how to mix several videos from a computer

[ninowis]

Like a lot of people here, i want to start to mix & scratch videos.

As an animator, i already made some videos & now i would like to begin to mix them in live sessions... All of them are stocked on my PC and i was wondering how it is possible to mix them via a video mixer while a graphic card can only be dual head & output only one other video signal...

Basicly, what i want to do is mixing several videos (at least 3), superimposing/scratching/fading them separately (but at the same time) using T-bars, faders or anything else more usefull than a mouse and a keyboard (which would make me able to work only on one source anyway).

(Glurp... i hope im clear enough )

Which hardware would you advise me for that job?

I was looking some video mixers such as WJ-MX50 or Videonics MX but i dont understand how i can plug several video sources from only one computer... is there any software wich can be controlled via a mixing table connected via USB (or any other slot) to my PC?

Thx very much for answering, i know it can seems silly but im so confused lol!!

[solly]

The cheapest way you can do that is put your clips on a DVD to use on other dvd players plugged into your Mixer(edirol V4 is good machine). So you will have your pc and 2 other dvd players with one mixer.
Solly

[dongbamage]

If you just want to mix seperate video streams played from the same computer you could use software (VJo, Pilgrim, Grid, etc) and a midi device...

if you want to use more than 1 stream, ie. more than 1 computer, or as solly says a couple of DVD players (+ a computer?), then a hardware mixer is probably the best option...

[ninowis]

first, thx for that fast answer

well, using DVD players is a possibility but it gonna be lot of machines if i want to increase my number of sources up to 4 or 6 or even more: the fact is that i also would like to decompose some clips i have done into several layers to interact on them separately.

The V4 seems to be a very good mixer but i think i need more faders or sliders to do what i want. I would like to be able to assign on them various effects or properties of my visuals (not only task such as fading or scratching but also parameters like contrast or saturation...).

I know exactly what i want to do but i just really don't know how maybe what i need is not a proper video mixer?!

please still me !!

[ninowis]

Dongbamage u replied faster than me
i'll check what i can find in Midi devices, thx for the tip ;-)

[ninowis]

WAOH! im so stupid!! lol!
that's clear that what i need is a MIDI controller associate with a good software!!! Thx Dong! :P

And as regarding what i want to do, does anyone know which software would be the more appropriate? & can you advise me a controller with it?

[gpvillamil]

Well, it sounds like you could use Resolume, Grid or Flowmotion, together with a MIDI controller like the M-Audio UC33e. All of these support independent control of at least 3 layers.

Depending on your needs, Pilgrim might work for you as well. Pilgrim is probably better able to handle multiple layers, but the user interface is more complex.

Depending on how many effects you want to apply, and what output quality you want, you'll need a pretty hot PC with a decent graphics card.

The UC33e controlling Pilgrim or Resolume has worked for me.

[visualove]

I don't think that the product you want is yet available at a reasonable price. Hardware mixers usually mix 2 video sources with maybe a 3rd layer of a logo. That's one "mix effects" or ME bus. Then they cascade up to 3 ME's with the output of one into another. So 3 cascaded ME's would be 4 inputs and a handful of logos. The most cost effective way to do this would be to cascade V4's - unless you want to buy a TV station production switcher or http://bssc.sel.sony.com/Broadcastan...hens_Final.pdf

Software has more possibilities, but the graphics chips aren't optimized for building up a large number of layers at full resolution and 30 frames a second. There isn't a huge incentive yet for the NVidia/ATI and Matrox's of the world to do so.

If you look through the gig reports or rig pictures threads, there is a trend to setups with multiple laptops, mixers and VJ's working together.

That's not to say that what you are proposing wouldn't look inspiring...

[thomase]

maybe a videoserver like the hippo could do the trick...

[balther]

I have this program on the net working with 25 layers of video, graphic, Flash and unlimited 3D model import controlled by PC keys and MIDI. This program is designed to set up animated loops with real-time interactive interrupt commands and fast changes of loops.
The setup could be a PC with dual screens, a MIDI controller/keyboard and e.g. a sampler in the same MIDI setup as the graphics for controlling the sound
You are welcome to go and get it on my website and it?s free.
Balther

Balthers Graphic Groove Box


http://www.balther.dk