MEP2014Pro Preview Audio question (again)

brucehusker wrote on 4/7/2014, 4:02 AM

Hi Gang...I'm about to begin my next animated movie and was hoping to use 2014 this time. (Had to use 2013 for the last one) I just fired up 2014 to do a small video and to see if my particular complaint had been addressed yet. In short, I don't like the way 2014 handles the preview audio, compared to previous editions. I was assured that this was not the intended behavior and that it would be addressed in the first update. I've installed 2 updates since and no fix, so I can only conclude that this is indeed the way the programmers wish it to behave. My question is why, what am I not seeing? I will explain. My grandson had a soccer game in which he made a great defensive save and also scored a goal on a subsequent play. My son wanted me to put these 2 plays on Facebook to share with family. Not knowing where they occured exactly in the game, I loaded all of the games clips (m2ts files) into MEP 2014 and scrubbed through to find them. In order to scrub with sound and not have the marker take off on it's own and continue playing after I release the left mouse button, I need to select preview audio. If I want to then move a clip around on the timeline by grabbing it, I have to select mouse mode for single object. Then to continue scrubbing with audio, I have to reselect preview audio, and then to move an object again after cutting, back to mouse mode. To me and the way I like to edit, (which is how I've edited since I first began digital editing), this is maddening. 2014 is the first MEP version that requires all these extra mouse selections to achieve what used to be normal behavior. As I said, I was told that this was not the intended behavior and that it would be fixed in the first update. Since it hasn't been addresses in 2 updates, I can only assume that it is indeed the intended behavior now. So then I ask myself why? What is the advantage of changing it? What am I missing? What exactly are the programmers intending to achieve? Maybe I'm just being shortsighted and need someone to explain to me why all these extra mouse selections are a great new feature instead of a bug. So can some kind soul enlighten me. I'm going to have to use 2013 again for my next project or move on to a different editor, I guess if MEP no longer fits my needs. Any ideas? Regards...Bruce

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 4/7/2014, 3:13 PM

The easy way - no loading the mts files on to the timeline before selecting the parts you need..

With an empty timeline - set the Import pane to ensure that you can see the individual clips as shown below.

Click the play arrow (circled in red) - this will play the clip in the preview monitor and you can scrub through it if you wish.

Once you find the part you want position the preview monitor cursor at the start of the section you want and press the I key.

Move the cursor to the end of the section you want and press the O key

This sets In and Out points

Click the button (circled in yellow).

The selected protion of the video clip will be inserted onto the timeline at the position of the timeline cursor.

HTH

John

brucehusker wrote on 4/7/2014, 5:09 PM

Hey John...Thanks for the comeback. I suppose there are any number of ways I can change the way I edit, but I really like the way I've been doing it for 15 years now. My question has more to do with the reason for the change by the programmers in the way this part of MEP works, and if in fact, it's not going to change. Not that long ago this is what I was told...

"Hello all,

John asked me to get clarification on this and I can confirm that it has already been acknowledged as an issue - definitely not intended program behaviour. Not sure when it was first reported but it is already with development and I'm positive the required change will make it into the next update.

Cheers, Ralf"

We've had 2 updates since I received that and no change. I simply want to know if it's not going to change, and what the thinking was behind the decision to make this change. There may be any number of people who like the new way, and that's fine. I can easily move on to something else with no hard feelings, but I would like to know what the deal is, that's all.

Regards...Bruce

browj2 wrote on 4/7/2014, 7:37 PM

Hi Bruce,

In MEP2014 with mouse clicked for single object and scrubbing (long) set, I can scrub through the objects. When I stop scrubbing, the playback marker stops at wherever I stop but the play indicator line keeps playing. But, depending on the setting in Settings, Playback, Spacebar behavior, the spacebar either stops the playback and the indicator goes back to where I dropped the playback marker when I released the left mouse button, or it goes to wherever the playback indicator has moved to. This is an option in settings. I agree that it would be nice to have the indicator stop wherever the left mouse button is released, as it does when scrubbing is turned off, but this is only a minor irritation. I simply press the spacebar and the indicator goes to where I dropped the scrubbing so long as the Spacebar behavior setting is not on - no checkmark for Spacebar stops at current playback position. If this mode is checked, then I can understand that there would be a problem.

I am still in single object mouse mode. I can go and move objects around without having to click on the mousemode button again. Then I can go back to scrubbing with exactly the same setting. I don't have to click on scrubbing again.

As for Preview audio mode, which I don't use, the manual says that when in the Preview audio mode, objects cannot be moved or changed.

So rather than using Preview audio mode, why don't you simply do as I do and live with having to press on the spacebar? It saves having to go and change modes all of the time.

Do you have the Spacebar behavior setting on or off? Turn it off if it is on.

Frankly, I can't see that this would be a reason to drop MEP. Almost every program out there has its own problems and I don't see this as a problem.

brucehusker wrote on 4/8/2014, 3:02 AM

Hi Browj2...Thanks for your reply. I agree there are any number of workarounds for this particular irritant. My question remains, however, is this going to be the new normal for MEP and if so, what are the programmers trying to accomplish with this change. It effects me to varying degrees. If I'm just converting home video to DVD and Blu-Ray, which I do a lot, it hardly comes into play. If I'm building an animation or some sort of production, it bothers me greatly. It's the latter that most concerns me. And I always want to know what is going on in programmers minds. Are they like Microsoft for instance, and just deciding this is how it's going to be from now on, not because it's what users ask for, but because they want something to be different and so that's how it's going to be. To be fair, there are many wonderful features of MEP, and I've ben using it for years, through many versions. I'm going to have to contact Magix again and ask them, but I thought maybe somebody here who's connected with Magix might have the answers I seek. Thanks for your insights into your workaround though.

Regards...Bruce

brucehusker wrote on 4/14/2014, 6:49 PM

Hi Gang...I did indeed contact Magix support with my question/concern and here is their response...

Dear Mr. Berg,

Thank you for your message.

I am sorry, I have checked with Development and the fix is still being worked on.

--
Thank you for contacting Magix Support.

Best regards,
Nathan Uhl

MAGIX Software GmbH
Supportmanager

So there you have it. I responded that I would look forward to the fix and continue to use 2013 until the fix is released. They responed very quickly, I might add, so thanks for that.

Regards...Bruce