Quick Poll. So what’s your decision?

[Steve Connor]

Wasn’t Speed Razor single viewer like FCPX?

“My Name is Steve and I’m an FCPX user”

[Chris Harlan]

If you wanted it that way, but you had sizable Source windows, as well. The Montage, however, which is another NLE I used was very much like that.

[Brian Vedholm]

This post made me remember the past:

Started editing with tape (BetaSP, DigiBeta):
Sony Editor bve-910, Sony bve-2000, ACE25 AMPEX (never really figured that last one out)

Then went on to NLE:
Avid (Mac), Media100 (Mac), Lightworks (PC). In a very surprised voice: “how can a PC be used for editing? Strange!”

Then back to tape editing (BetaSP again and DVCPRO25):
Sony bve-910 (once again)

Then more NLE:
Stratos
Video Machine (don’t remember who made that one)
FAST purple/blue/liquid (and a silver version as well if I remember correctly)
Avid Liquid (formerly know as FAST liquid)
AVID
Final Cut Pro 6 (FCS2) “Yes this is great. Wanna stay here forever”
Final Cut Pro 7 (FCS3) “Still great”

And now:
AVID Media Composer 5.5 (and Premiere Pro lurking around the corner)

Looking back it seems silly to think that Final Cut Pro was forever. Well, just happy that I was there in time when Final Cut Pro was Final Cut Pro. Maybe the editing software of the future is yet to be seen (and I’m not thinking of FCPX).

[Jason Jenkins]

[Chris Harlan] “I had a Speed Razor with a Digisuite LE.”

That was high end! I was using a Fast DVMaster Pro card. My very first NLE. Running Windows NT -now that was brutal!

Jason Jenkins
Flowmotion Media
Video production… with style!

[Andrew Rendell]

I’m just going to wait and see – I’m busy using FCP7 and Avid, so there’s no rush for me.

Also, I collaborate with others regularly (importing from and exporting to other software), so being sure that what I use integrates smoothly with what the other people I work with are using is very important (TBH that’s the usual reason for how I decide whether to use FCP or Avid on any particular job).

[My name is Andy and I’ll use whatever the f*** it takes to get the job done, the only things I care about are the pictures and sound 😉 ]

[Dennis Lisonbee]

We are phasing out FCP 7 at our university and have moved to AVID Media Composer. It has the deepest DNA the finest high end workflow and media management system for narrative features and long form documentary work.

With the addition of Pro Tools to the AVID arsenal and now the enhanced features of 6.0, it is a killer product that Premiere and FCP 10 can’t touch.

[Jim Giberti]

After 11 years of FCP and Media 100 before that we’re a little over a month into X and really enjoying it.

Just finishing our third TV campaign with it and a short film. The speed is absolutely great for this type of work. There are so many things that X does faster than 7, it’s too bad that they’ve gotten lost in the focus on the things that are missing. ColorSync is one of them but that’s another discussion.

Anyway, we’re liking X enough that we’re porting over a few unfinished spots that were started in 7.
By the way, about 5 weeks in and not a single crash yet.

Hardly perfect – it really needs some kind of RAM purge function (ie Motion) pretty immediately for instance, and a laundry list of other things I’m noting – but as a first incarnation it’s pretty slick.

[Jeremy Garchow]

windows movie maker

[Dominic Deacon]

“So why ask? No NLE will do everything well. You pick what works for you, your projects and your clients and adapt accordingly.”

I’m asking because I’m interested in others decisions. I’ve recently had to commit to one system because I’m about to embark on a major project and will need to be spending a few months with a single program. I’m sure others have had to bite the bullet recently and invest as well- whether in FCPX or something else. I’m interested in what they chose.

[Chris Conlee]

Actually, Speed Razor didn’t have an on-screen monitor at all. Everything was done on the client monitor. It was definitely a different beast.

Chris