May 2007 — News

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Know Your NLEs

by Dave Nagel

Sony Vegas is another one that has attracted a lot of professional users, rising from non-existence to fanatic status in a relatively short time. It is considered by many to be far superior to other NLEs on the market, but, of course, that's irrelevant to its ultimate potential for success. Vegas may be the speediest of the software-based NLEs. Users--and I am not one of them--claim this, while also conceding generally that it is not as versatile as Final Cut Pro. It is also a Windows-only program.

And finally there's Avid, the former titan of NLEs. There was a time when Avid was everything, when to use another NLE was to invite ridicule. In fact, I knew some producers back in the day who actually purchased Avid systems to show off to clients, then went and did the work in their own tool of choice. Back then, Avid systems were priced similarly to Bentleys. Now, however, with the competition from software systems like Final Cut Pro, Vegas, and Premiere Pro (but mostly Final Cut Pro), Avid has brought the cost of entry down considerably. Avid is still the choice of professionals doing truly high-end work; however, the high-end Avid systems they use (Media Composer) are not within the price range of schools. Turnkey systems still compete with automobiles in terms of prices.

The one Avid system that does compete in price with FCP, Vegas, and Premiere Pro is Avid Xpress Pro, which, for the general population, runs about $1,700. For schools, students, and teachers, it's $295 per seat. In recent years, Avid has had some quality issues with its software solutions as it scrambled to keep up with changes in the industry, but those days seem be behind the company now. (At the NAB convention last month, Avid admitted to the problems, apologized to users formally, and promised that development in the future would produce more solid releases.) Either way, Avid isn't going away anytime soon, and getting some experience with Avid editing can be a distinct plus for students looking to pursue careers in this field--even if it isn't on the highest-end Avid systems.

I should add that Avid, though it had its beginnings in the high-end NLE market, is not any more difficult to grasp than other systems on the market. Avid NLEs do support Mac and Windows systems, including the latest Intel-based Macs.

What Else Is There?
Now, I've discussed the four major pro systems available (major in terms of popularity among professionals), but these are not the only solutions available. Media 100, for example, was once a tremendously popular editing tool and was also the first viable competitor to Avid, at a scant $40,000 per seat. But Media 100 too has felt the pressure form the lower-end systems that have worked their way up, and it was not able to respond to that competition as effectively as Avid. t has also changed hands a few times and is now owned by Boris FX, a developer of popular motion graphics tools. It is conceivable that Media 100 could make a comeback, although it will take some truly spectacular marketing and unquestionable technical superiority to make that happen. The last time I was anywhere near a Media 100 production environment was back in the days of Mac OS 9. I've seen, but not worked with, more recent versions. It is available for Mac and Windows.