Merging Technologies

Merging Inside Newsletters

Feb 2010

M E R G I N G - I N S I D E

01 February 2010, issue 10/10

Inside this issue :

What's new in Pyramix V6.2 and VCube V2.2
AAF Reloaded
Last minute news from the Grammy Awards

WHAT'S NEW IN PYRAMIX V6.2 AND VCUBE V2.2

Promised end of 2009 and planned for release very soon, we really want to share with you the most exciting novelties in Pyramix V6.2 and VCube V2.2. Novelties that, in our quest to be and stay the most advanced DAW on the market, will certainly be a benefit to your workflow.
Here’s a little sneak preview…

Pyramix V6.2

Shared mixing console mode

This mode allows you to switch between projects without changing the mixing console. In short every open project will use the same mixer, accommodating you to quickly copy/paste, import projects, open projects, etc. without disconnecting and reconnecting the project’s mixer. Simply click the new mixer icon on the left of the cursor time code toolbar to activate the shared mode. It will turn green for the project with the shared mixer, red for the project(s) with a disabled mixer. To deactivate, just click the mixer icon again, every project will now fold back to it’s own mixer.

New Project Import options

The import window can now be called even If no project is currently open. This new feature allows you to directly create a new project when importing an OMF, AAF, EDL, etc. Also creating a project that shares the currently open Mixer is possible. The existing options have been renamed.

Physical I/O renaming

A request from many a user was to be able to give the inputs/outputs logical names instead of being stuck to “AES-EBU 1”. This feature now has been implemented and you can associate a user defined name to a physical input/output in the Settings Hardware Routing page. These names will be shown in the Mixer routing page and the Mixer Input/Output list.

Possibility to remove mini fades at “start/end of clip”

Removes the 64 samples mini fade that was always there at the start and end of a clip in playback.

Tracks indicator for Direct Monitoring strips

A red “D” indicator on the top left corner of the track header shows you that this track is connected to a Direct Monitoring strip and that delay is not compensated for this track.

Jog-Wheel mode for a smooth timeline zoom

For ease of use and a smooth timeline zoom when working with a controller, a new option “Jog-Wheel Mode – Zoom” has been added to the Machines Controller menu. The same functionality appears with the new “Zoom” button under “Controller” in the main transport window.

Above mentioned features are completed with a fistful of improvements such as :

New AAF module (read AAF Reloaded )
FX delay compensation is now supported in the FX Rack Renderer
Newly created strips will be “Off” by default for all busses
New Filter Automation Tracks options & Snapshot improvements
Support for ISRC codes at CD import
Additional dB increment step values (0,1dB, 0,5dB or 1dB) when using up/down keyboard arrows for sliding faders
MIDI mapping improvements

VCube V2.2

A new MXF module further enhances functionality of MXF within VCube.
It now features :

Full support (meaning playback, record and render) for

D10/Sony IMX (MPEG2 in SD format)
MPEG2-HD / Sony XDCam HD (MPEG2 in HD 1080i format)
VC-3 / Avid DNxHD (in HD 1080i format)

Playback support for

AVCIntra / Panasonic P2 (class 50 and 100)

Further improvements :

New AAF module (read AAF Reloaded )
Floating Preview window size improvements (Double, Normal, Half or Quarter size options)
Dolby E Support (AJA-AES Transparent mode bypassing the so far default SRC insertion)
The File Format choices in the Capture Page, Render Dialog or Wrap dialog are now automatically filtered
Improved performance; VCube now reads MXF index instead of parsing the files and creating .imx files

For a complete overview of all new features and improvements please consult the Release Notes.

AAF RELOADED

The Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) is a set of specifications designed for interchanging projects (audio + video) between different editing platforms (e.g. Pyramix vs Pro Tools).

Ever since AAF became a standard, it has been part of the Pyramix interchange possibilities. Although the current module has proven it’s role over the past it still had some bits and pieces that could be improved. That’s why in Pyramix V6.2/VCube V2.2 the complete module will be replaced by a brand new more advanced one.

Ergonomics

First of all the user interface has become more user-friendly. One window shows a complete overview of the file location and the import/export possibilities.

The import side

Media are automatically located if present in the AAF folder or subfolder. No more searching or locating files, Pyramix will find them automatically. Embedded media can be automatically extracted near the AAF file or in a user specified folder, and if media have already been extracted once they will not be extracted again at every next import.
As Pro Tools (PT) and Avid compatibility have been improved a lot, also importing from these applications has become more transparent.

rendered fade clips can be replaced by real (Pyramix) fades
Avid sample accurate edits can be removed
Envelopes can be automatically converted to clip gain and normalized if necessary

The export side

As where exporting previously was covered with some “flou artistique” (soft focus), the export window now shows a clear overview of every possible setting. The options for copying, embedding or linking media won’t cause confusion anymore, they’re very clearly mentioned in “Media Options”.

Also on the export side compatibility with PT and Avid has been improved.

Fades can be rendered to fade clips at export to save time when importing in PT (and relax PT users)
Mute, Gain and Envelopes can now be merged together in a single Gain Curve that is properly recognized by Avid and Protools
When importing back an AAF file, previously exported to PT with Pyramix, and re-exported by Protools, Gain Curves are split back to Clip Gain and Envelopes

A complete overview of the capabilities of this new module can be consulted in the AAF section of the Pyramix V6.2 user manual.

It is clear that this new module will facilitate your life when interchanging projects between different platforms.

The new AAF module will be implemented in Pyramix V6.2 and VCube V2.2.

GRAMMY WINNERS PREFER PYRAMIX

Just as we go to press a very last minute message from the prestigious Grammy Awards...

We congratulate Tim Martyn and his team at Phoenix Audio who have won no less than 2 Grammy Awards in the followoing categories:

Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (With Orchestra)
for Prokofiev's Piano Concertos 2 & 3
Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (Without Orchestra)
for Journey To The New World by Sharon Isbin (Joan Baez & Mark O'Connor)

Both perfomances were entirely recorded, mixed and mastered on Pyramix.

www.grammy.com