I had never heard of Humble Bundle. It sounds too good (too cheap) to be true.

I'm tempted, just because of the low price. I don't need the third party software/plug-ins.

(Actually, I don't need VPX. For what little I do, MEP is fine.)

I presume that one downloads the trial version of VPX11 and then is sent an Activation Code?

Does the "purchase" include the 1 year of patches/updates?

@pmikep

Hi Mike.

I got the package the last time around with no problems. All up front and working. VPX is much clunkier in use than MEP 2021 though. There are benefits I found though especially in colour correction work. So sometimes now my workflow is put the project together in MEP 2021 and then open the project in VPX later and do the image tweaking and save with a new name so I can still open the original project in 2021.

Ray.

When you say "the last time around," do you mean that these deals come and go?

As for Color Correction - well, I really stepped in to it when I shared my comments about the "need" for Color Correction over in the Davinci forum.

Except for occasional minor tweaks because I left the White Balance on my camera set for "Fluorescent,"I never use it.

@pmikep

On the website it says 'Back by consumer demand' so no idea 😁.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray

. . . .  There are benefits I found though especially in colour correction work. So sometimes now my workflow is put the project together in MEP 2021 and then open the project in VPX later and do the image tweaking and save with a new name so I can still open the original project in 2021 . . . .

Do be aware that if you use certain features/functions to make adjustments in VPX and then return to MEP for finishing off, those changes may be dropped or modified, you should get a warning, because those features do not exist, or do exist but not in the same form eg Brightness controls, as in VPX.

John EB

@johnebaker

Hi John.

That is why I give the VPX version a different name John. I know what is done in what is effectively a higher end version of the same program can't be replicated if transferred back. Actually it's worse than that if you try, often completely ruining the look of the clips that looked reasonably good anyway.

No, what I like about VPX is getting detail by lifting the shadow areas with much less noise and better gamma correction. Some of the plug-ins also seem to work better within VPX than MEP as well, with the art filter being a good example. I also like being able to use LAB colour and levels using the Alpha channel. All neat and useful.

No, I build structure to a project with MEP 2021 because it plays back more smoothly but then when that's finished I then worry or try to match the clips to look as similar as possible with VPX 11 as it has the extra control. Didn't cost me much (Humble Bundle) and that playback response at that point is not as critical.

It's if I want to rearrange the project at a later date or do a variation I keep the project ready for MEP use after. I often think later I could do a better job or present an aspect of it differently.

Ray.

Hi,

I don't use MEP for any projects other than as material for making tutorials about using it. That reminds, I have a couple that I need to finish up and publish.

I use VPX and don't find it clunky except on my laptop (Surface Pro 4). It has the tools that I use that are not in MEP, in particular, Source Monitor, measuring instruments, Project Temp Folder, extra tools in the track header (separate AV mutes).

Note that you get other stuff in the HumbleBundle - more Soundpools. Audio Studio 13 and Vegas Movie Studio 16 Platinum. If there are some that you don't want, give them to someone else who may spend money upgrading in the future. The components are only linked to whoever registers them with Magix.

Speaking of Soundpools, you can import loops directly into VPX/MEP if you need things like a drum beat, drum/cymbal hits, bass line but don't want to put together anything sophisticated in Music Maker or Samplitude.

17 days left.

John CB

@browj2

Hi John.

Aren't you using VPX12 or if not are you using VPX 11 with 4K content? VPX11 is not clunky with HD content but I don't do much of that. I'm sure VPX would run much better on my setup but may well wait for the next Humble bundle to include it in a year or two 😉.

You can have the activation codes for Acid Music Studio 11 if you like or Sound Forge Audio studio 14 as both do less than my DAW and seem like limited versions. The sound loops on offer after looking at it need an additional payment if you are interested in those and need the key which can be redeemed from Producer Planet. They have to be redeemed before the end of the month. The set is called Dream House if you want to look it up. The reason for the extra payment is it's only the commercial use set being offered. Everything else has expired.

Ray.

Hi Ray

. . . . That is why I give the VPX version a different name . . . .

Thanks for clarifying - as I read your post the project was doing a round trip which as you have found does cause issues.

I do like VPX for colour correcting as I can often use the method I used to teach in my Digital Photography classes - colour correction by numbers using the individual colour curves, however not having a colour dropper in the colour correction tools is the missing link in making the method much easier - there is a workaround however if involves one of the NB plugins to take measurements. The method is not suitable for every correction however where it can be used it is very effective.

If you have the book 'Professional Photoshop n' (where n = any version), The Classic Guide to Colour Correction by Dan Margulis the method is in there.

John EB

@johnebaker

Hi John.

My Photoshop book is Adobe Photoshop for photographers by Martin Evening. I'm not sure if I'm aware of the method and normally go by the neutral 30 % grey measurement but seems difficult to do with video content, possibly because I'm not dealing with raw footage.

The white point tool in the colour correction section is OK but what I miss from photo editing is zoning my colour correction for shadow areas where white balance tends to cool a lot. One thing that often annoys me watching outside broadcasts is seeing white shirts go blue under the armpits 😂.

What I have been impressed by is the amount of detail I can pull back from blown out white areas in VPX as well as the shadow areas.

Which NB plug-in are you referring to? Is it ColorFast?

Ray.

Aren't you using VPX12 or if not are you using VPX 11 with 4K content? VPX11 is not clunky with HD content but I don't do much of that. I'm sure VPX would run much better on my setup but may well wait for the next Humble bundle to include it in a year or two 😉.

You can have the activation codes for Acid Music Studio 11 if you like or Sound Forge Audio studio 14 as both do less than my DAW and seem like limited versions. The sound loops on offer after looking at it need an additional payment if you are interested in those and need the key which can be redeemed from Producer Planet. They have to be redeemed before the end of the month. The set is called Dream House if you want to look it up. The reason for the extra payment is it's only the commercial use set being offered. Everything else has expired.

Ray.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray,

Yes, I'm using VPX12. I was very reticent about upgrading from 11 as it worked very well on my old computer and I was worried that VPX12 may not perform as well, if at all. It has and I'm quite happy with it.

I'm planning on getting the HB VPX11 for my son, but I think that he needs a new computer first.

As for the other software, it's SF Audio Studio 13, not 14, a step up from 12. I use SF Audio Cleaning Lab and Samplitude Pro X3 Suite.

Acid comes with some loops that may be interesting. I have an older Pro version, don't use it either.

John CB

@browj2

Hi John.

My mistake it is Audio Studio 13.

Ray.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray

 what I miss from photo editing is zoning my colour correction for shadow areas where white balance tends to cool a lot.

Doesn't the 3 way colour correction in VPX cover that with the Highs, Middle and Lows colour wheels, coupled perhaps with the Foreground / Background isolation possible with the eye dropper selection?

@Scenestealer

Hi Peter.

My photo editing tools are much more precise than that with Capture NX 2 and Photoshop. I can change eye colours for instance. Not sure if that would even be possible without a specialist plugin on a moving image.

Ray.

@CubeAce

Hi

. . . . I'm not sure if I'm aware of the method and normally go by the neutral 30 % grey measurement but seems difficult to do with video content, possibly because I'm not dealing with raw footage. . . . .

That is 1/3 rd of the method - the one I am referring to also adjust the lows and highs as well as the mids - you ignore the actual colours completely they are automatically fixed as you can see below:

Not the best quality originals as this picture was taken about 30 years ago (about midnight local time - was one of the few days the sun never sets) and scanned from the original slides, however they do demonstrate the technique.

John EB

@johnebaker

Hi John.

I understand as there are no colour photo-sites, just the filters which is why when shooting and getting a custom white balance in a stills camera you don't have to take a reading from a grey area if you are in a hurry. (As I often was). You can easily see the blue channel saturation on your original in the way the light is bending around the branches of the trees in the sky sections although that could be down to diffraction to a certain extent. I like the way you brought out the evening glow again. Were you working from raw or jpeg?