Very upsetting this isn't there and that users have to fork over thousands for Symphony just to get something classic FCP had for years.  In fact Symphony should just be called Media Composer and it should be the same price.

S.Clements:

Very upsetting this isn't there and that users have to fork over thousands for Symphony just to get something classic FCP had for years.  In fact Symphony should just be called Media Composer and it should be the same price.

 

So for those of us that have purchased Symphony and the more expensive upgrades how does that work?

Do we up the price of Media Composer and make it Symphony (that would be fair)

Can't imagine your suggesting making Media Composer Symphony for the old Media Composer price.

And of course Avid have offered a very competative upgrade programme for moving from MC to Symphony and you get Boris with it as well. Seems if you need it that would have been a cost effective choice.

Don't forget the vast majority of MC users have no need of secondary color correction and wouldn't be happy paying more for a feature they won't use.

Just want to point out that there is the BCC effect called Correct Selected that can do secondary color correction. Not great but not horrible.

+1

The simple answer is that in today's market, there simply is no good reason for MC and Symphony to be separate products.  What should happen is that Symphony gets killed off as a editing product, but "Symphony Color Correction" becomes an optional add-on feature when one buys Media Composer for those who need secondaries and the like.

switthaus:

What should happen is that Symphony gets killed off as a editing product, but "Symphony Color Correction" becomes an optional add-on feature when one buys Media Composer

If forum history is anything to go by there would be an almost non stop barrage of posts like "why do I have to pay extra for Secondary CC?"

IMO your suggestion amounts to little more than asking Avid to re brand Symphony as something like MC+ or MC Pro

 

And why should they? Symphony's CC tools are over a decade and a few CEO's ago old.

Why not?  Media Composer is the flagship of the company.  Make it one product with the option of adding features to your MC.  It is certainly not working for Avid the way things are, why not try something different?

switthaus:

why not try something different?

Different? This is the model tried well over a decade ago. Remember the kill Avid Express and introduce Avid DV, then (want more MC features posts) . So add Avid DV Pro to the lineup (then bow to want more MC features posts) Kill Avid DV and Avid DV Pro with software only MC all over again.

IMO As well as the CC advantages there are a lot of subtle worflow advantages to be had with Symphony. Having experienced them now I would hate to loose those for a new (inferior) MC + "optional" Symphony CC product.

Andrew and Scott, WTF is the difference, LOL?

If A = B + C. Then it really doesn't matter if you have A or B + C, does it?

AndrewAction:

IMO As well as the CC advantages there are a lot of subtle worflow advantages to be had with Symphony. Having experienced them now I would hate to loose those for a new (inferior) MC + "optional" Symphony CC product.

I've said on numerous occasions that I can't see the reasons for having MC and Symphony as separate products - the points of difference between them are very minimal - basically colour correction and universal mastering.

Looking at it from the outside I'd roll them into one, basically release Symphony as Media Composer.

But Avid have been quite clear in the past that they don't want to do this, so my hope then is that there will be some improvements to the products that both serve to separate them better for their markets, and also improve the core offerings in Media Composer. We'll wait and see I guess...

As for wanting Secondary correction in Media Composer - I don't even use the secondaries in Symphony. The 'Vectors' style it uses is far to limited. I use Resolve when I need a really powerful grading tool, and Symphony when I need to turn a lot of footage around quickly (which is the bulk of my work). I'd really like to get the Baselight plugin to add a little extra flexability in Symphony - but it's not on Windows yet.

DylanReeve:

As for wanting Secondary correction in Media Composer - I don't even use the secondaries in Symphony. The 'Vectors' style it uses is far to limited. I use Resolve when I need a really powerful grading tool, and Symphony when I need to turn a lot of footage around quickly (which is the bulk of my work). I'd really like to get the Baselight plugin to add a little extra flexability in Symphony - but it's not on Windows yet.

  Dylan, so funny this should just pop up in my email...literally JUST finished reading your creative cow article, 'No Time to Waste'.

     Obviously Symphony's secondaries aren't as good as those in a dedicated grading system, but I'd still rather have them in the editing system than not.  I've heard that the Baselight plugin is great - much better than the colour correction within Symphony.  I never used the plugin, but did use a Baselight system at school and it was amazing.

 

DylanReeve:

Symphony when I need to turn a lot of footage around quickly (which is the bulk of my work).

This is one of my main reasons for liking the features of Symphony!

DylanReeve:

I'd really like to get the Baselight plugin

My research into Baselight left me with a feeling that it was a clunky unintuative interface. AAF round tripping to Resolve (which I have running at the same time as MC) is a better fit for me.

AndrewAction:

My research into Baselight left me with a feeling that it was a clunky unintuative interface. 

 

Andrew, Baselight is pure magic.  I can't speak for the plugin, but to sit at an actual Baselight and grade is amazing.  I haven't used Resolve though, so can't compare.  I picked up the interface for Baselight after about an hour of instruction, so it is quite intuitive.

 

Sorry I was referring to the Baselight plug in.

I had no hands on experience but afterwatching their demonstrators 4 tutorials, FLT-BL-0010-BaselightForAvid-1-1280  (and 0011.0012 and 0013) a couple of times each I had no desire to get hands on experience. Admittedly at the time I was still in a reasonably early stage of using Resolve.