Still waiting for more timeline tracks!

[david_k_jordan]

After all the entries that folks have left in the last couple of versions one would think that Corel would wake up and realize to be considered a serious contender in amatuer - low end professional market that they would have to allow their users to have multiple tracks of video and audio. Corel has again stumbled with no inclusion of adding video or audio tracks to Video Studio X3. When I edit video in most cases I need 3 or more video tracks to edit with...no less than 3. And audio is much the same to really have a good video editing experience you cannot be hobbled by limited video.audio tracks! I realize that you can have additional overlay tracks...but enabling them is clumsy...but you cannot add multiple audio tracks. I really hope that Corel will seriously start looking at the higher end products out there and start putting feature rich items the higher end folks have into their products. People want easy to edit stuff, but you should also have the top end stuff for more advanced users...look at Paint Shop Pro X3...it has all the items there for a new amatuer...but all the top end stuff for a professional as well. By comparison, Video Studio X3 does NOT offer that same kind of depth...they NEED to have it to stay competitive...you can just do more, more easily with the higher end products. A low price should NOT mean low funstionality...come on Corel...I love you guys, but I continue to wait for a more robust product!
I know I will most likely get flamed like crazy for this...but the truth is the truth...

Dave

[Black Lab]

While I agree that any serious "pro" or even "pro-sumer" editing app should have unlimited video and audio tracks, I do disagree with you a bit.

Call them what you will, but overlay tracks are additional video tracks. VS calls them overlay tracks because, as you can see on the timeline, they overlay one another. Maybe you can explain your difficulties with them.

And try as Corel might to convice us that VS is "pro" software, it is not. It is consumer software and, so, 7 video tracks, 2 audio tracks, and 2 title tracks fit nicely in that context. That's not to say VS can't make professional videos, just like Picasso probably could have made great art with finger paints.

[david_k_jordan]

As to the video tracks...sure...in most cases 7 is plenty...but the lack of additional audio tracs beyond 2 is a BIG problem. Any editor Pro or amatuer who gets an in depth timeline (and usually most are), will quickly be frustrated with the lack of audio tracks. For starters...I as an amatuer editor ALWAYS split my sound from video when using VS X2...because I want to ensure I have full control. I have found that using VS is not very practical any longer...I have to say however...the whole Video Studio line has a soft spot in my heart because I learned to video edit (basic stuff) in VS...but quickly learned that using Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro was a much more robust (you pay for that though) NLE.
Thanks for your response...I hope there are many more...perhaps the Corel folks will look at this and realize that they need more stuff to offer. Perhaps...

Dave

[Black Lab]

but quickly learned that using Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro was a much more robust (you pay for that though) NLE.

You hit the nail on the head.

[Ron P.]

Corel dropping Ulead's MediaStudio Pro, last version being one of the best, was most likely due to the lack of sales when compared to VS. MSP had about anything that FCP or AP. It however cost 5x as much as VS, $500 vs $100. Those that need and wanted more had to of course pay for it. Most home hobbyists did not want a "pro" NLE, so opted for Ulead's VS, which at the time had only 1 or 2 overlay tracks, 1-title track, and 2-audio.

So in a nutshell like you stated "you pay for that though". If Corel were ever to bring a program out that was like MSP, it will not be priced close to VS..

[sjj1805]

I have MediaStudio Pro 8 which boasts 99 Video and 99 Audio tracks.
Over the years I have created some complex videos but to be honest
I may have used up to half a dozen video tracks but I don't recall having the need to use more than a couple of audio tracks.

Whilst no doubt someone somewhere at sometime may find a use of several audio tracks, that will be a minority. Should Corel put extra resources into supplying additional functions then you get a second group of people who will moan that they don't use half of what's provided and so are paying unnecessary costs for unwanted material.

The veterans of these forums will tell you that Ulead had it right by supplying two Video Editors.
The cheaper less frills VideoStudio for the Home User
The more expensive bells and whistles MediaStudio for the Professional or serious hobbyist.

We here have no influence over Corels marketing decisions.

[david_k_jordan]

I guess I fundamentally disagree with your audio tracks line. In almost every editing thing I do I use more than than 2 audio tracks...I medan are you serious? You have your audio from the video clip...which you have to split out from the video, then you have only 1 more audio track...hmmm if you have any kind of sound effect, and music your screwed. And often, you have 1,2 or even 3 different music tracks. You said you had used Media Studio Pro 8 which offered 99 audio and video tracks...hmmm why wouldn't they keep that and improve on it? Well, obviously they didn't think to pursue it...I am just saying that perhaps Corel could rethink the audio tracks amount...and if any amayuer to semit professional person does any real kind of video editing they will quickly find this limitation. Just my .02

[rguthrie]

David,

I do believe that X3 Pro has three audio tracks now. However, here's a workaround that I'd recommend. Save your audio work for last (do all your transitions, effects, etc. on your video) and save your audio to a file. Then use the freeware program Audacity to really edit your audio, such as adding effects, getting rid of unwanted noise, Normalize, etc. Then you can simply import it back into VS. Audacity is much more powerful in editing audio than VS will ever be. If you're doing complex projects like you say you are, then you're probably already preplanning what you want to do, so editing the audio just using your notes (without a video cue) won't present a problem.

[david_k_jordan]

Thanks for the reply...but here is my main snag with that...I want a full featured program that links easily to my editor...not something that I have to go out do all my tweaks save it, the import it back...just seems like a lot of pain to achieve results that should be part of the program or have a linking program that easily integrates...take for example Adobe Premiere Pro (I know I mention it a lot), but you can easily dynamically export your timeline right into Soundbooth, make all your audio edits and as soon as you save the Soundbooth timeline it automatically updates your Premiere timeline with no work from you...and all this dynamic linking is so easy to use...and unlimited audio and video time lines...like I said before, those NLE programs cost a lot, but I guess if you want that functionality you pay for it. I have always said I love VS...but I guess I have just outgrown it...sigh....

[mitchell65]

...I want a full featured program that links easily to my editor...not something that I have to go out do all my tweaks save it, the import it back..

As you say Premier Pro will do that but in the UK it is 775 pounds sterling whereas VS x3 is 79 pounds sterling. I make that 10 to 1
You pays your money and takes your choice!

[Ron P.]

David

You mention that APP can do this, and do that, comparing it to VS. You are comparing apples to oranges. My question is can Adobe Premiere Elements do the same? Probably not, and why? Because it is not their top, "pro"-sumer editor. They also cater to a different market with their pro-sumer products, than what Corel elects to do. Corel's target market seems to be the everyday folks that take a video or two of family events, and for that, VS is more than capable of providing a professional looking video.

As Steve stated above Ulead had it right when they produced 2 NLEs, just like Adobe. However Ulead's product that competed with APP, was dumped by Corel, leaving only VS, which in no way is in the same league as APP. So when you throw in that with APP you can do this, it's like saying with a Lamborghini you can do this but why can't my Ford? You're sounding like you want APP, but want it at VS price.

I periodically will view, sample the competitor's programs to see just what they are doing. I will then suggest to Corel functions and features that are similar to them. A couple of them can be found in our wish-list.

[Black Lab]

I'm going to put those cool Lambo doors on my Taurus.

[mitchell65]

Shove a Rolls Royce Merlin under the bonnet and apply for a pilot's licence