What's New in Sony Vegas Pro 9?

EventDV by David McKnight

By the time you read this, Vegas Pro 9 will be readily available for download and purchase. As I write this, it’s shortly after NAB, where version 9 was announced and demoed, and a couple of weeks before Sony made it available to the public. I’m not a beta tester, but I’ve just been given the latest build to do a “What’s New” article for EventDV, and, of course, the deadline looms large … so here we go!

I can say this right up front: Vegas Pro 9 addresses some long-standing issues raised in the Vegas user community. It also steps out in front of the pack of other NLEs with cutting-edge features and support for the newest formats. To me, the biggest advantages of this release are the total support of 64-bit technology and 4K acquisition and editing. All specifications and new features are described here. But I do want to take a moment and discuss some of the enhancements that are most relevant to videographers.

First Things First
The first thing most users are likely to notice and comment on is the new interface and color scheme (below). It’s darker. Some might say “big deal,” but the userbase has actually been asking for a darker color scheme for some time. Some folks have noted that, compared to Avid, Premiere Pro, or Final Cut Pro, the Vegas interface looks “unprofessional.” Some say that this new dark gray UI is optimal for doing critical color grading and is better for long editing sessions in a darkened room. read more...