Sony Vegas

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Sony Vegas

A screenshot of Vegas 8 Pro on Windows XP editing a video with two audio tracks.
Developed by Sony Creative Software
Latest release 8.0b (build 217) / January, 2008
OS Microsoft Windows
Genre Video editing software
License Proprietary
Website Sony Creative Software

Sony Vegas is a non-linear editing system originally published by Sonic Foundry, now owned and run by Sony Creative Software. It is designed to be used on Microsoft Windows XP and Vista. In April 2007, Sony along with AMD jointly demonstrated a soon to be released 64-bit version of Vegas running on 64-bit Vista. Originally developed as an audio editor, it eventually developed into a NLE for video and audio from version 2.0. Vegas features realtime multitrack video and audio editing on unlimited tracks, resolution independent video sequencing, complex effects and compositing tools, 24-bit/192 kHz audio support, VST and DirectX plug-in effect support, and Dolby Digital surround sound mixing.

The consumer level Vegas Movie Studio version (formerly titled VideoFactory and Screenblast) shares the same interface and underlying code base as the professional Vegas version, but does not include professional features like advanced compositing tools while 24p editing support is unofficial. Previously, Vegas could be purchased separately from Sony's DVD and Blu-ray Disc authoring suite, DVD Architect Pro (previously called DVD Architect, DVD Architect Studio is the consumer version), as a package called 'Vegas + DVD'. With the release of Vegas Pro 8.0, both DVD Architect Studio Pro 4.5, Vegas Pro 8.0, as well as Boris FX LTD and Magic Bullet Movie Looks HD are bundled together and may not be purchased individually.

Contents

[edit] Features

[edit] Video Features

Vegas supports unlimited video and audio tracks, any aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9, etc.) and pixel aspect ratio, and any frame rate (23.97, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, etc.) Projects can mix source clips with different frame rates and resolutions. Project/timeline settings such as frame rate, aspect ratio, etc. can be changed at any time during editing.

Vegas allows external preview via Firewire to Firewire ready broadcast monitors or via DV deck/camera which also incorporates realtime down convert from HD to SD so HD material can be viewed on an external standard definition monitor. As of version 6.0, Vegas can also output video to a second LCD or CRT monitor via component video or DVI connections.

Vegas does not require any specialized hardware to run properly, allowing it to operate on most any standard Windows computer across a broad range of hardware.

In areas of compositing and motion graphics Vegas provides a broad tool set including 3D track motion compositing with control over Z-depth, and spatial arrangement of visual planes including plane intersection.

Much of the visual effects processing in Vegas follows an audio-like paradigm. Effects can be applied at any stage of the visual signal flow - event level, track level and output level effects, much like reverb, delay and flange audio effects are applied in a digital audio system, like Pro Tools, Cubase or Sonar. Master output effects can also be controlled and manipulated over time by the use of Master Bus track automation envelopes.

With version 8.0, Vegas now reads MJPEG AVIs (usually from "video" setting on digital still cameras). (With prior versions of the software, installing an MJPEG codec sometimes fixed the problem.) 3rd party codecs are supported but it can be difficult to see which codec is being used to play back an AVI. Some of Vegas's codecs are 'native' or built-in.

Vegas features integration with 24p DV. It is also one of the few NLEs which can convert other formats to 24p (or any format to any other format) without any kind of a plugin or third-party application support. Vegas is the only pro NLE that allows for multiple instances of the application to be opened simultaneously. Clips and sequences can be copied and pasted between instances of Vegas with ease. Moreover, one instance can be rendering a sequence in the background while the user continues to edit in a different instance of Vegas in the foreground.

[edit] Audio Features

Vegas has full resolution 24-bit/192 kHz audio support, with over 30 customizable real-time audio effects included with the application. All audio effects can be controlled via envelopes for each parameter. Effects include Track EQ, Reverb, Chorus, Delay, Noise Gate, and Flange/Wah/Phase. Audio effects for 5.1 projects are also included with the program, including EQ, Dither, and Wave Hammer Surround compression tools. Users can expand the program via its VST and DirectX plugin support. As of version 6.0, Vegas also supports professional-quality low latency ASIO drivers, as well as broadcast wave format.

The software provides many tools for 5.1 surround mixes, including keyframeable surround panning and effects for tracks and busses. Surround projects can be rendered with the included Dolby-certified AC-3 encoder, included with the Vegas+DVD package. Film-style surround panning mode supports panning between speakers using a constant power model, which is optimized for theater-style speaker placement.

The program includes 19 timestretch modes that allows users to choose the resampling method that best fits the audio. Users can also change the pitch of any event in a project. Pitch, tempo and stretch amount information is displayed in timeline events. New to version 6.0 is tape-style audio scrubbing, which mimics the effect of dragging an analog tape past the playhead.

If users don't have 5.1 speakers, Vegas offers real-time downmixing of audio from 5.1 surround to stereo. Users can also downmix from stereo to mono. Complicated mixes can be obtained with bus-to-bus routing, as well as with bus envelopes to set track effect parameters, volume, and panning for a Vegas project.

[edit] Other Features

Vegas has the ability to run user created scripts. Microsoft .NET is required for scripting functionality. Scripts can be written in Visual Basic or Javascript and can be built to control, manipulate or automate almost any aspect of Vegas. The online community of Vegas users has produced a vast array of such scripts which can be downloaded and run without any scripting knowledge.

[edit] Vegas Pro 8.0

Released on September 10, 2007, the Vegas Pro collection combines Vegas Pro 8.0, DVD Architect Pro 4.5, and Dolby Digital AC-3 encoding software to offer an integrated environment for all phases of professional video, audio, DVD, and broadcast production. These tools let you edit and process DV, AVCHD, HDV, SD/HD-SDI, and all XDCAM formats in real time, fine-tune audio with precision, and author surround sound, dual-layer DVDs.

  • Vegas was the first NLE that allowed you to put a variety of formats on the timeline and just edit them. Other NLEs would require you to render or "conform" these down to a single format. Vegas Video 1.0 had this in 2000. Final Cut Pro got this feature in 2007 with FCP 6.
  • Native 24p editing was first made possible in Vegas; more than a year in advance of the competition.[citation needed] In 2003 when the 4.0b update was released, Vegas users got HD editing support and 24p support for free.
  • Vegas was the first NLE with "serious" audio tools, such as integrated 5.1 surround mixing, 24-bit/192 kHz audio support, and ASIO driver support.

Vegas started life as an audio-only tool with particular focus on rescaling and resampling audio, making it arguably a leader in its category with substantially more sophisticated audio tools than any other NLE.

Vegas was among the first NLEs to embrace HDV support both as native TS files and through lossless transcoding tools such as Cineform Connect HD. It is however notorious for crashing when using HDV video files.

Date Version Name Major features added
September 2007 8.0 Vegas Pro 8.0
  • ProType Titling technology
  • Multicamera editing tools
  • 32-bit floating point video processing
  • Customizable window layouts
  • Improved HDV/SDI/XDCAM support
  • Mixing console window
September 2006 7.0 Vegas 7
  • Support of AVCHD

[edit] Awards

Vegas has won awards for major broadcasters using it, including Nightline w/Ted Koppel.[1] Several film festival winners have used Vegas to cut their features.[2]

Vegas has been used by engineers and artists as diverse as the 5.1 surround mix for Yes, as well as recordings by Shania Twain, Rod Stewart, and Quiet Riot and music video/live recordings for Sheryl Crow. Vegas is also popular for documentary video production and mobile news reporting because of its ability to run on moderately powered computer systems. Sony Announced that Sony Vegas unlimited 8 will be released summer 2008 with all Sony Vegas combined.

[edit] References

  1. ^ NIGHTLINE is the Right Line for Sony Vegas, Videoguys Blog.
  2. ^ First Place, First Time!, Digital Media Online.

[edit] External links