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Express vs. Symphony vs. Adrenaline (interfaces)
Hello, all,
I’ve used various Avids intermittently over the last ten years, mainly landing in an Express Pro HD environment since 2001. My question is this: What are the real differences in user interfaces and creative options between the various Avid systems. I know about the issues of power and video processing, but in terms of actual differences in features, user-friendliness and effects capabilities… well, are there really any?
Many thanks!
– Tom
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10 Replies
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I just answered this question over at Avid’s forums on Avid.com. I’ll repost what I typed:
XPro and Media Composer have the same interface, along with XDV and Symphony. The big difference is that each higher-end product has more interface features.
Some of the interface features you’ll find in the Media Composer are:
*Center Duration
*Phantom Markers
*Sub-Frame Audio Editing
*Top/Tail Editing
*2 Rows of Buttons in the Composer Monitor (XPro only has one)
*Profile View in the Effect Editor
*Reverse Matchframe
*And some othersLots of handy items in there. You’ll probably notice on a Meridien system that the timeline scrolls as you play back, too…something that was removed from the newer Avid products (DNA line). Then you’ll notice effects in MC that are absent in XPro as well, such as: Animatte, Paint Effect, 3D Warp, Blur/Mosaic effects, Scratch Removal, etc. Symphony adds Motion Tracking, TRUE Image Stabilization, clone/erase/emboss/median/unsharpen/darken/lighten/gradient effects (don’t know if those are in Symphony Nitris, but they were in Symphony Meridien), secondary color-correction, a far-advanced primary color-correction toolset, Ultimatte keying (in the Meridien Symphonies, replaced with Avid’s own SpectraMatte in Symphony Nitris), etc. There’s some more goodies in there, but you can read the specs for yourself. 🙂
https://www.avid.com/products/symphony/features.shtml (Older Meridien Version)
https://www.avid.com/products/symphonyNitris/featurelist.asp
https://www.avid.com/products/composer/featurelist.html (Older Meridien Version)
https://www.avid.com/products/composer/adrenalinehd/featurelist.asp
https://www.avid.com/products/xpressprohd/featurelist.htmlI have been hounding Avid Engineering and Marketing to stop this silly practice of having different interface features in the different products, and give all the Avid products with the “Avid Interface” (all those except DS and Liquid) the FULL Media Composer interface. I’m not alone in this thought-process: there are many other professionals backing me on this. I think Avid may be starting to see the light, however, we won’t know until XPro 6 rolls out this spring (or even XPro 7, probably due late ’07).
Enjoy.
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Insanity…..Avid is trying to still rape people, they only made Express Pro because if FCP and they dumbed down the interface while trying to tell Avid editors that they can use this at home in conjunction with a Media Composer, and the great thing is the interface is the same, editors create their on workflow depending on the interface in front of them, Avid is forcing old Avid editors to change the way they are used to editing but selling them on the fact that the interface is the same…pure marketing crap….its like they just cant give in and give the customer what they need in this ever changing market where they have other options. They need to wake up and stop this archaic business practice that they got so used to in the past, its a new world out there and the purple beast moves like an old man……and I like the media compser interface, but went out and bought Express Pro for my house to use in conjuntion with my Adrenaline at work….nope……its a pain and its not the same…..Give me my Media Compser interface please…thks…
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[oakmozart] “TRUE Image Stabilization, clone/erase/emboss/median/unsharpen/darken/lighten/gradient effects (don’t know if those are in Symphony Nitris, but they were in Symphony Meridien)”
well… not to be a smartass, but I’ve been searching for a “true” “unsharpen” (unsharp mask) and the only way I found to do it in symphony was to use a paint effect with an unsharp mask stroke, which was useless due to the fact it only allowed for integer brush size (which gives either too much/not enough sharpen.)
to ask the original queston, i’ll say that it adds more color correction tools, tracking tools and speed effects tools (timewarp). And then a bunch more, but not as close as DS….
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Interface issues aside for a moment, Avid always was successful because, when you bough Avid, you got the entire workflow. As we transition to HD work, now I see Xpress Pro HD starting to become a dead-end system because of the missing pieces of the workflow. Xpress Pro HD really isn’t very usable for any HD editing jobs. You can’t even view HD footage in HD. That’s why my next upgrade probably will be to “something else”.
Avid no longer connects with its customers. They need to remember why they became great in the first place.
Bill Stephan
Senior Editor/DVD Author
USA Studios
New York City -
Bill, you’ve just got to know who to talk to. An email/phone call to Marianna Montague or Tim Wilson can yield big results. I got a call from Tim Wilson out of the blue a week ago, just wanting to check up with some stuff. They take gripes/criticism VERY seriously, as they realize that their name alone will no longer make them king of the hill. But I totally understand where you’re coming from.
Regarding XPro, big things are coming. I don’t have any specifics, but some awesome improvements are on their way. XPro 6 should be pretty major, but from whispers I’ve heard out of Tewksbury, it sounds like XPro 7 will be incredible.
Marianna_Montague@avid.com
Tim_Wilson@avid.comStart there, and rest assured that you’ll be talking to Avid folks who truly CARE about their customers, and have big ears with lots of patience.
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I’m glad Oakmozart has found a couple of helpful insiders at Avid. Unfortunately the rest of us have to rely on the tech “support” contact info provided with the systems and I have generally found that to be an absolute dead end.
Regards,
Tom
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these people are not so hard to find. I e-mailed Maryanna sometime last year and she responded. I subsequently met her at NAB. What a terrific person and great ambasador for Avid. And Tim called me last week as well…..so I don’t think it is so unusual. E-mail them and get acquainted.
Dick Lague
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If I had a nickel for every time someone told me how amazed I would be at the next version of this or that because they had insider information, my day would consist of watching reruns of The Flintstones while eating Captn Crunch on the couch.
I’ll be amazed when I actually se it! Until then it’s just hearsay that I have already heard, over and over and over again!
Mike
Michael W. Towe
President M2 Digital Post
http://www.m2digitalpost.com -
Well said, Dick.
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Michael-
It’s going to be amazing! There, have another nickel. Go buy a gumball or something. 🙂
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