I'm now using VideoSlave to host video instead of DP, why?

[bralston]

Hey guys,

Just wanted to share and amazing new program that is out that has allowed me to off load the video hosting from Digital Performer to another slave machine...and let DP focus on MIDI and audio...and not drive video. The new program is called VideoSlave and is from a German Developer. Here is the webpage for it.

http://www.non-lethal-applications.com/ ... r-vtr.html

This program really came about when film composer Charlie Clouser (From N.I.N. and of the SAW series of films) approached a German developer about the need for a simple and solid VTR program for hosting QTs that can sync to MIDI Time Code over a network. Hence, VideoSlave was born. Full disclosure...I have been one of their beta testers as well. But I get nothing for mentioning it here. I just think the developer Flo has done an amazing job here with his program making it simple and powerful. And I truly feel it is currently the best elegant solution for hosting video in Post-Production out there. And the fact that it will work alongside DP...or ProTools...or any DAW...is awesome.

Why is this a good thing?

1. By no longer hosting the video in DP on the same machine...you can save from CPU on your DAW to further squeeze out as much as you can for other plugs and VIs.
2. VideoSlave can take pretty much ANY kind of video, codec, frame rate, etc...unlike DP which tends to be best with certain codecs and can only currently output full screen video via Firewire and DVCPRO codec which is NOT Hi-Def.
3. With VideoSlave you can take an older Intel mac or Mac mini, laptop, etc...and use it to drive the video. Have DP output MTC any way you can (over a network or MIDI device)...and VideoSlave will sync in under a second. It can also run full screen with no QT controls so it looks like a genuine VTR. Run that output to your monitor or projector and your studio will have full screen video being controlled by DP...but driven by VideoSlave on its own little machine.
4. I currently use one of my Virtual Instrument MacMinis to not only host LA Scoring Strings and Storm Drum 2 libraries...but also to drive VideoSlave and it works solidly.
5. You can create playlists of QTs. When scoring a movie in multiple reels...you can load up all 5-6 QT reels in the playlist...and VideoSlave will keep them in order and instantly jump to the next reel as your DP or ProTools session advances its timecode.

Check it out for yourself. There is a demo that will run for 5 minutes at a time.

The price is only $250.

[stephentayler]

This looks worth checking out. I've been using Virtual VTR for the last couple of years, which is very good and efficient, but it was expensive and requires a dedicated dongle... what copy protection does this use??

Cheers

Stephen

[bralston]

Stephen,

It is a very simple serial number with online activator (can also be done offline through their website). No dongle. It does know and tag your install to your machine's motherboard. But if it is needed to be moved for some reason, they can help you out very easily.

[stephentayler]

Thanks!!

Cheers

Stephen

[James Steele]

Hey Brian... thanks for stopping by and sharing this information!!

[zaratero]

Thanks for sharing.

[bralston]

Also...I have spoken with the developer about adding an overlay of streamers, pops and flutters and it is definitely on the list for updates. This is only the beginning for VideoSlave.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I wonder how DP8's new video features might make these things unnecessary?

[bralston]

There is still great benefit to having the video loaded outside of your DAW...not just for CPU reasons (especially since DP8 will harvest GPU to control video)...but also a VTR can have all reels loaded at once...and the time needed to change from one reel to another is instantaneous. If you play back files that span multiple reels, it will jump from one reel to the next instantly. It is also yet to be seen how DP handles different codecs...but VideoSlave will even decode specialized AVID codecsT is directly from avid sessions and will allow you to offset timecode coming in to match the one on screen if the QT is not encoded with timecode properly.

Having this setup on a separate system further streamlines DP in my opinion. Add to that future features I know is on the list to be added...and for only $250. Any post house should seriously consider it...and smaller project studios will benefit as well.

When DP8 comes out..I will have to test it against VideoSlave to see how it does.

[rpmusic]

bralston

Any chance of explaining your set up to the MacMini - how that is synced to DP, etc.

Would really appreciate it!

Thx

[bralston]

bralston

Any chance of explaining your set up to the MacMini - how that is synced to DP, etc.

Would really appreciate it!

Thx

Sure Rob. It is really simple. On the MacPro I have a built in OSX network MIDI port set up that will port over to the MacMini on the same network. In DP, you can set in the sync preferences to output MIDI timecode via that network MIDI port. On MacMini, select the same network MIDI port in VideoSlave to sync to MIDI timecode on that same network port. All of this can also be done via MusicLab's MIDI-over-LAN or even a hardware MIDI In/Out solution.

VideoSlave syncs in less than a second to that MIDI timecode and it is all done.

On the same MacMini I also run other Vritual instruments hosted in Plogue Bidule (with their MIDI channels coming in via other network MIDI ports) and it all just chugs along handling it all.

[flutemaker]

+1 on Video Slave..
Works flawlessly wirelessly. Leaves a huge performance boost on the DAW.

Thanks for the tip..

[williemyers]

Brian, how do you (or *can* you) do "Bounce to QT Movie" with this setup?

[dix]

Brian, how do you (or *can* you) do "Bounce to QT Movie" with this setup?

Right. And what about video-scrubbing, importing audio and streamers? These are all indispensable for me now. I used to run Virtual VTR back when I had a G5, but haven't felt the need to bother since I got my 8-core a few years ago. That is until DP8 showed up and broke video! …i'm back in solid ol' 7.24 until i or motu can figure out what's up. i can see that VideoSlave'd make sense for some, but there's nothing in dp8 that i wouldn't forgo to keep the advantages of keeping video on-board.

[PJ]

Even though DP8 runs fine with my new setup, I'm also interested this VideoSlave. Like dix I also like to know how video-scrubbing works with VideoSlave? It's quite important feature for me.