Should I update Vegas audio 2.0?

Musiclover wrote on 1/1/2005, 1:16 PM
Yes, I have the old Vegas 2.0 audio which I never used much. I used to have compatibility issues with my old computer and therefore I used Protools Free for some simple recordings about 2 yrs ago. Now I have upgraded my PC to the latest tech and want to go back to more recording. I want to do simple 4-6 track recordings for hobby interest at home.
Question is shouod I upgrade Vegas audio 2.0 to a current version(costs $200+) or just buy some other NLE software? I used to hear Cool Edit Pro (now called Adobe® Audition™ 1.5, $299) is a good simple to use software.
Thanks

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 1/1/2005, 6:55 PM
Have you tried the Vegas 5 demo? You might find you like it very much. You might find you hate it. Better to find out before spending money.
zemlin wrote on 1/1/2005, 8:10 PM
Depends on what your priorities are. If you know vegas and are comfortable with it, then that's a pretty good reason to stay with it.

I use Audition for all my mix work. I think it sounds better, and I prefer it's interface over Vegas and the native effects are far better than Vegas (IMHO). Envelope editing in AA needs some work - it's getting a little better in Adobe's hands, but it's still slower than working with Vegas. AA also doesn't allow overlapping blocks or have automatic crossfades.

The main thing I use Vegas for is tracking and initial edits (cleaning up punch-ins, etc). I don't like the way Audition handles data while recording - multiplexing all tracks into a single TEMP file - with large projects such as live concert recordings save times become EXTREMELY long as all data must be rewritten, and it also puts the entire concert recording at risk in the event of a computer failure. For more typical studio tracking - individual songs and such, Audition would be OK as a recording package. I would miss the auto crossfades with editing, however.
zemlin wrote on 1/1/2005, 8:12 PM
I should have noted - VEGAS 2 worked about as well for tracking as Vegas 4 does (I have not upgraded to 5) - the one thing 4 got me was ASIO support which helped a lot with my MOTU 24i. The realtime monitoring has not panned out to be as useful as I would have hoped - I still monitor through my mixer when recording.
Musiclover wrote on 1/2/2005, 9:24 AM
Thanks to all for the replies.

Zemlin, what do you mean by "Audition handles data while recording - multiplexing all tracks into a single TEMP file"? Do you mean individual track data is not kept or do you mean it tries to mux in real time into one track while recording is in progress?

As for knowing Vegas and liking it, I do not remember much other than its user friendly interface. It seems Sony does provide an XP upgrade for Vegas 2.0. I may simply go back and try that and refresh my memories about it before trying to go for Vegas 5.0.

If anyone knows a message thread somewhere that discusses various NLE software trade offs, I would appreciate if you point me to that.

Great help!
zemlin wrote on 1/2/2005, 11:27 AM
Audition creates a single TEMP file to store data while recording. if you are recording multiple tracks, for example, it will take 64k of track 1, then 64k of track2, etc and store all these pieces in the temp file. Just to make it interesting, it does not store the pieces in any logical order. When you hit the STOP button and SAVE, it reads through the TEMP file and pulls out all the bits tha make up track 1 and saves out the WAV file. It then does that for each subsequent WAV file.

If you are talking about a 2 hour concert you've got some serious SAVE time to deal with - and it takes too long to stop and save what you have at intermission - no guarantee you'll be done before things fire back up again. The entire recording is at risk until you have saved the last file long after the concert has ended.

That's one reason I track with Vegas. Stop - Save - Shutdown - finished. I also like the input metering with Vegas better.
Caruso wrote on 1/2/2005, 2:37 PM
For recording and editing, I like either Vegas or what used to be Steinberg's (presently Pinnacle's and soon to be Yamaha's) Wavelab.

I find the interfaces to be sufficiently similar that I can use either without making mistakes. Wavelab offers true real time monitoring of FX - you can turn the FX on and off as you play the file and hear how it affects what you're working on.

For me, that's the main advantage of Wavelab over Vegas. Other than that, I find them equally strong. Vegas is a bit more intuitive, but online website support for Wavelab is simply superb, as you are very likely to have any questions you post answered by the program developer - very cool.

I have worked a little with Audition (have never tried it in a live recording session), but don't know it well enough to comment.

You can't go wrong with Vegas, though. The program has improved quite a bit, but is still the same basic interface - a testament to just how solid the original layout was to begin with.

Reading zemlin's posts make me realize how spoiled I have become over the years. Both Vegas and Wavelab are very efficient and fast to work with. Either allows you to import a file and start working with it immediately. No need to wait for the peak files to finish if you're in a hurry.

I tried working with Pinnacle's Liquid Edition over the holidays. My evaluation is hardly fair, mind you, but, just to import a large audio/video file (1 hour long) took some 15 minutes (it goes through a routine where it "extracts" the audio, whatever that means. During that time, you are dead in the water - can do absolutely nothing. Further, that program appears to be a resource hog. Vegas, OTOH, is so simple, you just forget sometime how great it truly is.

I think, if I were you, I'd develop a good understanding of the version you already own - as I said, later version are basically improved versions of the same program.

Good luck, no matter what you choose to do or which ap you decide to go with.

Caruso
MJhig wrote on 1/2/2005, 3:07 PM
Wavelab offers true real time monitoring of FX - you can turn the FX on and off as you play the file and hear how it affects what you're working on.

What am I missing here? I can perform real-time A/B FX comparisons in Vegas by simply checking/unchecking the plugin from within the chainer for individual FX (track or buss) or disable/enable the entire chain by right-clicking the plugin chainer icon in the buss or track header seamlessly.

MJ
pwppch wrote on 1/2/2005, 3:10 PM
I was going to ask the same thing of Caruso...

Peter
Youn wrote on 1/3/2005, 1:12 PM
http://www.mackie.com/products/tracktion/

Tracktion 1 : they just give it out for free! I think it even has some advantages over current versions of Vegas (like MIDI, VSTis, real-time effects monitoring) I've definately used it and like it alot, even if it's just for sketching up ideas or mocking up some simple MIDI parts. The interface and workflow is actually very similar to vegas. Probably not surprising, but it does lack some real basic features and alot of the awesome editing capabilities that Vegas owns - but for "simple 4-6 track recordings" free Tracktion might be enough.

Tracktion 2 is 80 bucks. looks nice. I've never used it....

Check out as many demos from as many of these programs as you can, if you have the patience!
Youn wrote on 1/3/2005, 1:24 PM
Sorry, my mistake, they WERE offering it away free, and Tracktion 2 isn't out yet (80 bucks for the first version)

anyway, have fun choosing. I've not regreted sticking with Vegas all these years.
Caruso wrote on 1/8/2005, 4:10 AM
Well, uhm, err, uh, you don't say!

Perhaps I'm thinking of Sound Forge, and, perhaps I'm wrong about that as well.

I use Vegas mostly for video work, and do my audio in WL, because, well, 'cause I'm just used to it. I depend on Vegas to rescue me in certain situations where WL let's me down - that ap seems particularly fussy about CD burners. Might work fine with your burner for a year, then, one day, out of the blue, your burner won't work, or isn't recognized. It's a very good ap with excellent support, and good fourm, just like Vegas. If you were to check, you'd find this burner problem to be, perhaps, the most oft discussed subject.

Vegas never has a problem with my burners.

I know Vegas has great audio capabilities (are they as extensive as WL - more extensive, less extensive? I don't know). I just got used to using WL, so that's what I use.

I will check out the real time FX capabilities, though. Don't want to go around spewing less than accurate info.

Thanks for the reproof.

Caruso
Musiclover wrote on 1/15/2005, 12:36 AM
Well, thanks for all the tips. I have downloaded the updates to 2.0 version h and have started using it. So far so good. Have some Q, but I will post it separate.