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| Steinberg
Nuendo Media Production System by Eddie Ciletti |
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Steinberg has labeled
Nuendo its “Media Production System” and with good reason. Open
the program, click “New Project,” and there’s a list of
various application templates ranging from Pro Logic Video Mixdown and
24/96 DVD 5.1 Authoring to 32-bit Stereo Master and Audio/MIDI Music Production.
Nuendo’s capacity for 200 channels of digital audio plus an unlimited number of MIDI tracks is further enhanced by a built-in “window” that can play a local video file, locking picture and audio tracks in sample-accurate sync. The Surround option includes presets for various speaker configurations. Other features specific to video post include an open-framework media asset management system for organizing, searching and archiving media. There is EDL and control surface support (including CM Automation’s Motor Mix), loop functions, infinite undo/redo, OMF import, Dolby Pro Logic-compatible encoder/decoder and Timelock Pro. Priced at $999, Timelock Pro is an optional hardware synchronizer that generates MTC from LTC and VITC, generates word clock or Digidesign Super Clock (FSx256) from video sync or free-running LTC. It supports 44.1/48kHz sample rates including 0.1% and 4% pull up/down rates and has a low-jitter word clock synthesizer for improved audio quality. Turnkey with All the Trimmings Short of providing a computer with everything installed, Nuendo (as reviewed here) is almost a turnkey system, with numerous hardware I/Os available to accompany the $1,295 software package. Priced at $799, the Nuendo 96/52 for PC provides digital-only, 24-bit/96kHz I/O on a PCI card, with three ADAT Lightpipe connectors, S/PDIF I/O and a 9-pin ADAT Sync port for sample accurate transfers. Included is an expansion board with BNC word clock I/O for continuous resync. For those requiring analog and digital interfacing, Steinberg offers several choices. The $1,999 Nuendo 8-I/O is an 8-channel single-rackspace breakout box with 24-bit ADCs/DACs, with 8-channel balanced analog I/O (-10 or +4 dB) via balanced 1/4-inch connectors. The built-in 24-bit digital router includes auxiliary ADAT Lightpipe ports and Tascam TDIF I/O (with bit-splitting and copy modes) plus word clock I/O. A more extravagant I/O option is the $7,699 Nuendo AD-8000, featuring eight 24-bit über-analog channels of conversion designed by Apogee Electronics, which include the renowned UV-22 and Soft Limit features. Knowing that Steinberg created the popular Cubase sequencer suggests a history of integrating audio and MIDI that should inspire confidence. While many software sequencers have graduated to hard disk recording, Nuendo seems to be a digital audio workstation first and sequencer second. This suits me fine, as I primarily work with real sounds and have concerned myself with learning and using those tools, content that the MIDI would be available when I needed it.
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