Vegas 5 from FCP/FCE?

J_Barnes

J_Barnes

Veteran
Hey guys. For the past two years Ive been using Final Cut Pro and Final Cut express almost exclusively at the company I worked for, but now times have changed and I no longer work there...

I'm pricing out my own editing system, and although I really grew to love the Mac and FCE's workflow and interface, I'm considering going to Vegas for the hardware savings it affords.

Has anyone had experience with both packages and could give some opinions regarding the differences and similarities between? Is Vegas counter intuitive to someone who's used Final Cut packages for the last two years?

I tried out Premiere on someone elses sytem recently and I really hated the design and workflow.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.
 
Re: Vegas 5 from FCP/FCE?

You've got all the same things, but they're laid out differently and approach a lot of things from a different angle. FCP is, of course, based on older, more traditional editing systems, whereas Vegas is an entirely new approach.

Some people simply cannot stand the Vegas approach after getting used to FCP. This generally causes FCP users to sneer at Vegas, but the truth is, they're just about equally powerful, with each having slight advantages over the other in certain areas.

The only problem you might find with it is the difference in layout and workflow. If you can't adjust, you might be miserable. But if you can, you might wonder why you didn't do it earlier.
 
Re: Vegas 5 from FCP/FCE?

I worked with FCP for 4 years before I even found out about Vegas. The workflow in Vegas vs. FCP is quite different (the whole source/record workflow is not employed in Vegas). However, the basic concepts of non-linear editing remain the same. If you take these concepts and are willing to learn something new, then you should be able to pick up Vegas without too much hassle.

There are some things that I wish that Vegas has that FCP had, but overall, whenever I've got to hop back on an FCP system, I now find it slow and cumbersome :)
 
Re: Vegas 5 from FCP/FCE?

Well guys, thanks for the advice, but now vegas seems more intimidating then ever.

I cut my teeth on avid 400 and 4000 in the mid nineties, so FCP seemed like a finely evolved ancestor to those machines. Before editing non-linearly, I was learning CMX machine editing, so I quickly grew to appreciate the speed of editing with a keyboard and never even touching a mouse.

Before CMX, I was using GVG editors. Before that, A/B roll. Before that, cuts-only tape to tape.

What I hated so much about premiere was it's non-intuitive workflow with a keyboard. It seemed that the designers expected their users to be mousers primarily, and I find that way of working clumbsy.

I think that Vegas is a fine product, but if it's not even using a source/record workflow, I don't think using it would be like trying to re-learn how to walk.

I guess I'll just stick with apple.
 
Re: Vegas 5 from FCP/FCE?

Vegas can be as keyboard-oriented as you like, and fully customizable, too.

But, it's all about comfort level. If you can adjust, you'll love it. If not, you won't.
 
Re: Vegas 5 from FCP/FCE?

What does FCP have that Vegas doesn't and vice/versa? I have never used either system but I need to buy a whole editing system for my 2 new dvx100a's. What are the pro's/con's and what would you recommend.
 
Re: Vegas 5 from FCP/FCE?

I'll tell you what a good FCP/Mac system has over a good Vegas/PC system. About $3000 bucks. You could almost get another DVX!
 
Re: Vegas 5 from FCP/FCE?

I love this one:

" Macs are like Models.. great to look at just a little slow "
 
Re: Vegas 5 from FCP/FCE?

Well i have only used Vegas. It is rock solid, easy learning curve somewhat.. Rock solid no crashes (oops i said that) Folks are amazed at the products I put out.. they look at it and look at me and say you did this? Did you hire someone to do this.. lol

I love Vegas and wouldnt even concieve to entertain the idea of using something else.. uhm im religous about it. I wonder why FCP users entertain that idea.. should i use something else?? hmmm

And Scharky has the best point of the whole question.. 3000$ is almost a new DVX100a..The audio tools in Vegas are second to none..And from what im told kicks the tar outta any other editing apps out there.
 
Re: Vegas 5 from FCP/FCE?

I'd expect that more people are being taught FCP, and that breeds a certain element of comfort and familiarity. Once those people are out of school however, time comes where they must eventually invest in their own system, and sinking the money into a top of the line FCP system can be daunting once those school loans mount.

I think Vegas is becoming the only acceptable solution on the PC side for a lot of folks. Premiere has just taken such a dump over it's lifetime that the improvements they're packing into the program do very little to dispel it's reputation. Avid is great if you're comfortable with it, but then the prices for an avid system are about on par with a FCP system.

So, it's mostly sticker shock that's sending people to Vegas. You can cut out a whole host of middle men by building your own system, stealing the necessary software, and plopping on a consumer TV as a NTSC monitor, and you’re ready to edit...often times for under a grand.

You can't really do that with apple (if you want the newest top of the line CPU and flattest widest monitor). The software is harder to pirate, the hardware is harder to customize in some cases, and the entry point is higher then PC. That being said, you can get a bargain on a dual G4 system, and once you add a couple of satisfactory CRT’s, you’ve got an economical FCP system. If you’re only working in DV, you can buy Final Cut Express and actually have a legitimate copy of software in your arsenal without greatly hurting your pocketbook.

It looks like I'm going to be editing on a Premiere system simply because that's what my new job has, but when it comes time to upgrade my home setup, I'm going with an apple.

A tool is a tool, and the work is what matters, but you've got to admit that there is a reason why some people buy dewalt power tools over craftsman brand. I suspect that it's more piece-of-mind in owning a "professional" tool then it is the actual quality and function gains...but there IS a reason beyond simply spending more dough then the next guy.

We tend to be pretty evangelical about our tools though.
 
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