Seth Bloombaum
Forum Replies Created
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> I am uncomfortable with wmv since it is Microsoft proprietary.
MS offered the first widely available encode and playback of video on PCs, and the video for windows files I made in 1990 still play today – IMHO they are more likely to be around supporting video playback than just about anyone else you could name. If you don’t like MS you have lots of company, but I wouldn’t rule out wmv.
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In practical terms of what’s actually recorded on tape, they’re the same.
In terms of versatility, the FP33 hands down. If you’re willing to buy used and it is in that great condition jump on it, it’s a screaming deal for $500!
There are lots more bells and whistles on the FP33, but basically it’s a 3×2 mixer and the FP24 is 2×2. And the bells and whistles on the 33 are actually very good stuff that get used frequently.
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Well, there are two general approaches – hourly pricing and market pricing.
Market pricing – you know the market, the worth of a project to a client, what competitors would likely estimate, and you *come up with a price*. (*indicates some magic happens here.) Unlikely that you are ready for market pricing, it’s mostly used where creative provides strategic value to client, where you are providing solutions for client needs, not just web design/production. I think a sense of market pricing will only come with more experience.
Hourly pricing is for design/production. In the Northwest region of the US, pure html layout has become one of the lowest-earning specialties in corporate production, USD $25-45/hr. CSS is falling there too. PHP/ASP/CF SQL etc. maybe $50-70, design maybe $50-90, architecture/creative director etc. maybe $70-140. May be different in your area. My understanding is that the NW is one of the less expensive regions of the US. (these are production company to agency or client rates)
So, you need to find out the scope of work, approximate size of the site, what design values will appeal to the client and their audience or customers or prospects, what your client will provide, and estimate hours from there. If you’ve sufficient trust with your client to do the work on a time and materials basis (you agree that cost to client will be based on actual hours and expenses) that can be very helpful as you develop a sense of what it takes.
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My knee-jerk response was “No way!” Fortunately, I wasn’t sitting with a client at that moment 🙂
Couple things for your consideration:
It’s not just a few days in one basketball season, it’s a relationship that (probably) will lead to more work. So, when you sharpen your pencil, it isn’t just “one day free gets me four,” it possibly could lead to years of work. Long term clients are the best!I’ve done a lot of work at full rate, a lot of work free, rented, loaned, equipment, etc. My rule of thumb when approached for less than full rate work is “If there’s money being made, I need part of it. If not, I’m glad to work for free, or loan equipment, or whatever” of course within the limits of what I’m willing to contribute.
Realize that the production company is not being paid to train you. So, of course their first approach will be what they offered.
Were it me, and if I wanted the work, I’d do it. I’d also have a friendly discussion with them about the value of the training time (“I realize you’re investing training in me, and I appreciate it. I’m also investing time in you, and I hope that this will lead to other work. Will it?”) I’d also invoice them for the training time and issue a no charge credit for same on the invoice for the first game. In other words, get all you can out of contributing that day.
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I have no problem importing 24/96 .aif files – work fine in vegas, just dragging them from the explorer to the timeline.
Possibly you have an incomplete install of quicktime. A standard “default” install isn’t enough. Reinstall QT from apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html, select custom and make sure the authoring components are installed.
If that doesn’t work it’s possible there’s a codec issue, but the engineer should be giving you straight uncompressed .aif, and vegas doesn’t expose any QT audio codecs (thinking speculating and typing…)
Perhaps if none of the above helps, you would need a .wav pcm from the engineer, which should be a lossless conversion. Or if you have Sound Forge you might try opening it there (but do the QT install first).
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Seconding Gary, you MUST have original time code burned into your vhs dubs to avoid a world of pain. Nobody has ever depended on a the counter of a VHS player for edit decisions more than once… it hurts too much and takes way too long.
If your camcorder won’t give you a timecode window to dub onto VHS, there’s a way in Vegas. This is video fx you apply at the event level (to each clip).
If your subject is doing a content edit, they probably don’t need to simultaneously see a 2nd camera angle (if at all).
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“quality is not a factor”
My, that’s a different market! 😉
Well, maybe you can get 4 cheap sound cards that have 4 inputs each? (2 analog, 2 digital… of course then you’d need an external 8ch A-D box…)
Perhaps a rental would meet the need if it’s just a single project. Or maybe rent a 16ch. mixer and mix to stereo as you capture. Or build your tracks one at a time from a cheap stereo card (playback existing tracks on ch. L, record from Ch. R. repeat 15 times).
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Well, the one I use is here and is available as a download or to use on the site.
However, I’m not sure what bitrate a stereo PCM at 24/96 is. This is info you need to use a calculator… somewhere I’ve a spreadsheet with the math, but can’t lay my hands on it right now. It might be 4608Kbps. Has someone got this info?
Otherwise (without bitrate info) you can still have DVDA do your video compression to MPEG2 as above. If you specify PCM and give it a 24/96 file, it should take the required bitrate into account when it sizes the video.
A brief discussion of player compatibility with 24/96 is here. Some players will truncate 24/96 to 48KHz, and some to 20 bit.
BTW, doing some 24 bit recording myself, to me the biggest gain was from going to 24 bit – I record in 24/48. If you have a concern about size or bitrate, you might discuss with the engineer the possibility of 24/48.
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For a DVD with audio AND video, you’ve got two choices. Dolby AC-3 compression, which is what most people use because it’s small, works well and sounds good, and PCM (wav) which is uncompressed and can sound better, but uses more storage on the disk and more of the bitrate during playback.
24/96 is one of the rez you can get with DVD PCM audio. Look up PCM in the DVDA help file. Bear in mind that you’ll get a little less than the typical 90 minutes of video to fit on a DVD, and additional bitrate you use in audio will take some away from video playback quality.
You’ll compress MPEG-2 for DVDA video stream as usual out of Vegas, but use a bitrate calculator that will make allowance for the 24/96 audio.
Then you’ll render audio to WAV 24/96 out of Vegas.
Build your dvd in DVDA. When preparing the DVD, use the “optimize” button to select PCM audio. I think that’s it.
You can also have DVDA do the MPEG compression by giving it a DV-AVI file. Just make sure it picks up the audio from your WAV file.
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The workflow I use is to rent or purchase an Alesis HD24 (street price $1500) which will give you 24 tracks of 24/48 with line level analog inputs out of the box. I hook it up to the direct outputs of a 24-ch. mixer I already have and hit record.
Later, I can transfer via ethernet (takes forever but works) or their fireport interface (works VERY well and fast, street price $200).
Advantages:
No *^&#@ computer for live recording to screw things up. (I almost always am recording a live performance, but it does well for studio too.)
3 rack units – pretty portable compared to a desktop and monitor/kb, etc.
Just hit record! (well, almost)
Decent analog to digital conversion.
Uses any cheap ATA drive of 5400 rpm or better.
Easy back up to a second drive, even in the field.
Unlike most other standalone hard drive recorders, there IS a quick method to move files to Vegas using the FirePort.Disadvantages:
Two step work flow – must transfer from HD24 to computer.
Too easy?
Has its own DOS called FST, you can’t just drop the drive in your PC… but that’s what allows 24 tracks on a cheap drive without fragging.As far as multitrack interfaces for your PC, Echo has some of the best and most compatible. The issue of good drivers that work right and are updated and supported as needed has earned Echo a very loyal following. echoaudio.com.