Splice Now

Avid began distributing Media Composer 6 today. The new version has been upgraded to offer 64-bit support, and includes many new features, including a complete reinvention of the application’s approach to 3D-Stereo editing, the ability to mix in 5.1 and 7.1, “Open I/O” which allows you to use a variety of third party hardware options, tabbed bins, and a “reskinning” of the user interface. If you purchased version 5.5 in the last month or so, the upgrade is free, otherwise, it’s $300. Pricing for new licenses remains the same as with previous versions, and Avid has instituted a permanent “cross-grade” from FCP7 for $1500.

This version represents a bigger break from the past than previous upgrades. The new UI looks a lot like Premiere, and depending on your taste, you’re either going to love it or hate it. As with Version 5 and 5.5, it offers a brightness slider, but the lighter settings, which I suspect will be a lot easier to look at over the course of a long day, are flatter and less dimensional than in the past, making icons and buttons harder to see. Some icons have been changed, too, notably Mark In and Mark Out, and some terminology has been altered (Locators are now called Markers).

64-bit is important, but for the moment, it only permits the application to address more RAM. There’s no background rendering or saving or timeline manipulation, or any of the other exciting things that you may associate with the concept — that’s all been left for the future. The application seems stable, but keep in mind that everything has been recompiled, and your mileage may vary. (The Title Tool is one of the few exceptions — as a result, it now runs as a separate application.) 64-bit also means that older computers won’t work. If your Mac is more than about 3 years old you’re probably out of luck. (Go to System Profiler, click on “Software” and look for “64-bit Kernel and Extensions: Yes.” [Update: this may not be strictly necessary. See my Dec 1 comment.]) On the Mac, this version is officially supported only on OS X Lion, but it should run on Snow Leopard if you’re not using shared storage. You’ll also have to upgrade all of your AVX plug-ins.

Avid’s goal was reinvent 3D-Stereo editing and they seem to have done it in spades, with tools that are unmatched in any other offline editing application. There’s also support for a new 444 DNX format, which opens the door to high-quality conforms, though raster size is still limited to HD. 5.1 and 7.1 mixing are welcome, but their utility is limited because the playable track count is still stuck at 16. You’ll max things out with just three 5.1 stems (18 tracks).

Avid seems to be aiming this release at least partly at those who’ve been left high and dry by Apple, and support for many common third-party I/O cards will be welcomed by anybody making the switch. There’s also support for Avid’s “Artist Color,” three-ball controller. Symphony is now available in a software-only configuration for those using 3rd party hardware.

AMA has been expanded to include support for AVCHD and Red Epic, along with improvements to Quicktime and Pro Res, and AMA clips no longer display with yellow highlighting. There’s also an online purchasing option, something the company has dubbed “Avid Marketplace,” which allows you to purchase stock footage and plug-ins from within the application, and, yes, download your purchases in the background.

For more about MC6, see Avid’s Features List or this Creative Cow Article. You’ll find complete details in the What’s New pdf. Specific purchase and upgrade links can be found on this forum post from Avid’s Marianna Montague.

In other news, and for those of you who may have missed it, Avid laid off about 200 people a couple of weeks ago, or roughly 10% of its workforce. (Its quarterly report indicated roughly flat income compared to the same period last year, and a small loss of about $8 million.) One of those to go was Michael Phillips, an old friend, who had been at Avid since the beginning. He was a tireless advocate for the needs of longform editors, working with us personally and at countless seminars, and influencing the work of the entire community. Glenn Lea, the principle engineer responsible for FilmScribe, has also departed. I wish them success in whatever they do.

And on a personal note, many thanks to those of you who have been wondering why I haven’t been posting lately. I’ve been traveling. But I’m back now and I intend to get up to speed over the next few days. Stay tuned.