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Block Party
Staying in SonicFire Pro is advantageous if the editor must manipulate the music track. Using SmartBlocks, the editor can use elements of the music track, allowing the creation of different themes for different characters or settings in scenes from a longer project. The range of musical themes and styles is quite broad, and new tracks can be previewed at Sonic Desktop’s Web site. Further, the sound quality is very good. It is professionally produced and can work for virtually any type of project.
Sonicfire Pro also allows users to import music from CDs or other sources. While the music will not have SmartBlocks pointers, the clips can be edited nonetheless.
I installed SonicFire Pro on my G4 with Final Cut Pro as my video editor. The Maestro feature caught my attention immediately and I tried it. It worked just as advertised. I followed the on-screen instructions and built several different music tracks.
The durations I chose for the music tracks were as different and as odd as possible. One of the music tracks was 1:09:22 and the other was 22:02:02. The longer track took a while to load as Sonicfire Pro built the waveforms.
Maestro produces variations of the chosen music styles. I liked this feature quite a lot because it allowed me to carry the same theme throughout the project with enough different elements to keep the sound track fresh. The time I saved by automatically building new music tracks to specific lengths was well used on other portions of the project. As far as most multimedia presentations go, there is something here for everyone. Next, I imported a video clip into SonicFire Pro and mixed the soundtrack. The interface is not as responsive as I would like, but it was manageable. I liked the convenience of being able to build the sound track with SmartBlocks because of the ease of repeating themes.
Working on the longer-duration project sent me back to Final Cut Pro where I could move through the process faster and more efficiently. Of course, Final Cut Pro is no speed demon, and when working with multiple tracks on a longer duration project only professional tools will do.
Keeping It Simple
For those who wish to dig into the application and create music tracks, Sonicfire Pro may be too limited in scope for pros. The initial benefit provided by SmartBlocks became cumbersome when working with large files during the soundtrack creation process. Also it seemed that the waveform representation for each track was dynamically redrawn, causing delays during the editing and mixing process.
This criticism should not scare away producers and content creators who need accurate and professional soundtracks on a budget. The starting price for Sonic Fire Pro is only $349. Additional music libraries are available in 44 KHz and less-expensive 22 KHz versions. As with many applications that make tasks simple or are automated for one group of users, SonicFire Pro can cause experienced users some frustration in the timeline interface. I found SonicFire Pro to be a good tool for creating new tracks that I then used for mixing and finishing the project with my other editing tools.
Matt Payne is the founder of Payne Media, a Seattle company that creates graphics, animation and special effects for print, multimedia, corporate video and broadcast television.
Sonic Desktop Software
Phone: 800-454-1900
Fax: 818-718-9990
Web site: www.sonicdesktop.com
Copyright © 2001 AV Video Multimedia Producer. All rights reserved.
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