS nitris, Symphony has. i wish that they could just give us all of it, and restrict it solely for DV editing purposes. in that way they don't have to worry about not selling a DS Nitris or Media Composer.
Alternatively, we should be given the choice as to what additional functions we wish to purchase. i know of some who would love to have the animatte function. ofcourse there are workarounds. i use boris fx 6.1 full version for all / most of my fx. i only use the Avid fx to preview what some fx would be like. then i just do the composites and others with boris.
but for editing, it is really difficult to beat Avid, for quick accurate cuts........and long form editing...........very stable
Luis Caffesse
Admin
Luka_Brazzi said:
I couldn't agree more.
I've been editing on Avid for the past 5 years or so, I still have a Premiere system sitting here as well (that's what I started cutting on)...and now it's just collecting dust. If there is one thing that Avid has down to a science it's media management.
It's seamless and invisible, and lets me concentrate on what I need to spend my energy on...editing.
Sadly, I feel like I can't ignore it anymore and soon I'll be switching over to FCP.
It's more for financial reasons and the ability to integrate with other people's editing systems...but I will definitely miss my Avid interface. As great as FCP may be, and as flexible as it is.... I've just never liked the interface as much.
But, again, that's a matter of personal preference.
I'd be curious to hear from anyone else here who may have switched over from Avid to FCP. Any regrets? Any benefits?
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