1 Improved Color Grading Features

The latest update improves color grading in VEGAS Pro. You can now apply Color Grading to the Track, Media and Video Output levels. The Color Grading Panel also now has Brightness and Contrast controls. In addition, the update delivers performance improvements for the Color Grading curve options.

2. New Features for Vertical Video

The update to VEGAS Pro 19 adds new features aimed at users producing vertical videos for social media. The program has new templates for vertical aspect ratio projects. There are also new templates for rendering vertical aspect ratio projects. In addition, there is a new feature that allows the matching of aspect ratio to media. You can also automatically crop video to the project output aspect ratio.

3. New FX Tools

VEGAS Pro adds Bezier Curve support for keyframe animation for effects. There is also a new Motion Blur FX feature. In addition, the update adds support for the latest version of the OFX specification.

4. New GPU Features

The update to VEGAS Pro means that the hardware detection in the program now handles multiple GPUs from the same vendor. 

5. Other Great, New Additions

With the update to VEGAS Pro 19, you can now instantly crop the background for the Titles and Text Generator to the text box. Speech to Text now autodetects the OS language. There is also customized subtitle creation for Speech to Text. In addition, the update adds an indicator to identify locked timeline clip events.

6. Notable Bug Fixes

The upgrade notes list 35 important bug fixes for VEGAS Pro. These include that Border FX now properly releases GPU memory, and the Color Grading layout now properly shows Hub windows. There are also performance improvements for BRAW decoding. In addition, there are fixes for crashes that may happen with the Plugin Manager, the GL Transitions plugin and Color Curves FX.

Read the full article from Videomaker HERE

Learn more about MAGIX VEGAS Pro 19 HERE

Learn more about MAGIX HERE

Heath McKnight highlights some of the great new updates and features available with the latest version of Vegas Pro.

• A completely redesigned user interface, streamlining the overall editing experience, from cutting to color grading and audio mixing.
• A centralized, cloud-based place to store content (VEGAS Hub).
• Searchable features (Hub Explorer)
• Access to video and audio content in the cloud (VEGAS Content).
• BRAW (Blackmagic RAW) support.
• A pretty cool, multilingual text-to-speech feature that uses AI to deliver quality voiceovers.
• Color Grading Panel with tools that are intuitive and don’t require a degree, including RGB color curves.
• An improved timeline.

“We’re able to react quickly to what they need and provide features as soon as we have them ready,” said Gary Rebholz, Chief Product Officer, of Vegas Creative Software. “That’s helped customers greatly, and captured the attention of the market in general.”

• Brightness and contrast controls added to the Color Grading Panel, plus Bézier Curve support for OFX keyframe animation; buttons and options have been added to access the Color Grading Panel from the Track, Media and Video Output levels; and overall improvements.
• Improved timeline efficiency, including automatically cropping video clips to match the project’s aspect ratio; project templates for vertical video; render templates in vertical; indicator to ID locked timelines; and the title and text generator can be instantly cropped in the text box.
• ProRes support (4444 XQ, 422 HQ, 4444, 422 Proxy).
• New Effects: Latest OpenFX spec support; GPU acceleration for Scene and Shot selection; a new motion blur effect; and hardware detection can handle multiple GPUs from the same vendor.
• Customized subtitles via Speech to Text; more language support; and Speech to Text can automatically detect the OS language.

McKnight concludes that, “With all of these new features, Vegas Pro 19 positions itself as the perfect companion to streamers and content creators.”

Read the full article here!

Learn more about Magix here!

For those who remember Sony Creative Software releasing the first version of Vegas back in 2003, kudos to you. The non-linear video editor had somewhat of a cult following as its users gave it high praise. For me, AVID was already a prominent fixture in my workflow, and in 2003, Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro snuck their way in. Other than a Sony Vegas 9.0 download over a decade ago, I haven’t thought of it since.  

So why now? An email brought it to my attention. 

Naturally, I zipped over to the website and then dove into some of its history. In 2016, Sony cut ties with Vegas, selling it to MAGIX, who then created the subsidiary Vegas Creative Software. The company offers four different software platforms: VEGAS POST, VEGAS Pro, VEGAS Movie Studio, and VEGAS Stream. Each platform has multiple software bundles that cater to different needs. Still with me? 

The question that immediately came to mind was what’s up with all the different software options?

Here’s a quick breakdown of each platform.  

VEGAS Stream 

Currently in beta, the streaming software integrates with YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook Live. It also supports up to 4 different video sources. It’s similar to Teredek’s Live:Air app. After adding each video source, it allows you to live stream to a connected account and switch between sources. It has title capabilities, a preview and program window–all the basic features for a live switch. The software will eventually be compatible with VEGAS Pro. 

Cost: Free

VEGAS Movie Studio  

This is a stripped-down version of VEGAS Pro, but still fairly robust. It’s more intuitive than, say, Adobe Rush and slightly above or on par with LumaFusion or iMovie. There are 3 versions of the software: Movie Studio, Movie Studio Platinum, and Movie Studio Suite. Depending on the version, it can support up to 200 video tracks, 16-bit 48 KHz audio, chroma key, plug-ins, and dozens of other features. There’s also native support for HEVC, H.264, 4K XAVC S, and XDCAM EX. Here’s a comparison chart.

Cost: $49 – $99

VEGAS Pro

This is its most advanced non-linear editor that carries on the tradition Sony laid out years ago. It’s packed with tons of features for color grading, HDR support, compositing modes, nestled timelines, mastering in 5.1, ACES support, and more.  

There are 4 software bundles to choose from. VEGAS Pro, VEGAS Pro Edit, VEGAS Pro Suite, and VEGAS Pro 365. Again, each offers different options depending on your needs. However, all the base tools of the non-linear editor are supported by each bundle. The main difference between them are the plug-ins each one supports. Here’s a comparison chart.

Cost: $249 – $399. VEGAS Pro 365 is the subscription model for $16.67/mo

VEGAS Post

This is a suite of programs that goes beyond editing. VEGAS Pro is combined with VEGAS Effects and VEGAS Image. As the name suggests, VEGAS Effects is all about effects as well as 3D modeling, green screen removal, video scopes, and other features. VEGAS Image is an advanced compositing tool, that adds color adjustment, chroma key, LUT support, and more.

VEGAS Post is similar to DaVinci Resolve in that it offers multiple programs in one user interface. The main difference in terms of price is that DaVinci Resolve is free and DaVinci Resolve Studio is $299. Obviously, both software suites will have their own advantages and disadvantages. 

Cost: $999. VEGAS Post 365 is a subscription model for $20.99/mo

Final Thoughts 

What jumps out to me are all the pricing tiers and software bundles. I understand why but simplicity can speak volumes. Here’s one product, it has everything we offer, now go enjoy it as a filmmaker. It’s just less to think about when it comes to supporting workflow, especially when considering using something new for the first time. But maybe I’m in the minority here.

When looking at the alternatives, Vegas Creative Software is an uphill battle if it wants to compete on a larger scale. But maybe it doesn’t. Many of the tools filmmakers use fall into 2 broad categories: does it support the story and do you like using it?

I prefer AVID and Premiere Pro because I’m plainly faster with them—the shortcut keys are ingrained. Someone who has been using VEGAS Pro could very well say the same thing. And that’s what’s great. Sometimes a piece of technology speaks to you more than another. Vegas Creative Software does offer free trials.  

That said, there is a large VEGAS Pro community out there. Are there any No Film School readers using it? Do you like it? Is there something you want to see improved? Share your thoughts below.

Read the original article here!

Learn more about Magix here!

The VEGAS Pro NLE has been around since 1999, when Sonic Foundry, then Sony Creative Software, developed the software. It gained a passionate following of editors and content creators, and the team aft VEGAS Creative Software (MAGIX) has continued to push the envelope with the editing software. For this review, I worked in version 17 and 18, which was recently announced.

Opening VEGAS Pro was like seeing an old friend. Although I edit with Final Cut Pro X, about 15 years ago, I was introduced to NLE by a colleague of mine, Douglas Spotted Eagle, as we were writing the second edition of his famous HDV book. I enjoyed the UI and versatility of VEGAS, and was able to successfully convince two friends to make it their NLE of choice.

Fast-forward several years, and VEGAS Creative Software has a new home in MAGIX, and fortunately, the great team behind it is still on the cutting-edge of what an NLE can do.

I used a customized Genesis Workstation from Puget Systems for my review of VEGAS Pro. No matter the content creation software you’re using, a powerful system configured for the long haul is important as these apps continue to be refined – and certainly as higher resolutions of video are released. The right system, such as one from Puget, will keep on working without breaking a (virtual) sweat.

VEGAS Pro is optimized for Windows 10, GPU-accelerated, and built for speed. When it comes to any kind of software, be it an NLE, screenwriting app, etc., I want the app to help make my work easier, quicker, and essentially to ‘get out of the way.’ What I mean is, if the NLE struggles with HDR, or it can’t handle Multicam in 6K RAW – even with a powerful system behind it – then the software ‘gets in the way.’

The good news is, VEGAS Pro is fast, doesn’t have issues with multiple tracks of video and audio, scrubbing hi-res clips, and helps me get my work done quicker, so I don’t potentially miss an important deadline.

The software has plenty of features every editor needs, including support for multiple frame rates and video resolutions; color grading; sound editing; effects; nesting timelines; support for LUT exports; and much more.

It’s interesting that you can import projects from other file formats and NLEs, which includes Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro X (and 7), AAF, and more. AAF and and EDL are very successful file formats, but FCPXML tends to be tougher to translate. An editor friend of mine mentioned that DaVinci Resolve is the only NLE that best supports FCPXML.

The key here is not having to rely on other software outside of what VEGAS Post has to offer. It’s much easier to stay within the suite of content creation apps, as opposed to worrying about round-tripping, or exporting and importing files. Plus, VEGAS Pro and VEGAS Post are affordable, while still being a powerful suite of apps.

Among those apps are VEGAS Image and VEGAS Effects, allowing you to handle non-destructive image editing and hundreds of customizable effects.

Vegas Pro 17 Speed Test

VEGAS Pro 17 and the Puget Genesis Workstation are both lightning fast, and can handle pretty much everything I threw at it. But I wanted to test both with some RED . MONSTRO 8K VV footage running at 48 fps.

I dropped the clip onto the timeline, and VEGAS Pro dropped the playback resolution to 2K. But there wasn’t much of a slow down, and rendering was fast, thanks in large part to the Genesis’ amazing GPU, the EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti XC GPU with 11GB of VRAM.

I tried the same experiment in Final Cut Pro X and Premiere Pro on an iMac, without even a filter, and the apps really struggled to scrub and playback the footage. The iMac’s Radeon Pro 575X 4 GB GPU struggled with the footage. No doubt a higher end system could handle the RED 8K footage.

VEGAS Pro 18 and VEGAS Post

The company has announced version 18 and an updated VEGAS POST suite of apps, which was developed in conjunction with FXHome.

Here is a quick rundown of some new features and enhancements in VEGAS Pro 18:

• GPU-accelerated video editing, so your system doesn’t slow to a crawl while scrubbing.
• VEGAS Image (updated): Non-destructive image editing.
• VEGAS Effects (updated): Over 800 customizable effects and filters.
• Improved motion tracking.
• SOUND FORGE 14 is included, with its multichannel audio editing.
• VEGAS Hub: Centralized, cloud-based storage for your media.
• VEGAS Prepare: Efficiently organize and tag your media.
• VEGAS Transfer: Moves your mobile device images and video to the cloud.

Conclusion

VEGAS Pro is still a fast NLE that really handled video editing perfectly, even when I added a clip of RED MONSTRO 8K VV R3D footage. And with the new VEGAS Pro 18 and VEGAS POST both available as a purchase, upgrade, or affordable subscription, it’s worth considering the software to edit your next projects.

Read the original article here!

Learn more about Magix here!

There is a a brand new upgrade available to VEGAS POST Suite, the powerful suite of editing, VFX, compositing and imaging tools for video professionals, editors and VFX artists. With the announcement, VEGAS Creative Software unveils major upgrades for VEGAS POST Suite that include significant developments with its companion products, VEGAS Effects and VEGAS Image, while leveraging robust new features in the newly-launched VEGAS Pro 18, which ProVideo Coalition covered in a separate news article.

As expected, the VEGAS POST workflow is centered around the entirely new VEGAS Pro 18, which adds a breadth of new features and major feature enhancements including AI-driven effects, GPU-accelerated workflows, advanced motion tracking, HDR support, and sophisticated color grading tools and plug-ins. The remaining apps, VEGAS Effects and VEGAS Image, are the result of the partnership with FXhome, and as that other company has updated its HitFilm and Image Pro products, the VEGA Post Suite reflects those changes too.

What’s new in VEGAS POST Suite

In addition to the new VEGAS Pro 18, VEGAS POST Suite adds newly-upgraded versions of VEGAS Effects and VEGAS Image for a comprehensive, sophisticated VFX, compositing and still-image editing workflow. Here are the key features users will find in the upgraded versions of both apps included in the VEGAS POST Suite:

VEGAS Effects

VEGAS Effects is a full-featured visual effects and compositing tool that provides a vast array of high-quality effects, presets, and correction tools for endless creative possibilities. With over 800 effects and filters to tweak, combine, pull apart, and put back together, VEGAS Effects provides users with a powerful library of effects. With today’s launch, VEGAS Effects adds:

• New Mask Shapes: allow users to create and customize Rounded Rectangle, Polygon, and Star shaped masks;
• New Auto Stabilizer: Provides easy smoothing of motion in handheld video clips;
• New Motion Tracker: For easily attaching a timeline object to a specific element in the scene;
• Crop / Pan & Zoom Effect: Enables users to crop the contents of a clip, and animate the crop to control which area is shown.
• New Color Adjustment Effect: Allows a range of selected colors to be shifted;
• New GoPro FX Reframe Effect: For fully customizing the framing of 360º footage;
• New Text Tool: Now allows multiple customizable outlines;
• New WAV Format Export: Users now have the ability to export audio using the WAV format.

VEGAS Image

VEGAS Image is a non-destructive RAW image compositor that enables video editors to work with still-image and graphical content and incorporate it directly into their final productions. This new update to VEGAS Image delivers a broad range of new features including:

• A Completely Rebuilt Text System: Enables users to have different font styles within the same block of text. Also, new font options including text outline, subscript, superscript, margins have been added;
• New Healing Brush Effect: Enables users to quickly “heal” areas of an image using a source point and a brush;
• New Clone Stamp Effect: Enables users to clone parts of an image using a brush;
• New Dynamic Contrast Effect: Allows users to selectively apply contrast to the small, medium, and large details of an image;
• New Split Toning Effect with a Bespoke UI: Allows users to rapidly apply two colors to the highlight and shadow tones in an image;
• New Gradient Map Effect: Enables users to blend a gradient across the tones in images.

VEGAS POST Suite is available immediately as a monthly subscription or as a perpetual license.

Read the original article here!

Learn more about Magix here!

Workflow improvements in Vegas Pro 17 start with a nested timeline feature that allows products to be organized into smaller sections, allowing users to move from the master timeline into complex nested timelines that can be shared with assistants as separate project files.

Vegas Pro’s newly unified color-grading workflow integrates the software’s grading tools in one panel and supports LUT exports so that color settings can be reused elsewhere, in other clips or in other projects. Vegas Pro 17 also has GPU-based open color I/O processing in the ACES 1.1 color space, with support for HDR grading, scopes, preview and delivery using either HDR10 or HLG.

AVC/HEVC decoding can now run on the GPU for smoother playback from the timeline, and Vegas now supports 8K files, either panned and cropped on the timeline or delivered in full 8K.

A new optical-flow slow-motion effect has been added for interpolating frames in slow-motion footage, and the Warp Flow transition interpolates frames to “morph” from the tail of one clip to the head of the next. Smart Split Edit can be used to hide jump cuts in interviews, and a new planar motion tracking feature now supports tracking and pinning objects that aren’t square with the camera view.

“More than any other release, our users have directed what our team has developed in this version,” said Vegas Product Manager Gary Rebholz in a prepared statement. “They’ve been completely clear about what they wanted to see from the software over the past three years, and their suggestions have made this an incredibly robust and feature-rich release.”

Vegas Pro 17 is available in four different versions. The basic Vegas Pro 17 Edit ($399) has the software’s full feature set; Vegas Pro 17 ($599) adds Boris FX Continuum Lens Flare 3D and Vegas DVD Architect for DVD and Blu-ray authoring; Vegas Pro 17 Suite ($799) brings Steinberg SpectraLayers Pro 6 and more Boris FX tools into the mix, and the Vegas Pro 365 subscription offering (from $16.67/month) includes future product updates as well as the Sound Forge Audio Studio 13 audio editing software.

Check out the full article HERE

Learn more about Magix HERE

2. Vegas Pro Edit

Vegas Pro Edit (formerly owned by Sony) is the smaller brother of MAGIX Vegas Pro. It’s one of the most accessible premium video editors for new users, which is an impressive feat for a fully featured, professional quality editing suite.

Vegas Pro 15 includes a huge set of filters and effects, which you can extend even further via plugins. You can chain effects together, then fine-tune with impressively granular controls. Every filter is highly customizable, but every option is clearly labelled and easy for even beginners to understand. For example, clicking the ‘Video FX’ tab above the timeline gives you a convenient animated preview demonstrating each preset before you apply it.

Every aspect of Vegas Pro’s interface and toolset has been carefully considered with accessibility in mind; for every advanced control, there’s an automatic or preset equivalent.

Vegas Pro Edit is also one of the most affordable premium video editors available; at the time of writing it’s available for a one-off fee of US$299 (£224, AU$399). Other payment options are available.

Vegas Pro Edit is only available for 64-bit Windows systems, but that’s pretty much its only drawback.

4. HitFilm Pro
HitFilm Pro is a premium video editor that’s a firm favourite with fanfilm makers – and with good reason. It’s packed with tools for creating stunning special effects, but is accessible enough for home users.

One of HitFilm Pro’s biggest selling points is the ability to tackle pretty much every aspect of video post-production within the editor. Animations, titles, audio editing and color grading are all accessible with a couple of clicks, but the interface is intuitively designed and never feels cluttered.

Effects can be queued, and drilling down through the software’s advanced options is a straightforward process.

Unlike the other video editors in this roundup, HitFilm Pro supports importing and animating of custom 3D models, complete with simulated 3D cameras, custom shadows and dynamic lighting. There are also impressive particle effects, and superb chroma-keying to minimize annoying spill.

HitFilm Pro will be overkill for beginners, but if you have a creative filmmaking project in mind then it’s a fantastic choice.

Platform: Windows, macOS

Click here to read the full article on Techradar

VEGAS Pro is a comprehensive, all in one post production “must have” NLE companion with everything you need to create high end projects. I have used VEGAS Pro for more than ten years and yes, I am a Mac user, and yes, I have had Windows partition with BootCamp from day one on my MacBook Pro only for VEGAS PRO as that is my backpack studio. I use Vegas Pro a lot for my independent filmmaking, music and corporate videos and I’m quite happy with it because it gives me so much latitude and it is a truly comprehensive all in one set of tools that actually lets you finish the whole project from the beginning to the end within one software package. Really amazing – Bobby B. Grubic

…The latest iteration of the software, VEGAS Pro 15, introduces a remarkable set of visual and functional improvements. It is also on sale until November 30th, 2017.

Welcome To VEGAS

First introduced as an audio-only tool at the 1999 NAMM show, VEGAS Pro had come a long way to becoming one of the more popular non-linear video editors around. The video editing features were first added in 2000 (version 2.0 of the software), with annual updates being released by Sony all the way until version 13 in 2013. This was when the development stopped, leaving the existing users desperate for an update which would iron out the bugs, performance drops, and stability issues which occurred when using VEGAS Pro 13 on newer versions of Windows. Potential new users were also wary of jumping on board with an application which seemed closer than ever to becoming abandonware.

Thankfully, MAGIX took over the development in 2016 and released VEGAS Pro 14 not long after, fixing most of the bugs and stability issues reported by the users, along with adding some nifty improvements like 4K upscaling, RED camera support, and a higher video velocity limit. The core feature set hadn’t changed significantly, though, and it was still pretty much unclear in which direction the forthcoming updates would go. Was MAGIX planning to continue pushing VEGAS Pro into professional video editing software territory, or would they try to turn it into a more beginner-friendly application instead?

A New Dawn

Whereas version 14 was somewhat of a maintenance release, it’s safe to say that VEGAS Pro 15 is the first proper “upgrade” since Magix took things over from Sony. And judging by this first glimpse into the future, brighter days are coming for VEGAS Pro. From a UI facelift to performance improvements and some brand new features, there’s plenty of stuff to be excited about if you’re a VEGAS Pro user. Let’s take a quick look at some of the most important changes in VEGAS Pro 15….[continue reading]