Hi, I’m Paul McFadden Supervising Sound Editor on Doctor Who and I have to say that VK2 saved our lives on numerous occasions.The show is a complete nightmare for recuts. Way to much for a TV show, VK gives us a workflow that allows us to complete[sic] the audio post on schedule. It’s a lifesaver.

I much prefer hearing from the people in question to hearing from press releases (all due respect to the people doing the press releases), so worth sharing that.

Virtual Katy

It’s interesting that Apple would be getting into the conforming game with Soundtrack Pro 2 and Final Cut Studio. I look forward to hearing how this works on for people doing Final Cut production; I expect it’ll take some months of work out in the field before we know. (Of course, even better is not having to make major cuts in the first place, but we know how that can go… “Final Cut”? Good luck!)

Soundtrack Pro 2 from Apple offers some major new improvements over the first release of the “Pro” audio editor from Apple. Multichannel editing now works properly, with the ability to nudge by frames and move clip envelopes together with clips, and there are some brilliant new features for conforming audio projects to video and a “Lift and Stamp” tool for applying audio attributes from one clip (including matching EQ and copying effects) to another.

Macworld.com has just published my complete review of the software:

Pros: Vastly improved multichannel editing and file import and export; Conform feature makes Final Cut integration more elegant; efficient surround panning; improved recording; convenient Lift and Stamp audio.

Cons: Automation requires AppleScript; rigid and sometimes sluggish interface; available only as part of the Final Cut Studio suite.

Soundtrack Pro 2: Improved editing and new features help you sync audio with video

Soundtrack vs. Final Cut Studio vs. Logic

The bad news, of course, is that the only way to get Soundtrack Pro 2 is to either buy Final Cut Studio or upgrade to the whole Final Cut Studio. Worse, as we’ve commented here before, existing Soundtrack Pro users had to upgrade to Final Cut Studio just to get Intel compatibility. Not surprisingly, this issues comes up in comments even at Macworld.com (and I’ve certainly heard it repeatedly from readers here).

Apple’s made their decision, though, and on some level I definitely understand it. The reality is that this market isn’t terribly big. Apple indicated when they made the decision to discontinue Soundtrack Pro as a standalone product that response had been lackluster. And I’ve heard from waveform software developers that it really isn’t a big market. Lots of people do need to edit audio at some point, but they’re often intimidated by the tools out there, or just don’t make the leap of investing in a dedicated tool. I do think it’s too bad Intel users didn’t have a better upgrade path, of course.

Mac users are hardly high-and-dry when it comes to audio editing. There are other standalone wave editors from which to choose, like the old standby Peak and newer entries like the Audiofile Wave Editor and Adobe’s Soundbooth CS3, which has just started to ship.

Before anyone worries any more about this issues, though, I think the real question is when some of these features will show up in Logic. I have no idea what Apple will do with their next version of Logic, but it’s a pretty safe guess to figure some of Soundtrack Pro’s features will show up in Logic. (I don’t think there will be a bundled copy of Soundtrack in Logic, but if they copy some of the functionality, you might not want it.)

For those of you who do use Final Cut Studio, of course, and cross between the visual and sound worlds (as we do), Soundtrack Pro is well worth a look. The integration and value is greatly expanded in this version for people who do want Soundtrack as a part of Final Cut Studio. Be sure to check out the Final Cut Pro and Color reviews by my Macworld colleagues, or my Motion review. Complaints welcome here.

What About Audio Post?

I’m curious to hear what some of our post production readers think of the new audio post features. To me, it’s a little soon to tell how things like the new conform feature will work in actual production environments, especially since we’ve debated here on CDM over features the size of King Kong (in movieland) or Doctor Who (in TVland). Those of you working in post, do share … though, naturally, the integration here assumes you’re starting out with workflows in Final Cut Pro to begin with, and are willing to do audio conform outside Pro Tools.

XO Wave, pictured at right, is actually a new mixing / recording / editing multichannel audio package with video scoring features. The basic version is free; you can upgrade to a pro release for US$75. It’s a new application, so I don’t want to comment too soon, but it’s worth checking out. Let us know if you’ve tried it. As it’s not a port, it doesn’t exactly fit here. But this illustrates that as time goes on, the Intel/PowerPC split will be forgotten just as the PowerPC/68k divide once was, for those of you who … erm, remember.

Native Instruments has brought its Akoustik Piano sample piano instrument to Intel Macs. Along with Reaktor and Traktor (the latter bringing some new features, as well), most of the NI line is now on Intel. As they plug the last holes (port the last plugs?), we’ll keep you posted.

IK Multimedia has released its massive Miroslav Philharmonik sampled orchestral library as a Universal Binary, and, even better, has eliminated the dongle for all platforms. Yes, you can now safely lose your iLok plug, and it’ll still run. Thanks, IK, though we won’t rest until every dongle has vanished forever. This follows the recent release of the bass amp simulation plug-in Ampeg SVX, AmpliTube guitar software, SampleTank, and T-RackS; the remaining instruments will show up early next year. (See their Intel release calendar.) Download all of them from the user area.

MOTU Instruments: MOTU has updated their MX4 synth, Ethno Instrument, and Symphonic Instrument with new Intel-ready versions. See the story at Create Film Scores.

Virtual Katy, the conforming system for post production (if you have to ask, you don’t need it) is now Intel-native. [PDF press release]

The general trend seems to be that everyone is wrapping up this month, with a small handful of stragglers shipping early next year. Of course, that doesn’t cover the many, many smaller plug-ins out there, which brings me to the next question:

Got Your Ports?

If you’re an independent music developer who has recently ported your music software to Intel native and want to make sure the world knows about it, do let us know about it.

And if you’re a plug-in lover who’s recently found an Intel-native port or new instrument, let us know about that, too. Can’t promise I’ll keep up, but I’ll try to post round-ups, particularly with Macworld Expo on its way. (If you’re going, say hi!)

And yes, Windows fans, I know you don’t have to deal with this. Fortunately, I have nearly every conceivable current platform on test here, which means I can experience the upgrade misery of every OS! Soon, Vista compatibility, which hopefully will be a smoother ride. Strangely, my Commodore 64 hasn’t needed any upgrades at all lately.

Sound editing can be an unenviable job: against some sometimes absurdly tight deadlines, you have to work with complex, extensive changes to the film or TV show. Virtual Katy is a piece of software that integrates with Final Cut and Avid video editing and handles conforming — basically, taking all those changes and making everything fit. It’s not a wildly expensive piece of software, ranging from US$400 to $1000. But it’s surprisingly elegant, at least from my layperson’s point of view. If you’ve ever been curious how these things work, check out the short quick start tutorial.

VK is used professionally on some interesting and geek-pleasing projects, ranging from Lord of the Rings to South Park. Boy, those two projects need it, too: Lord of the Rings was infamous for its far-reaching, deep edits (composer Howard Shore talked about that), whereas South Park gets wrapped up literally a few hours before you see it air in the U.S. on Comedy Central. Naturally, VK loves to send out press releases about these projects.

This one caught my eye: VK is used by Douglas Sinclair, sound editor on the new, slicker Doctor Who. (More stories in VK’s press release PDF, with the sales pitch but interesting nonetheless.) The whole process happens in just two and a half weeks per episode. That’s more lavish than, oh, say, South Park. (They get a few days, but by contrast, South Park sound editor D.A. Young told me things like explosion sounds often don’t line up with the effects when the show first airs!). But just over two weeks is pretty tight given the cinematic level of sound and visual effects Doctor Who requires. Conforming comes in as visual effects are finalized and trailers and re-caps are generated.

And all of this gives me both another chance to talk about Doctor Who and an opportunity to run a picture of David Tennant for my girlfriend. Previous examples of me finding excuses to talk about Who:

Doctor Who Theme: Behind the Scenes, Hear the Themes
Doctor Who Theme, Remixed and Roasted

Note: Anyone who actually does use these tools — since I know nothing as I don’t do post production! — please feel free to say hello in comments, whether you’ve used VK or anything else. One person has already stepped up. I do prefer hearing from real people to hearing from press releases, as regular readers know. -PK

CDM reader Tim in New Zealand gets our dream 5.1 surround studio prize: 250-input Euphonix desk? Check. Actual movie theater for production? Check. Ultra-sexy mood lighting and furniture? But of course.

How do you get to work in a post production studio that looks like it could double as someone’s evil headquarters in a Bond flick? Simple: wait until Peter Jackson shoots another Lord of the Rings Trilogy in your backyard, let that whole film get done (Tim says he’s not a fan, and turned down a freelance-only FX gig on the films), and then sit back, relax, and get ready to mix in the world’s most beautiful studio.

The Park Post Road site is still under construction; check it out for one nice shot and click the movie screen to watch the studio being built, time-lapse style. But Tim does send a full photo essay on sound design for The World’s Fastest Indian. Let me get this straight: you call playing around with vintage cars and motorcycles work?

Meanwhile, for more of Peter Jackson’s fantasy expenditures, don’t miss Music Thing’s coverage of Peter’s $100,000 nickelodeons. The guy’s got style.

Pro Tools 6.9
is now available from Digidesign. As Apple focuses on integration with
Final Cut Pro, Avid/Digidesign are counting on the loyalty of studios
and video houses to the Avid system; 6.9's major new features
have to do with Avid's high-end video products. If you don't have an
Avid or ICON D-Command control surface, there's really not much significant in this upgrade (the new EQ III plug-in was already available for download).

Of course, using CDM's patented Version Prediction System (VPS),
we've analyzed information for Digidesign PR, weather conditions over
the Atlantic Conveyer, solar activity, star alignment, and our Upgrade
Predicting Pigeon Patricia to come to this conclusion: Pro Tools 7 is now .1 away! If we don't see Pro Tools 6.91 first, that is. (What, you're not impressed by my reporting here?)

Back to a serious look at this, CDM readers have proved
pretty split on Pro Tools. Some of you can't stand it, some of you
can't live without it, but the good news is, either way you seem happy
with your choice and you're getting your work done. At least it's
becoming clear there is a choice — and choice is always good. Even in
post-production, I've talked to people using MOTU Digital Performer,
Steinberg Nuendo, and Apple Logic. Acclaimed film editor / sound
designer (and Final Cut user) Walter Murch seems really excited about Apple's new Soundtrack Pro. (Did Apple solicit input from Murch?)

And that, of course, is the point. If Pro Tools isn't the "only choice"
in production, it means there's still room for innovation in future
versions of Pro Tools (version 7?) and its competitors (Pro Tools has
nothing like Soundtrack's new Action Layers or UI). Competition between
native DAWs has led to feature-laden software like the current
generation of Logic, Cubase, SONAR, and DP, plus apps we never dreamed
we'd see like Live. It's great that post-production will be
competitive, too. Bottom line: Pro Tools is going to remain the industry leader — but a good fight could be just what this market needs.