Avid Free DV a good way to start learning Avid?

[Jon Zanone]

Well, I’ll qualify this by saying I’ve not used Avid Free (could be a Cream song…) but I’ve heard from others it’s a great way to learn the interface. Keep in mind you won’t have most of the features (obviously), but it’s a good representation of what Avid is about.

You mentioned you’re on a Macintel – keep in mind Avid software may or may not be certified for that chipset. Do a tour of Avid.com to verify.

Jon

[Michael Hancock]

In addition, you asked if you could bring a project from Avid Free to Xpress Pro. No. Nothing done in Avid Free will transfer to any other Avid system. You’ll have to recut everything to do that.

However, Avid Free is a great way to learn the interface, different modes, logging, capturing, importing, etc… While the video and audio tracks are extremely limited (2 of each I believe), you can do mixdowns of both, or collapse (nest) the video tracks. This gives you the opportunity to learn some of the finer points of the Avid interface and how it functions.

Like Jon said, many of the features are disabled, but the interface is exactly the same as Xpress Pro and Media Composer (and probably Symphony–I don’t know though, I’ve never had the chance to sit down in front of one).

Word of advice: don’t try to make the Avid act like FCP. It won’t. They are different programs, have different ways of doing things, and both have their strenghts and weaknesses. If you go into learning an Avid with the mindset of “This is an Avid. I will cut the Avid way and leave my FCP workflow to FCP” you will do fine. Best of luck, post back with questions!!

Mike.

[Ron James]

Thanks a lot, Jon and Mike!

This is great to hear. I’m not expecting any editing power with the free Avid, just want to get familiar with the way things work.

[promoboy] “Word of advice: don’t try to make the Avid act like FCP. It won’t. They are different programs, have different ways of doing things, and both have their strenghts and weaknesses”

I’ve been training FCP for years, which includes editors coming from Avid, and this is the first thing I tell them! So I hope I’ll obey my own rules.

Now to see if it will launch on my MacIntel. I think it will install, but isn’t supported by Avid on the MacIntel platform. As long as it runs, I’ll be happy.

Thanks again!

James

[Jon Zanone]

Are you gonna’ try running Boot Camp and a PC version? I’d be interested to know how that works for you…

Jon

[Ron James]

Jon, I’d love to try that, but I don’t own Windows XP. I’m thinking of buying a copy though and taking the Windows plunge. I think it’s a great move on Apple’s part. I was using Windows on a demo iMac, though, and the interface was a lot snappier than any other windows machine I’ve been on.

Jon, here’s a question for you. I’m not sure if you’ve used Avid Free, but I gave it a try last night (on a G5 1.8 ghz, Avid Free v. 1.8) and was following along in the documentation regarding log and capture, and some key controls are missing from the capture tool set. There’s no Log Clip icon! Also, the documentation describes a logging method that use the F4 key. It says to play, F4 for your In, then F4 for your out and once again for Log Clip. However, this doesn’t work for me at all. The only thing I managed to do was mark In and Out, then hit the F4 to capture it, which did work. Perhaps I better check and make sure of version compatibility again.

I’m guessing I’ll find Xpress Pro much easier to use. Strangely, I can’t use iMovie for more than five minutes before going crazy. I find it’s just too simplified and I’m pretty much useless. I need full control!

[Michael Hancock]

I haven’t used Avid Free in over 2 years, but if it’s capture is set up at all like the rest of the Avid line (that is, if they didn’t disable the Log feature) then here’s what you do:

1. Open the Capture tool.
2. Across the top you’ll see a little bar with the record button, a window that turns red when actually recording, a little trashcan, then a button that says CAP.
3. Click on the button that says CAP. It should change to say LOG.

Notice that the red record button had changed to a pencil. You are now in log mode!

Hitting F4 from here will mark an in and hitting F4 again will mark an out and log the clip.

Log away, then select all logged clips in your bin, select Batch Digitize or Batch Capture…they changed the name at one point(it will be under the Bin or Clip menu…can’t remember) and make some coffee while the Avid goes to work. If you get stuck with other areas, post. That’s what this forum is for.

Mike.

[Ron James]

Mike, thanks a million. I’ll try that. I actually didn’t see anything about this in the Avid help file. Believe me, I looked and looked.

I appreciate your help!

James

[Lyndalm123]

Im horrified. Are you absolutely %100 sure you can’t transfer a avid free project into an avid. My graduate film is riding on this being false……

[Michael Schmidt]

Can anyone direct me to a copy of Avid Free DV for Mac?

I’m trying to brush up on Avid (I’ve been off it for years using FCP) and can’t afford to buy a copy for practice. I just want to refresh my memory and play around with the interface between jobs. No heavy lifting.

I know there is a free 30 day trial of Media Composer out right now. Unfortunately, my computer does not meet the minimum system requirements–it is not running OS 10.6.3. I do, however, have an older machine, running OS 10.3.9, that could handle Avid Free DV.

Can anyone direct me to an archive of the Avid Free DV software for Mac?

For the record, I have located a copy of Avid Free DV version 1.6.1 for Windows at:

https://en.kioskea.net/download/download-1992-avid-free-dv

Here is a list of the Avid Free DV system requirements:

https://web.archive.org/web/20070221065207/https://www.avid.com/freedv/sysReq...

Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated. Thanks!