Product Review
AudioVision Version 4.0
by Robert Moore
Digidesign provided an AV4 system, MCXpress, PowerMac 9500/200 and Avid drives for my evaluation. I set this up in my studio, next to my Avid AudioVision 3.6, which uses a Quadra 950/33. At the swivel of my chair I could be in front of either system.
I co-produced a short film this summer and we used a MediaComposer 8000 for picture editorial. The final was saved as an OMF sequence, with a consolidate of all media (picture and sound) to my 9GB drive. I copied the OMF sequence and media to the AV4 system drives and plugged the 9GB drive into my AV3.6 system. This provided me with an identical project on both systems.
Both imported the OMF audio files perfectly. AV3.6 could not play the AVR75 picture. AV4 did not recognize video FX media. All audio edits were intact for both systems. I digitized picture for the AV3.6 system at AVR5.
New System Features?
There are no new editing features added to AV4. As a matter of fact, three system features were removed. Gone is S-video record or playback (which I use). Frame View shows first frame of video in the BIN window, helpful when using AudioVision for cuts-only picture editing, which the AV3.6 is great at, is gone. The QuickTime Video Window is gone.
Avid basically ported over AudioVision from NuBus to PCI. Sj32 surprisingly, there isn't much in the way of AudioVision performance improvement. You need a PowerMac 9600/300 or 350, with its graphics accelerator card, to speed up Waveform draw.
AV4 includes ProTools. AV4 also offers AVR77 video resolution. I digitize 42-minute projects as one AVR3 file, taking 1GB. AVR77 would use 17GB's! Video In/Out setting is nearly the same. AV4 has a separate video tool for IN/OUT, AV3.6 has a single video tool.
AV4 only comes in 16 channels. I had hoped for 24. A 24-channel ProTools system should playback a 24 track AV4 project, saving layback time. Although, with OMF dubbers at year's end, layback may soon become an obsolete term, I hope.
Bugs!!
I've always been very impressed at how stable AV3.6 is. Almost crash resistant and "bug free", I never have serious problems and have absolute confidence with it. I still save after every edit. It is a computer and all computers crash, sooner or later.
I was surprised to find AV4 to be "sensitive". During one session, I loaded my project for comparisons to AV3.6. I quit out of AV4. I realized that I wanted to test another feature. I rebooted AV4, reloaded my project, hit play and AV4 crashed!
Video track - When moving a Video Fade, AV4 crashed. If there is no media online AV4 warns you, when there is media, AV4 crashes!
Media tool - AV4 would not play video fades and displayed the message "unknown file". Using the Media Tool I searched for the unknown files and tried to play them within the Media Tool Window. AV4 crashed and in the process, corrupted the Project file.
Scrub - Video Scrub with AV4 is jumpy and not nearly as smooth as AV3.6, but probably because I was scrubbing AV4 at AVR75 and AV3.6 at AVR5.
Hardware - Channels 2 and 4 of #1 888 hardware did not work and channels 1 and 2 of #2 888 was very distorted. I tried everything to fix the problem, but nothing worked, including swapping modules, cables etc. Also, the audio quality of the AV4 system varied on boot-up.
Who Should Buy?
My master AV3.6 disk was created June 11, 1996. I received my AV4 upgrade notice September 8, 1996. Six days later Digidesign announced new 24-bit hardware, which does not work with AV4 yet! It has taken more than a year for an AudioVision "upgrade", which is already obsolete.
For anyone considering AV4, I recommend that you purchase 24-bit ProTools instead and wait a year for the next "upgrade". Hopefully, ProTools and AudioVision will become one program, with the AudioVision interface, plus ProTools features and single hard-disc playback.
Considering the MCXpress ($15,000) option? Consider Radius VideoVision PCI (VVPCI, $2,500) instead. VVPCI includes Radius Edit (user friendly video editor), Adobe After Effects, cable and software for external machine control. VVPCI is QuickTime compatible and will soon understand OMF.
Radius VideoVision is also the best video card to use with Pro Tools and the video quality is excellent.
How Much Will AV4 Cost?
This summer I was told the "upgrade" would be $7,995. The letter I received Sept. 8th offers the upgrade at $13,995. YIKES !!!! Each AV4 needs two hard-drives (one for video and one for audio) and the expensive video monitor on my AV3.6 cannot be used on AV4. I have to buy another CPU. And don't forget fax and shipping. By the time I'm done it will cost me around $25k to upgrade!! That, of course, does not include another $3,400 for software support for one year!
I also don't get to keep my old AudioVision. Avid wants it back!?!?
A new system is around $45,000, unless you get all the options, a MicroLynx and large displays.
Expect to pay more.
Conclusion
The AudioVision 3.6 is still the best editing system.
The AudioVision 4.0 is a downgrade for present NuBus AudioVision owners. According to Avid, AV4 software will be available for NuBus owners, the last software release for NuBus.
An advantage (now lost) of AudioVision was picture and audio (up to 16 tracks) playback off a single hard-drive. Using an external digital VCR like the DoReMi V1, Fairlight, WaveFrame and ProTools now all compete with the AudioVision, at a much lower price.
With no new features and no serious performance improvement, it simply does not make sense to upgrade.
Valuable TidBits
Modem - The "Global Village - Teleport" is the very best modem for Apple CPU's. Great fax-modem software is included. TelePort 56 Plus is bundled with Mac OS8 for $189. Call Global Village at (800) 736-4821.
JAZ - Sony Pictures Studios, Advanced Digital Systems Group (ADSG) is offering JAZ AV certification for the Mechanism and Media. Call Steven B. Cohen at (310) 244-5523.
WWWeb Sound FX - SoundDogs.com offers sound effects online.
Radius - Rhonda Stratton, Director of DV, (408) 541-5163, or send email.
Any questions? Send me email.