Okay, I'll take the bait.

I'm a longtime Avid user (nearly a decade), and I make a living exclusively as an editor in Hollywood cutting network television and motion pictures. I upgraded my two dongles to V5 so I could use the multiple RTAS effects on my audio tracks and so I could use the Matrox box on location with my MacBook Pro. Both of these improvements are pretty awesome to me, and for these alone I keep my personal Avids at V5. The AMA improvements are also a major plus.

However, when I work outside of my own studio, the nearly universal response to V5 is: "Not yet." The rental facilities that provide Avids to the television shows I work on have told me they have very few V5 installations in the field because editors are complaining about it; particularly the stability, the advanced keyframe issues, and CTRL key changes. The old-time editors basically are telling them that V5 requires them to change their workflow too much, and they don't like it.

Me personally, I've sort of gotten used to the trim functions being activated on the smart tool. I don't use anything else though. I sort of like being able to hover near an edit and make a trim. But I don't like that I have to be MUCH more accurate with my mouse placement than I used to in order for the trim handles to appear. And I also do not like that all effects are now defaulted to advanced keyframe mode. It's a huge timewaster.

I also don't understand why you can no longer sort a bin by clip type with CTRL-E anymore? Avid? And the color picker is totally stupid. Plus, I'm plagued by the V5 memory leak, which Avid has been so far unable to squash.

Lots to complain about, I guess, but I stick with it on my own Avids for the features that I DO like, which in MY case do outweigh the negatives.

Chris

I have been asking for this since xpro3.5.....it kills me that when i bought avid new it came with pt  but i could not install it on the same machine as avid .. I now had to have 2 computers  wtf avid has to realize that we (small shops and indies) no longer have different computers for audio and video we want it to work together integration is the new catch word for the 11's.... I am not saying that you give you code to the world just make you stuff work with your stuff  as it is now i can load pt into the same mach but it requires a different sound card to open as avid mc5 will not see the mbox I had  for my version of pt so i still have to have a different computer for pro tools  now thats bs 

 

Tom Pearson:

...avid has to realize that we (small shops and indies) no longer have different computers for audio and video we want it to work together integration is the new catch word for the 11's....

A very good point, especially in this tight economy and the changing market place, that Avid needs to really pay attention to. We are all being tasked with doing more with less resources. Our pockets are not as deep as they used to be, even here at TPC.

 as to not delineate the full blown pt.. avids m audio delta 1010 multi in out sound card works great with mc5 they could add an m powered pt plugin and give that product a new life in a new direction where it has no coverage hmmm new market right at home no rights issues  and not take anything away from pt standalone 

hay avid i will take a beta copy for the idea i already have the delta 1010

Hi Tom & Larry:

                       Right on brothers ! This is one of my biggest beefs about Avid's direction with MC. I need to cut and Finish on the same computer. The sound tools in MC are an after thought. There needs to be more of a Pro Tools integration option at least. I need a proper compressor in MC for one. Also, a Dolby Digital encoder for proper DVD and Blu-ray authoring. We already have the chapter markers and buttons on the M 1 timeline, so let's add the directable 5 + 1 Surround buss please. One more thing - AVID ! I'M NOT NBC !

All this audio talk has me appreciating Liquid which has integrated these features, especially the audio ones for years...yes even the 5.1 encoder...

The lack of mouse sensitivity hovering over a timeline presents less of an issue with my 24" 1920x1200 monitor than a smaller one. I've reduced acceleration to increase percision, but it would be nice to have a key (holddown) to slow mouse movement, kind of like a zoom

Mark Job:

Also, a Dolby Digital encoder for proper DVD and Blu-ray authoring. We already have the chapter markers and buttons on the M 1 timeline, so let's add the directable 5 + 1 Surround buss please. One more thing - AVID ! I'M NOT NBC !

so does this mean you want more and more features at a lower price?

yes 

Tom Pearson:

yes 

 

I think this is getting to the "Good, Fast or Cheap: Pick Two" theory.  And historically speaking Media Composer is VERY inexpensive right now.

In this economy, all of our clients want us to do more or the same for less, and unfortuantely, we have to squeeze our vendors that way or well.  Adobe seems to keep being able to put out reasonably priced upgrades packed with new features.  I know Avid is not Adobe, but it helps to know your market.

Our Avid machines are due for replacing this year, and the one request I keep getting from our editors is to change to Mac's so that they can use Motion for some of their graphics.  And Motion, being part of FCP, only works on Mac.  And oh yeah, we wouldn't need the $15K nitris DX to capture Analog component from our Beta SP decks.  Just a $2k decklink or AJA card (Avid's biggest weakness in competing in the smaller markets)

Since most of us aren't clued in on Avid's roadmap to the future, it is very frustrating to see us lose interface features (I personally loved to make my personal button shapes and despise the smart-tool) without being clued in on what we will gain for our loss.  Avid's saving grace is that Apple seems to have let FCP languish and not take advantage of all of Avid's recent MC 5 misteps (I still have 2 of our machines on 5.03 since all of the patches scare the hell out of me). 

Avid needs to do something soon to regain our confidence since they did a hell of a job to help lose it with all of these issues with ver 5 and the patches that make things worse.  This is my perception and my opinion.

- MIke

Mark Job:

I need a proper compressor in MC for one.

You can easily get one for RTAS. There's a very affordable brickwall limiter from Massey plugins for example, as well as a CT4 compressor and some more stuff.

Job ter Burg:

There's a very affordable brickwall limiter from Massey plugins for example

From Massey's website:

"The plugins are guaranteed compatible with Pro Tools 7 and higher. They are NOT compatible with Logic or Media Composer."

Have you tried it, Job?

Tom Pearson:

avid has to realize that we (small shops and indies) no longer have different computers for audio and video we want it to work together integration is the new catch word for the 11's.... I am not saying that you give you code to the world just make you stuff work with your stuff

 

yeah i hear you on that one its like ive said before about the integration thing if Avid had only kept Liquid 7 going and developed it further it was a nicely integrated nle Avid could have left MC alone for the market segment it was intended for wth instead of trying to create a hybrid MC/Liquid product that is not making users happy from either camp now Avid doesn't have a product to compete with pp and edius trying to provide an integrated suite like PP not coming close too much of a price gap from pinnacle studio to media composer nothing inbetween those two for the rest of the market place just seems like it was a bad decision to kill a nicely integrated nle like Liquid now everyone is seeing problems like you mention with your sound card that can be frustrating maybe some day soon it will all come together in mc still there is no product to fill the gap between pinnacle studio and mc just my thoughts but hay nobody ever consults me first before these decisions get made.

switthaus:

so does this mean you want more and more features at a lower price?

Hi Switthaus: No, not at all - just give me what I need and I will pay for it. You have to agree that the DVD output workflow is kind of klunky at best. It's half baked and half ready. We are 3/4 of the way out of MC to a proper client Blu-ray DVD delivery but not quite. This point is connected with my earlier assertion it is too difficult to get stuff in and out of MC.

Tom Pearson:

yes 

No.