What audio editor do you prefer?

[andrebrito]

For editing purposes I think Nuendo/Cubase blows away PT anytime. But you can get a cheap MAudio and use PT and Nuendo in the same computer.

I also like Sequoia altough the lack of some basic functions in terms of automation is a bit of a turn off (not sure if this has changed in the latest versions or not).

[introvert]

Fairlight systems are pretty expensive. I don't believe they have anything on par with the LE pricing. I'd toss out a number, but it would be a guess, and I'm sure there are people around here who would know far better than I do.

[nathand]

Fairlight's most recent engine is called the CC-1. And the editor is called the Xynergi. Check them out at fairlightau.com or at youtube.com

I've been told the cheapest configuration is around 20k. That's amazing considering the amount of power it's advertised to have.

I demo'ed a CC-1 hooked up to a Station about 6 months ago and crashed it in about 10 minutes. But they've come a long way since then apparently.

[Frank S.]

Originally Posted by nathand

Fairlight's most recent engine is called the CC-1. And the editor is called the Xynergi. Check them out at fairlightau.com or at youtube.com

I've been told the cheapest configuration is around 20k. That's amazing considering the amount of power it's advertised to have.

I demo'ed a CC-1 hooked up to a Station about 6 months ago and crashed it in about 10 minutes. But they've come a long way since then apparently.

The Xynergi is around $20k. We just installed one here 6-8 weeks ago. It's not as fast of an editor as the others with the binnacle. Apparently they steered away from the binnacle because some users had complained that they didn't like it. I have to say that when we first switched from Fame2s to Constellations it took me a week or so to get used to the new setup. After that it is MUCH faster and overall a better design than the original MFK.

Fairlights are indeed pricey, but worth it.

[introvert]

Originally Posted by Frank S.

Apparently they steered away from the binnacle because some users had complained that they didn't like it.

Really...?

[Frank S.]

Originally Posted by introvert

Really...?

Yeah, I don't understand it either. That's what Michael Haprov @ Fairlight told me at AES. It took me about a week to get up to speed on the binnacle, but once you do it is definitely better.

[minister]

Originally Posted by saltysea

Up till now I've been doing fairly small audio gigs for Post but have some hour long documentaries to get my teeth into later this year.
Would LE+DV give me enough of a better toolset and compatibility upgrade or should I be looking at HD system from the off?

I would stay at LE+DVTK. you will get enough tracks to do a doc and probably enough power for plugs. just watch your latency due to plug delay....on an LE it can add up, especially on DIA tracks. do a temp DIA pre-dub to a track and see how far you are off, like, by say more than a frame. if you are, then create a new playlist on the DIA track and slide the regions back the delay amount. your original playlist will contain your original placement if things get wiggy.

here is my take. I have worked in other programs, Nuendo, Fairlight, Dyaxsis (remember that?), Logic, DP, Deck (he he)... i found them slower than PT. why? i am SURE it is because i do not know them as well and do not work on them as often. i can FLY on PT. i have done enough editing on it to really know what i need to do. EVERYONE i have known who said PT is slow I have found out that they do not know the program well enough....and they were doing things slowly, or in a way that could have been done faster.

once you have edited dozens of phone prompts, radio tags and the like, you get fast.

My point is : ANY of the DAW's can work for editing, but ya gotta learn it. Take people who say that PT is slow with a grain of salt. Or take my opinion with a grain of salt if you prefer. But LEARN your program. then you will be as fast on it as any of the others.

also, as has been said elsewhere, "fast schmast! is it GOOD editing." so you can cut backgrounds fast. But are they GOOD and Useable! I have seen punks come through here who were fast, but their work was unusable. they had to re-do it. took more than twice the time.

[PostFade]

The CC-1 powered Fairlight is just fantastic. The large 8U QDC rack is now replaced by an FPGA card sitting in a bog standard Windows PC.
A 1U unit provides most I/O and it links to the 'major audio I/O' via MADI and runs video off the same card, with integral ADR package. You need a proper control surface to work quickly in audio post and the Fairlights 'Binnacle' edit panel coupled with dedicated keys for almost everything makes it the only system I can feel happy with.
Superfast Eq on clips means that I don't need to grab the eq on the desk very often either.
Editing with a mouse or those mapped computer keyboard keys that PT requires is just a turn off.
Here's my Dream II Constellation room.
PostFade

[Jazzpunk]

Nice room Postfade. Mind explaining what 'superfast eq on clips' actually means? I'm interested to learn more about what the fairlight system offers.

[Frank S.]

Fairlight basically has two types of EQ: clip based and in-line. The in-line works just as any other console or controller where the EQ and dynamics are in the channel path. The clip-based EQ is different. You can EQ individual clips seperately or select a group of clips and adjust the EQ on them without affecting other clips on the same tracks. This clip EQ can be copied to other clips, bypassed, adjusted, whatever, without affecting mix automation or any other functions. It's a great tool to have, I use it all the time on my Constellation.

Check out their websites to learn more about their stuff:
Welcome To Fairlight - Provider of Professional Audio Production Solutions
Welcome To Fairlight US - Provider of Professional Audio Production Solutions

[mikeymikemcmike]

Originally Posted by Frank S.

Yeah, I don't understand it either. That's what Michael Haprov @ Fairlight told me at AES. It took me about a week to get up to speed on the binnacle, but once you do it is definitely better.

I think that's what happened with the Binnacle. I know loads of people who loved the MFX3 and looked at the Binnacle / Dream and hated it!

I think they've screwed it up again with their new surface too!

[mikeymikemcmike]

Originally Posted by PostFade

The CC-1 powered Fairlight is just fantastic. The large 8U QDC rack is now replaced by an FPGA card sitting in a bog standard Windows PC.
A 1U unit provides most I/O and it links to the 'major audio I/O' via MADI and runs video off the same card, with integral ADR package. You need a proper control surface to work quickly in audio post and the Fairlights 'Binnacle' edit panel coupled with dedicated keys for almost everything makes it the only system I can feel happy with.
Superfast Eq on clips means that I don't need to grab the eq on the desk very often either.
Editing with a mouse or those mapped computer keyboard keys that PT requires is just a turn off.
Here's my Dream II Constellation room.
PostFade

Wow that looks cool! How is the system's stability? Any bugs?

[AdAudioInc]

Originally Posted by the Postman

A shameless plug for my old Fairlight MFX3 48s
All Madi all the time.
Though I am giving Nuendo 4 a run with one of those Euphonix things shortly to see if I can edit as fast as I can with the QDC.

Good luck - I can't touch my former speed editing dialog on an AMS Audiofile with Nuendo / Euphonix MC combo. But I'm getting to where I can work around all of the compromises. The biggest one: If you are old school and learned to edit by listening, you'll have to re-train, cause on this system you look for edits, not listen.

[Frank S.]

Originally Posted by mikeymikemcmike

I think that's what happened with the Binnacle. I know loads of people who loved the MFX3 and looked at the Binnacle / Dream and hated it!

I think they've screwed it up again with their new surface too!

At first I hated the binnacle, but after you use it you realize how much better it is. The new Xynergi controller doesn't seem to offer the speed capability that the binnacle or MFX (MFK) did. We have one, but I haven't logged more than an hour on it.

[Frank S.]

Originally Posted by mikeymikemcmike

Wow that looks cool! How is the system's stability? Any bugs?

The Fairlights are very stable. I've locked mine up and/or crashed it, but those are very rare occassions. The best thing about Fairlight is their customer service. If there's a bug they'll fix it pretty fast.

[minister]

Originally Posted by Frank S.

At first I hated the binnacle,

such a pain to clean off your bit or ship......

[mikeymikemcmike]

Originally Posted by Frank S.

At first I hated the binnacle, but after you use it you realize how much better it is. The new Xynergi controller doesn't seem to offer the speed capability that the binnacle or MFX (MFK) did. We have one, but I haven't logged more than an hour on it.

I got pretty exited when I heard about the concept behind the Xynergi controller but when I say it at the AES last year I was pretty disapointed. IMHO they've made the keys on top of the TFT screen too small and "qwerty" like.

[introvert]

Originally Posted by the Postman

A shameless plug for my old Fairlight MFX3 48s
All Madi all the time.
Though I am giving Nuendo 4 a run with one of those Euphonix things shortly to see if I can edit as fast as I can with the QDC.

I've been effective with it, but I'm working at a game developer, and I have no control surface. I remapped everything to the keyboard and a Presonus Faderport.

One thing that will help: a lot of the functions that will replicate a Fairlight system aren't immediately assigned to any key command or key on a control surface. You have to look for them in the assignments. Things like split clip, jump to next/prev clip, etc are buried in there if you look for them.

[philper]

Originally Posted by minister

I would stay at LE+DVTK. you will get enough tracks to do a doc and probably enough power for plugs. just watch your latency due to plug delay....on an LE it can add up, especially on DIA tracks. do a temp DIA pre-dub to a track and see how far you are off, like, by say more than a frame. if you are, then create a new playlist on the DIA track and slide the regions back the delay amount. your original playlist will contain your original placement if things get wiggy.

But that delay latency is automatically compensated for on HD/TDM systems, right?

Philip Perkins

[minister]

Originally Posted by philper

But that delay latency is automatically compensated for on HD/TDM systems, right?

Philip Perkins

yes, for sure. I prefer HD. but it seemed like a matter of $$.... and he was just starting out, doing small gigs...and wil get his first long form piece later. with that level of business income, i thought it beat to stay where he is and upgrade after business is bigger. you can do a lot in LE.

[siriusbliss]

Samplitude at the moment, and soon moving up to Sequoia, since I seem to be picking up more post-type projects here.

automation is good, and the object-based approach is fast and fluid for my workflow.

Greg

[luis]

I would prefer to go with FlexiMusic Audio Editor, because it is relatively easy to use and cheapest one.