Avid Introduces Version 7.0

But It Won't Work With SCSI MediaShare

by Tony Solomons, with other contributors

Avid Technologies has just released its newest and most exciting Media/Film Composer software in years. Yes Avid, the company that brought you Mac -36 errors, shrunken post schedules, and the purple triangle has just released another Composer version, 7.0.

The Avid digital editing system was introduced in the early 90's amongst a pack of other non-linear editing systems. The competition has been chasing their tail ever since. In addition to the feature world, Avid has become the system of choice for commercials, news programs, television stations, industrials, and consumer editing. Its versatility and compatibility have also revolutionized the broadcast world. Programming can now be edited, finished, and broadcast directly from the Avid. The newest version of the software could put the last nail in the competition's coffin.

Many of the new 7.0 features are designed specifically for the 30 fps world. However, for those of you who work in the film world, I have highlighted many of the features that pertain to 30 and 24 fps projects.

Goodbye, SCSI MediaShare

Composer 7.0 is not compatible with SCSI Media Share, the technology that we've all been using to share hard disc storage. Instead, 7.0 works only with the new Fibre Channel technology that replaces it. Avid maintains that this is not an attempt to abandon current users and that technical limitations are responsible for the incompatibility. To use fiber technology you or your rental house will have to replace the Media Share box, purchase a new Fibre card and software for each CPU and, most onerous, replace all your hard drives. This makes the upgrade to 7.0 an expensive proposition if you want to use shared storage. Avid is offering a one-time trade-up offer to SCSI Media Share owners but details were not available at press time. It also hopes to eventually release an adaptor that will allow you to use your exisiting drives with Fibre Channel, but it's not available yet, and how well it will work remains to be seen.

Organization

One of the most useful new functions in 7.0 is the ability to be more organized. You can now create folders, organize bins into folders, and delete bins and folders directly in the project window. There is a trash can that automatically appears at the bottom of your project window any time you try to delete a bin or folder. The items in the trash may be retrieved or removed perm-anently by emptying the trash.

For better media file management, a handy new Reveal File option under the File menu will find all media files on the finder level associated with the highlighted clip.

There are also many new project settings such as global import and export settings and savable deck settings that can be customized to one or more decks.

Graphics

Graphics and titles are now truly uncompressed in real-time. The Title tool now creates PICT files rather than new media files. It is this PICT file that will be accessed (like a downstream key) each time you play the sequence. However, multiple or nested uncompressed title cards must be rendered before playing.

Creating rolling or crawling titles has been made easy. A Roll and Crawl option has been added to the title tool. You can now type all your credits in one long list, edit the list, and control the speed by specifying the title clip length.

There is no limit to the complexity of special effects available to you now. In addition to a redesigned full screen effect editor (borrowed from the MCXpress), Intraframe editing allows you to apply any of the numerous composer effects to a portion of a frame. Cloning, colorizing, custom masking, and animating portions within a frame are a mouse click away. Wires can be erased, props can be moved, crowds can be expanded, and actors can be re-lit. Most of these effects do not translate into a cut list, however, the new universal Grid tool enables pinpoint accuracy with adjustable x/y axis locations and sub-field positioning.

Audio

For the audio enthusiast, 7.0 offers eight separate channels in, eight channels playing, and eight channels out capability. It also offers real time mixing on the fly. A new Automation Gain window allows you to alter the volume levels of one or all of the clips in a sequence while it is playing. The adjustments made in this tool appear as mapped key frames when viewing the timeline with the Volume option enabled. The audio can then be re-mixed manually by manipulating the key frames or automatically through the Automation Gain window again. For further flexibility, an external MIDI mixer, connected through the serial port, can substitute for the Automation Gain tool.

The Audio Suite tool allows you to access several built-in audio effects and unlimited third-party plug-in audio effects. It places the audio effect directly into the timeline and allows you to preview the native or third party audio effect in real-time.

The EQ tool also offers semi real-time previewing of effects including an array of new built-in audio filters.

Timeline

For those of you who use the audio waveform option in the timeline, you will be glad to know that the sample plot can be set to display only the designated portion between the in and out marks. You no longer need to wait while the timeline redraws the entire sequence.

The timeline zoom icons have been redesigned with a slider. And finally the position bar will scroll through an entire sequence as long as the new Scroll While Playing option is enabled.

Other improvements include the redesigned command palate, auto-patching for channel designation in the timeline, an additional jumbo tear-off timecode display window, multiple take previewing in the script tool, Autosequence, three perf support, and OMF 2.0 compatibility.

Drawbacks

One of the most distressing new features in 7.0 is the "big brother" time-clock. This work flow meter records each task by category. The time spent digitizing, editing, rendering, going to the bathroom, and talking on the phone are recorded in a hidden report card. Now, where is the trust?

Avid supports up to system software version 8.0 and Fibre Channel in conjunction with Media/Film Composer 7.0. Transoft's Studio Boss fiber channel is compatible with 7.0.

The new software requires an increased amount of RAM due to the addition of new features such as the Audio Suite. Avid is shipping their new 7.0 systems with almost 200 MB of RAM. The new Avid 9000 with 7.0 can be yours for around $110,000.