DOUG'S AVID CHECKLIST & TIPSUNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!!!
An opinionated guideline to renting or buying an Avid Media Composer. (modified 10/2000)
What should you ask:
The most important decision you'll need to make is if you need an "online" avid or an "offline" avid.
Online
"Offline" avids are used when there's a lot of source material or the program is long. You work with a lower-resolution picture and the effects capabilities may be limited.
Offline
Macintosh Platform:
PowerMac G3 or G4 (aka Meridien). Version 10 software. The best to use.
PowerMac 9500 or 9600 (aka ABVB). Version 7.1/7.2 software. Avid stopped making these in spring of 1999 by they are an excellent choice
AMP (Avid Media Processor) or PowerMac 8100 "chassis" type Mac. Version 5.6 software. Also known as "NuBus" Macs. These are less desirable but still fine. Because of their age they'll be running software that's several years old and may not be capable of the highest picture resolutions. However, they are fine for offline use and workable for online use.
Quadra 950 based systems are among the oldest and probably not good for offlining shows 30 minutes or longer. Will be using a real old (but still good) version of the software. Such a system should be very inexpensive to rent or buy. Not recommended for online use at all.
Finishing on film or video. If you're finishing on film you should investigate cutting on a Film Composer, although it's not essential. Visit my page which weighs the pros and cons of each.
Hard Drives: You can never be too rich or too thin or have too many hard drives. How much hard drive space comes with the system? How much $ to add more drives? Rule of thumb: You can store about 4 hours of offline quality (AVR 3) or 16 minutes of broadcast quality (AVR 77) material on each 9 gig drive.
Feature set: There are many different models and even the same model comes bundled with different features sometimes. Some important ones are:
Video decks--which ones?
Betacam:
UVWs are lowest model, only ch 1 & 2 audio (missing the high-quality AFM audio channels 3 & 4). Most people have this one, and it's perfectly acceptable although the audio is not technically broadcast quality if you're thinking of using audio straight off the avid.
PVWs are better, but still only have ch 1 & 2 audio. (Note: both UVW and PVW decks can be modified to read channels 3&4)
BVW is best, and the only one that has ch 1 -4 audio.
3/4":
Sony VO9800 or VO9850. Avoid the BVU models unless you know what you're doing. If you're using 3/4" to load you should avoid using the audio in the avid for your final mix; instead do an audio conform from a better-quality master once picture is locked.
Audio: There are quite a few options here which allow you to hear between two and eight tracks at once. Most newer models allow "monitoring" eight channels. Less than four is unacceptable.
If you're using a facility:
Rate based on hourly, daily or weekly? Can material be kept on disks during off-days? A fee involved? How much notice required to cancel sessions?
Phone/Fax/Xerox in suite?
24 hour vs. limited access?
Comfortable room (e.g., air conditioning, windows, enough space/chairs for screenings, privacy, noise from other rooms or street, kitchen available, etc.)
What is the technical support arrangement? If there's no staff available to help, make sure the facility has paid to have avid technical support available.
OTHER EQUIPMENT:
In addition to the two Mac monitors, an extra NTSC monitor is essential, preferably large: 19" or bigger with several inputs. If the room is large enough I like a 27".
Also necessary in the room are: an audio mixer, at least one VHS deck, a microphone for scratch VO, a speakerphone for staying on hold with tech support, and a CD player. If the system involves many different types of tape decks then an audio/video patch bay is essential.
CD player: should be wired in the mixer so that you have the ability to hear the CD through the speakers while you're playing back a sequence on the avid, so that you can test out music without having to digitize it first--this is a huge time-saver if you're doing even the smallest amount of music work. For heavy use, the CD player ought to have direct track access (you can punch in a track number, say 34, rather than having to hit "next" 34 times).
VHS deck: I recommend that the VHS player have an input selection button on the unit itself, rather just being on the remote-- the remotes often break or get lost and this renders the VHS useless for dubbing.
Software: The Avid should have the following software on it: MS Word 6 or later, PhotoShop 4 or later, Adobe Type Manager (a recent version), Norton Disk Doctor (recent version). For effects-heavy online projects, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe After Effects 4.0 or later are needed. If you plan to export your audio via OMF then make sure OMF Tool is on the drive.
Depending on the project you may also need a DAT or Timecode DAT player, audio cassette player.
For broadcast use you should have waveform monitors in the room.
Furniture: a really comfortable chair for the editor, a console that's deep enough so you can sit 3 feet away from the monitors.
Printer attached to Mac? Helpful for printing EDLs, etc.
It's very important that the room be set up so that it's easy to get behind the hard drives and video decks for rewiring and troubleshooting.
Is there a trackball or a mouse? Different editors have their preferences.
Speakers: Avids usually come with small Roland speakers. They're fine, but for crucial audio work bigger, better speakers are appropriate.
A complete set of manuals for the avid and any other complicated equipment should be in the room.
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