Smartsound for VEGAS

Editguy43 wrote on 1/21/2010, 8:46 PM
I received an E-mail from Kevin Klinger the CEO of Smartsound, we were asked to give our take on the company for 2009 and what we would like to see in the future.

One of the questions I asked was “will you ever make a plug-in for Vegas, being that Sony canceled Cinescore”.

His reply was;

“Re Vegas, it might be helpful to get in touch with Sony about your interest; we cannot make a plug-in without the help of the company and they might consider it if they hear from enough people.”

So I am forwarding this to all and hoping that we can let Sony know that we would like to have a plug-in for Smartsound in Vegas.

I know that you can export a movie to SonicFire and score it than go back to Vegas and put the music in,
But man to do it from in Vegas would so much faster.

I am going to write Sony and let them know that I want to have the plug-in.

Paul B

Comments

TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/21/2010, 8:56 PM
that's something all 3rd party companies say. Even though there is a plugin SDK freely available, and you'd think the 3rd party company would say "we want to work with you", they hide under the "go ask them" mantra so they don't get bad press if nothing ever comes of it.
Grazie wrote on 1/21/2010, 9:25 PM
Happy, spot on . .

Grazie
Tom Pauncz wrote on 1/21/2010, 9:43 PM
Paul,
As of the latest SF Pro (5.5.1), soundtrack can be exported directly to Vegas 8 and earlier but not to Vegas 9.

A plug-in would be a great step in the right direction. We can only hope.
Tom
farss wrote on 1/21/2010, 11:21 PM
They've had it working in Ppro for ages and have just added support for FCP. If the way Vegas works was changed so it could work I'd hazard a guess we'd finally see many of the other plugins around becoming available for Vegas.

As far as I know you can export a soundtrack and open it in any version of Vegas from V4 to V9. You would need to add the track(s) manually but that's hardly a show stopper.

Bob.
ingvarai wrote on 1/22/2010, 12:23 AM
A plug-in would be most welcome, if it doesn't carry with it the hopeless shortcomings of Sonicfire.

Here is the summary of a review in Videomaker, which tells me that these reviews are nothing worth at all:
----------
Strengths:
•Strong music library
•Intuitive controls
•Powerful results

Weaknesses:
•None
----------
So no weaknesses? The strength is the music library, which is huge and quality-wise super. But this application is so awkward to use, and has a lot of shortcomings. Usual keyboard shortcuts do not work, like Ctrl+Home to move the cursor home. And it does not remember where you last exported your sound files. If you export sound as separate tracks to, let use say:
C:\video\external\weddings\2010\January\Chicago\Jim-Janet\Sounds
you have to click your way down the folder hierarchy each and every time you want to export. There is no "project settings" where export folder can be set. This list of shortcomings can be extended with similar things.
So a plug-in that works directly in Vegas would be welcome to get rid of these things, apart from other advantages.
Ingvar
Tom Pauncz wrote on 1/22/2010, 9:10 AM
you can export a soundtrack and open it in any version of Vegas from V4 to V9

Yes .. correct. However, that is a two step process.

What I meant was that during export from SFP, you can check a box to export to an application. If Vegas is up and running, the exported soundtrack will be added to the Vegas project media - automatic import.

That is what doesn't work for Vegas 9.
Tom
TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/22/2010, 10:02 AM
why can't that be done via script? IE a script that calls the app & when you close the app puts the audio file on a new track.
Earl_J wrote on 1/22/2010, 10:46 AM
Stephen... I think I do that now... lol
* * *
I have Audition setup as the audio editor... so if I have a bit of audio in the project media bin and click on it, it opens in Audtition... hmmmm...
* * *
I'm not at the Vegas machine at the moment, but I'll look into that when I get home this evening...
I currently use the two step method - determine the length of audio I need; go to SF and make the piece; export to a folder; return to Vegas and import it to project bin and put it on the timeline.
* * *
My idea of a plug-in would be a Music item under the insert button (which can be configured to call the program of your choice) which would open SF for me; I use it and create the piece I need; when I save and close, it gets placed into the project media bin of the video project from which it was called (the one currently open)... boom! ... there it is. . . (grin)
A double-click and one more boom! there it is ... on the timeline beginning at the present cursor position...

Now that would be fun. . .

Until that time... Earl J.
BudWzr wrote on 1/22/2010, 4:58 PM
I tried the SmartSound software, and didn't like it. Also the Sony Media Manager sucks too.

P.S. I got a "letter from the CEO" too. I hate those automated "constant contact" type spam systems. Had to put the CEO on the spam blacklist.
Rob Franks wrote on 1/22/2010, 6:19 PM
Mmmm.... "didn't like".... "sucks".... "hate".... Are we having a bad day?

I have Sonic SS and enjoy it. It lets me actually place different instruments on different tracks and render out those tracks individually. Great for 5.1 work and one of the few programs of this kind that will do it.

It would be a HUGE advancement if there was a plugin that would allow SS to automatically "fit to size" something directly on the Vegas time line.
Earl_J wrote on 1/22/2010, 6:38 PM
Rob...
fit to the size of the range selection... now, that would be a great enhancement!
Hmmm...

Until that time... Earl J.
BudWzr wrote on 1/22/2010, 7:22 PM
The music was more complicated than Cinescore, as far as the number of voices and arrangements, but the net effect sounded too "canned". The richness of the compositions emphasize the "cold" machine melody like an assembly line of robots.

Rendering individual instruments is a great way to build "related loops", and I can understand the "added value" component, hahaha.



Song: "Kitchen Sink", go ahead and use it, I see your toe tapping.


=================================================================
"lets me actually place different instruments on different tracks and render out those tracks individually."
Editguy43 wrote on 1/22/2010, 7:46 PM
Bud,
but the net effect sounded too "canned".
I think you must be confused the CINESCORE music sounded Canned and lame compared to the shear amount of Smartsound music. It can be a little dificult to use at times but I have been using it since version 3 and also in Pinnacle Studio sinse version 7 we have many disks and are quite satisfied with the overall quality and variations of the music.

We have also had "MANY" satisfied clients comment on the professional sound of the music and how it moved them, so how could as you say "a melody like a robit assembly line" have the power to bring out the emotions of people.

This latest outburst of your's again shows your utter lack of well anything.

And to the Letter from the CEO, Kevin Klinger, I replied to it and he wrote me back anwsering all the questions I asked him, each one answered by Kevin, and to be clear I have never recieved one from the CEO before so I believe it was not a "spam system" if it were I would not have recieved personal answers from him.

I am really geeting tired of you coming to almost every post and making remarks that neither build or add creative insight, if all you can add to this forum is your discontent than GO AWAY...
BudWzr wrote on 1/22/2010, 7:53 PM
The forum is for open exchange, not selling stuff. Too many salesmen in here.

"Computerized Music" is a valid genre, when you try to make it real the brain can't swallow it.
Like a transexual in a straight bar trying to "pass", draws more negative attention, but just being gay is quite acceptable.
Rob Franks wrote on 1/22/2010, 8:48 PM
"Song: "Kitchen Sink", go ahead and use it, I see your toe tapping."

I also have Cinescore and yes... you can come up with some interesting arrangements. However its library is much too small to be of any serious use. It's also restricted to stereo (2 channels). Cinescore is really not worth discussing at this point anyway since SCS seems to be killing it.

As for SS having "canned" sound... I'm not sure where you're getting that?? SS's library is absolutely huge and since not all sounds are the same you may run into a few "canned" sounds but to suggest the entire library is of this nature would be.... well let's just say you're no longer too credible
BudWzr wrote on 1/22/2010, 9:17 PM
Well, I must have listened to the wrong songs. I didn't even render out the 5 free ones, didn't like 'em.

I never had any credibility, but your toe WAS tappin', right?
Earl_J wrote on 1/22/2010, 9:48 PM
Rob,
Bud is right... this is an open exchange forum; except with Bud it appears the only open thing about him is his mouth ... no real name, no website, and no computer info ... he could walk into the public library and shoot off his mouth through his fingers for all we know...
Last time I looked, I didn't see a single thing for sale in this thread... where he gets the idea there are too many salesmen in here, I have no idea...
He appears to be a stereo kind of guy, people are either with him or agin him ... so it isn't any surprise two channels of music are all he's after...
Personally, I read the posts of guys like him with amusement and ignore them . . . they just come to see what kind of ruckus they can instigate... not with me, I have too many music tracks to create with my antiquated and useless music programs to interrupt all that work to argue with guys like him. . .
I'm with you... he appears to know lots about nothing. . . well, he does have his opinions anyhow... if anyone doesn't believe he has an opinion for everything, one only needs to ask... (grin)

Until that time... Earl J.
BudWzr wrote on 1/22/2010, 10:10 PM
Let's just say anonymity gives me the freedom to speak my mind honestly, there's no ulterior motive. Sorry, no conspiracy theory.

AC3 doesn't play universally, stereo goes everywhere, but I don't have anything against AC3.

As far as salesmen go, they are here believe me. Some are just pawns (stooges, shills, etc.) used by clever marketers to spread "grass-roots goodwill", that's the latest marketing strategy.
Editguy43 wrote on 1/23/2010, 12:00 AM
WOW I start a thread to "honestly" ask people who might be interseted in asking SCS to consider working with Smartsound to create a plug-in for Vegas, and I get called a "salesman" and worse yet a "stooge, shill, pawn" .
Man that is LOW even for the Beer Guy, and also what does bringing up "alternitive Livestyles" have to do with Music?

I guess I will bow my head in shame and go back to creating quality sound beds for my clients. :-)
farss wrote on 1/23/2010, 2:04 AM
1) Ignore the troll.

2)
a. I sort of like your idea however as SCS have said they're going to develop another Cinescore I can't see them bending over backwards to help. What killed CS was the lack of content not the application plus it's an already crowded market.

b. I'd like to know how you'd see it working. I use all of the features in SFPro and it'd take some work to get them happening inside of Vegas from what I can fathom. In fact I kind of like rendering out a small preview file and then working in CS. I agree some of the GUI has driven me nuts but I'm kind of used to it and just go with the flow.

Bob.