Software recommendation

[kno3]

Hi all,

I'm hoping some people here might be able to recommend some software. I know this question gets asked with monotonous regularity, but I'm fairly overwhelmed by the amount of choices, and I thought I'd ask some people with some experience with these things.

Just a note about myself - I'm a multimedia programmer / graphic designer / hack-animator, with a long-term passion for computers and multimedia.

These are some points about my goals / setup:

- I would like to queue / play video clips, perhaps with some simple transitions. Large library of clips and I'd like to be able to pick them out and play them pretty quickly.
- I'm not really interested in Audio-Visualizer's.
- Stability and cost ($$$) are quite important.
- I have a new G4 PowerBook (prefer OSX) and a Panasonic WJ-MX10 mixer.
- I also have a Sony Digital-8 camera (and LOTS of video).

I see my main focus being the content rather than the presentation, so live effects aren't something I'm really interested in, although obviously the timing of the clips is important. My needs seem fairly simple, and most of the apps I've looked at just look like overkill for what I'm planning to do...

Anyway, if anyone has any ideas / thoughts / recommendations, I'd love to hear them.

Cheers,

-Rob

[Anyone]

hi,

This might seem like a far fetched work around,
but according to your specs, a japanese VJ app
would do the trick...
(in order of complexity: MotionDive, M7, CompositeStation)
but they are quite intuitive, the tricky part is knowing exactly
where to download them...

if you have a japanese friend, ask him/her to look this up,
you will get info on these softs:
http://www.vjtokio.com/

you can also try Vidvox, which are midi-triggered apps,
but the learning curve is a bit steep. it's your choice really...

if you dont mind "cheating"
you can also just run your videos through Final Cut Pro
fire wire it in your DV cam then SVHS out to your mixer...

all the other cool apps I can think of are PC based...

hope this helps, Ne1

[spark]

(spark: a vdmx cliche of himself...)

vidvox's VDMX would be ideal imho: it is the nearest thing to having a whole rig shrunk into your laptop, so it has two decks and monitors to select, cue and play clips, and a mixing console and output monitor... all on one screen. Then it also has a lot of groovy other things, but the basics are perfect for playing videos in a 'live editing' fashion.

version three is imminent in release, and its got the best playback i've seen of any software-only vj app... written especially for tibook hardware, anti-aliased, YUV-rendered, bipolar scaled... no scan converter neccessary.

toby

check the review of version two on vjcentral, or check the developer's website at www.vidvox.net

[kno3]

Thanks heaps for the replies everyone. They all still seem like MAD overkill for my needs... Especially at US$350 (I'm in Australia).

Any word on OSX support for VDMX? Or a release date for version 3?

Thanks again. I'll keep snooping around. :)

-Rob

[spark]

OSX hasn't yet got the stripped-down low level side to it that OS9 has, so VDMX is still OS9 at the mo. but, you run it in its own cut-down installation of OS9 that boots in less than a minute and then vdmx just doesn't crash...*

as for overkill, guilty as charged the lot of us but well shall we just say that they're tools that you can grow with, eh!

*of course, your milage may vary. i test betas so... but hey vdmx2 certainly doesn't.

[junket]

...na, sorry, VDMX3 is the shit! You've gotta compress the video you're using (at least to 150KBS to have it fully kicking with lots of FX), and you gotta fork out a few dollars, but its worth it. Its not that hard to use either, switch it onto vagabond mode and it takes care of itself. Kinda makes me wish I didn't upgrade to OSX until its compatable.

[holly]

I like RC FUSE (http://www.vjcentral.com/show/1921). It's cheap and allows 2 live video sources. It has a memory problem that prevents you using many long clips, though.

Really, what you are describing sounds just like MotionDive, simple beautiful interface and just plays clips forever without crashing, but once you pay to have it mail-ordered you might as well go for VDMX. It's a program you can grow with. Also check out Prophet (also from www.vidvox.net). They all have free demos.

The problem with most of the Japanese apps (MotionDive, RC FUSE, M7) is they were authored with Director from Macromedia which has only just been released for OSX, so expect a wave of ports and upgrades soon.

luv that Mac!
HOLLY

[spark]

i'd agree with rc-fuse, but the problem with all the jap-apps is that you don't have preview monitors on-screen, often not even output if you're using it dual-monitor, and they use thumbnails to select clips, which is useless for what i do as you as i use text that is too small to be read as a thumbnail.

ps. vdmx = 2 live vid sources too...
prophet is for midi-triggering clips, so you need to keep 'playing' it rather than vdmx's mixer paradigm.

[MoRpH]

Maybe, just for a change compared to the normal bullshit, you would like to get together with someone and have a beer (although I'm not a mac head), PM me and we can get together and talk shop.

MoRpH

[MoRpH]

Originally posted by spark
i'd agree with rc-fuse, but the problem with all the jap-apps is that you don't have preview monitors on-screen, often not even output if you're using it dual-monitor, and they use thumbnails to select clips, which is useless for what

Nice call spark this is also a HUGE proplem with the so-called LEADING PC apps too....

[kno3]

Thanks MoRpH,

That would be cool if we could get together some time. I might give you a yell later in the New Year once I have my stuff together. What I really need is to go to some gigs. I really want to see some VJ performances that really push the limits. :)

First I need to get OS9 on my PB! Apple aren't making it easy! ;)

Thanks again guys,

-Rob