New Convert - with Good Reason

[Robert Lane]

Looks like this category has been ignored for a time. Well, here's some reasons to get reacquainted with Vegas Pro:

For just over a decade I've been both Mac and DaVinci Resolve based, exclusively. After a recent fiasco with a failing brand-new Mac Mini and Apple's f------ up response to a mission critical issue I abandoned the Mac completely and moved back over to the PC. So far, couldn't be happier and wonder why I waited so damned long. That's a story for another time.

(PLEASE: Do NOT start the typical Mac vs. PC flaming nonsense. I'll delete this thread if that starts, capiche??)

And since I'm back in PC-land as I was trying out various platforms (and still considering staying on
DaVinci) I decided to give Sony Vegas another look, I'd always been curious about it.

Last time I had a serious look under-the-hood of Vegas was back at NAB 2016. (Pic enclosed of the DVinfo crew: Fearless leader Chris far right at 3 o'clock and my dear friend, pro-model Isabella far left.). Back then Vegas was a wanna-be runner-up at best. Edius and Avid Media Composer were tied as head of the pack with Premiere and Final Cut were close behind with a smattering of others - including Vegas.

Just a week ago I downloaded the trial version of Vegas Pro 22, and in less than 10 minutes I abandoned DaVinci and bought the entire Vegas 365 Suite - for a whopping $10 for a first-month license! 10 bucks?? Whaaattt?!! NOBODY in the history of pro NLE's has ever offered such a budget-saving option for a full license. And, when I'm ready to purchase a lifetime perpetual license (not the Adobe pay-us-forever scheme) it's still less than DaVinci Studio!! But pricing wasn't the selling point.

I have the greatest respect for Blackmagic; they're super aggressive with product development what with software and firmware updates constantly on the download path. BUT, I can't help but feel all this constant release of new software packages is rushed, because no matter how many "fixes" they release the entire DaVinci package is buggy, at best.

For a single, most frustrating example, the Fairlight module just doesn't work reliably at all. Something as simple as the voice-over record tool just DOESN'T work. I spent 3 days once trying to work out the issues even got tech support involved (Studio version comes with direct support either online or phone). But NOBODY could figure it out. Got so bad I had to abandon any audio editing on Fairlight and did it on OcenAudio. Free, by the way.

And there are a host of other nagging issues with DR that have been passed down for years from version to version. That just SUCKS for what's supposed to be a worldclass NLE package with what USED to be the world standard for color finishing.

I say "used to be" because the assumption forever is that Resolve is the best possible platform for color finishing. And it is absolutely amazing especially when partnered with the color panel hardware controllers. Brilliant. Until you use the nearly identical module in Vegas. Its' cleaner, faster and far more intuitive than Resolve - no "nodes".

Basically I took the same original assets and created the same output in Vegas as did Resolve and... I did it HALF the time on Vegas with no niggles or plug-ins not working. And the color finishing? Totally spot-on, accurate and EASIER to accomplish the same broadcast 4K quality end result.

Vegas is also massively user-configurable, whereas Resolve... I'd say maybe 30% percent vs. Vegas deep options from setup, output and even the UI. its' what all of us have been hoping Blackmagic would do with Resolve but hasn't and probably never will.

There's a ton more I could say why Vegas is now the Resolve-killer, but if you guys are PC-based and looking for an alternative to whatever you're cutting on now, I'd say download the trial version and give it a go.

I'd put Vegas up against ANY current NLE package and be confident it would come out on top. It sure did for me and I'll never go back to Resolve OR the Mac.

[Steve Renouf]

Yay! I knew there was a good reason why I'd been sticking with Vegas all these years through the various versions! :-)

[Patrick Tracy]

I've been using software in this family since Sonic Foundry's Video Factory 2.0 and Sound forge 4.5 in 2001, through Sony Vegas 7 and 14, through to Magix Vegas Pro 18 (I should upgrade to 20) and Sound Forge 14. I record mix and master music, so Vegas Pro's audio capabilities is a strong selling point. The fact that editing audio and video is almost the same in Vegas means that I don't have to adapt to a different platform when switching between them. When I started on Pro Tools, Vegas was vastly superior for audio production in most ways that mattered to me. Pro Tools has gotten way better, so it has a couple of advantages, but the ease of editing in Vegas still makes it preferable to me. I've also used Reaper, which is good, but I still prefer how Vegas works.

[Paul R Johnson]

This is a very important factor. Audio wise, i use Cubase. Have done for 30 years, but as i edit in premiere, i often use audition for audio editing for the same reason. Things work the same way. The critical thing is you are quick and efficient. Once you find something that works for you, you go with it. After all, they all edit video splendidly, but they do it differently!