Edit Suite: The Ins and Outs of Edit Controllers

At one time or another, we all have faced a stack of tapes--from last year's vacation, for example--and no way to edit them. Your friends grimace at the thought of one more night of watching vacation videos in your living room. They remember the popcorn turning stale, and minutes seeming like hours, as they watched footage of the dashboard of your car.

What you need is an edit controller that can help you cut out all of the boring, shaky and otherwise nasty shots that we all have a tendency to capture on tape.

You may already be editing your tapes using the tried-and-true method of using your camcorder, VCR and quick fingers on the pause, play and record buttons. Often when using this method, you spend more time worrying about whether you are hitting the buttons on time and spend little time and energy on the creative part of the editing process. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could unleash this creativity and turn those vacation videos into wonderful experiences for your audience to enjoy?

With an edit controller, you can concentrate more on the artistic side of the editing process and let the controller handle the technical side.

If you want to achieve this freedom of expression, then this article is for you. We'll walk you through the basics of edit controllers, and what to look for when shopping for one. We'll also introduce you to the world of stand-alone versus computer-based edit controllers.

Edit controllers come in many shapes and sizes, and can even reside in your home computer. However, they all have some basic functions that you need to understand to be able to use them effectively.

When you edit, you play your tape on one VCR or camcorder and record it on another. The play tape is called a source tape. It is the "source" of all of the shots that you will eventually edit to the record tape, more commonly called the "master" tape. You will often have more than one source tape.

The edit controller controls the source and record decks of your system. It cues both decks to shuttle and pause your tapes, and it controls their play and record functions. This allows you to concentrate on making your edit decisions.

The technology that allows your edit controller to take charge of your VCRs and/or camcorders is called an edit-control protocol. The controller "talks" to your VCR or camcorder using this special electronic language. Edit control protocols vary greatly depending on the manufacturer of the VCR or camcorder; some examples include Control-L (LANC), Panasonic 5-pin and RS-422. You must find out what protocol your VCR or camcorder uses and buy an edit controller that supports that protocol.

While watching your source tapes, you need to decide which parts you will keep and which should end up on the cutting-room floor. Once you make that decision, you have to decide in what order the "keepers" should appear on the master tape.

Here's where the edit controller really comes in handy. With it, you can choose fairly precise edit points. These points are: the in point, where the "keeper" footage will start, and the out point, where it will end. In the old two-VCR method, the in point is where you hit the record button and the out point is where you hit the stop or pause button. With an edit controller, you don't need to sit poised over your machines and hit buttons.

When you preview the edit performed by the controller, you may find that it didn't happen exactly the way you wanted. But don't panic. Many edit controllers have trim controls that allow you to move the edit points forward or backward slightly to accommodate the minor differences in VCR and camcorder transport mechanisms.

If you want to go back and change something several edits later, a number of edit controllers have memories that maintain the edit points you used in previous edits.

One other feature found on some edits controllers is the ability to trigger video mixers, titlers and special effects generators. They do this using one or more general-purpose interface (GPI) or serial connections.

Five years ago, if you were looking for an edit controller, you probably would need a heavy wallet and would be looking at a stand-alone model. Now, a growing number of stand-alone models are available for under $1000, and a new breed of computer-based edit controllers are available for even less. Keep in mind that any system you buy needs to be compatible with your existing equipment, and you'll need at least a good monitor or television and a VHS record deck.

Although stand-alone edit controllers still represent a major part of the video-editor market, the computer-based editors are quickly gaining ground. If you don't own a computer, take heart. Prices for cutting-edge Pentium and Power Macintosh systems have dropped below the $1500 point. If this is still too rich for your budget, you'll be glad to know that most computer-based edit controllers work on older systems that you can purchase for under $500.

There are very compelling reasons to investigate computer-controlled editors. They are easily upgradeable and usually cost a good deal less than comparable stand-alone edit controllers. Another important consideration is the computer itself. With a computer, you can keep edit logs, print tape labels, create inventory files, write your scripts and even develop your video hobby into a sound business.

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