It’s not every day that you have the chance to test new software and see if it’s the right fit for you, but we’re offering you that chance now with a free 30-day trial of Avid Symphony 6.5.2.
For all existing Media Composer and NewsCutter customers or editors thinking about making the switch or adding Symphony to your facility, this free fully-functioning trial provides a perfect opportunity to explore the new features.
Symphony’s functionality is mainly known for its advanced secondary, and “source side” color correction tool so I’d like to cover these features in more detail before you open the software for the first time.
Symphony’s advanced color correction features bring more tools to your fingertips, literally.
Advanced HSL and Curves controls for Master, Highlights, Midtones and Shadows
• Hue, saturation and luminance adjustments can be made over luma ranges with Symphony’s HSL controls
• The Curves interface includes an additional master luminance curve and the ability to create additional points on the curve for very targeted corrections
Secondary color correction lets the colorist adjust parts of an image defined by hue and saturation values in real time
• Up to 12 different color/luminance vectors can be defined and individually manipulated for precise color mapping
Channels Group lets a colorist define each output color channel (red, green, blue) by blending different input color components in various proportions
Levels Group gives precise control of relative brightness or darkness by defining the white, gray, and black points on individual channels and ranges
• This control offers a specialized alternative for setup, gamma, and gain adjustments with histogram displays
Symphony’s advanced and secondary color correction are demonstrated in this tutorial, an overview of the tools at work and how they save time and money.
Now on to Symphony’s “source side” color correction tool; a feature I know you’ll appreciate the very first time you use it. The capabilities of this “source side” tool allow color grading to be done quickly and easily on all clips originating from the same camera/tape. What does this mean for you? Now you don’t have to color correct (ex. white balance) each individual cut in your sequence referencing the same camera/tape. It also means that if you use multiple instances from a single master clip (sub-clips) in a sequence, then all segments from that master clip will inherit the color correction, so the grading doesn't need to be applied over and over again.
To delve even deeper into color grading, check out Color Grading with Media Composer and Symphony 6, authored by our own Bryan Castle. You can get a sneak peek inside the book, including a downloadable free chapter, in Bryan's recent blog post.
In addition to the color correction capabilities there is also, the Symphony Universal Mastering when paired with Avid Nitris DX. This feature is for customers who need to deliver a "Broadcast Master" tape in multiple standard definition and high definition formats (23.976, 24, 25, or 29.97fps) from a 1080p 23.976, 24, or 25 project. This capability is accessible and easily achieved through the Symphony Digital Cut Tool using the correct uniform cadence throughout the entire sequence.
So, how to make the most of Symphony's advanced features? Tutorials, tutorials, tutorials. Seven of them in fact. After you download your free trial, head to our special training tutorials page, Getting Started with Avid Symphony 6. We know time is of the essence, so each video is easy to digest, while providing the info you need for everyday editing, such as basic editing, trimming, using the Smart Tool, adding dissolves, loading AMA media and more.
You can try all this out for yourself with the free 30-day Avid Symphony trial. Questions? Connect with the team in our Professional Video Editing Forums and we’ll answer any questions you have to help you understand the ins-and-outs of Symphony. See you there!
Rob
@_RobDAmico_