Video Editing Equipment: Choosing the Right Controller

Joe McCleskey
November 1998

As useful as they are, edit controllers can be confusing at times, especially when you're setting up an edit bay for the first time. For those who need a little help to configure a new edit bay or upgrade an existing one, this article will attempt to explain some of the ins and outs of purchasing a new edit controller. Along the way, we'll take a look at some of the edit controllers that are currently available on the consumer/prosumer market.

Before we get started, let's make an important distinction: when we refer to editors or edit controllers, we're talking about machines that control VCRs--linear, tape-based editing. We are not talking about nonlinear editing systems, which operate digitally on a computer's hard drive. Nonlinear editing is an entirely different ball of wax that we'll save for another article.
But just because an editing system is linear doesn't necessarily mean that a computer isn't involved in some way. In fact, many of the best low-budget edit controllers use a computer to manage editing tasks, such as Edit Decision Lists (EDLs), special effects, titling and CD-based music.
Before you purchase an edit controller, you need to make sure you have the right equipment to make it work properly. In order for an editor to take control of your VCRs, for example, you need to make sure your VCRs support the same types of editing protocols that the editor supports. If you want to control a titler or SEG from the editor, you'll have to make sure your titler or SEG has a GPI trigger or some other means of external control.
It's common for a novice home video editor to use a camcorder as the source deck and a VCR as the record deck. This is feasible only if your camcorder has a Control-L or Panasonic 5-pin (Control-M) edit control jack. This cuts-only configuration puts a little extra wear on your camcorder, but unless you're shooting and editing video every weekend, it is not likely to significantly tax your camera.

There are a few things to keep in mind when assembling a low-budget edit bay. Perhaps the most important is the compatibility issue mentioned above (make sure you have the right editing protocols available). Equally important is the presence or absence of some form of time code to increase the accuracy of your edits.
One of the easiest, least expensive ways to get into video editing is to purchase a simple stand-alone editor like Videonics' Thumbs Up! ($199). Designed specifically for beginning video editors, Thumbs Up! allows the user to edit by watching the tape and simply pressing the Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down button. This allows the editor to select and discard the desired shots with a minimum of effort. After selecting the footage you want to keep, you place the Thumbs Up! near your record VCR's infrared port with the camcorder connected via Control-L or Control-M; press the edit button, and all of your selected scenes will be copied onto the record tape. Though many videographers will quickly outgrow this simple device, it's an excellent introduction to editing.
For a considerably more powerful unit, Videonics' AB-1 Edit Suite ($699) fits the bill. The Edit Suite can control two source decks, a record deck, a titler and an SEG for true A/B-roll editing power. It also supports Control-L, Control-M, RS-232, infrared and Control-S protocols. Other features include a jog/shuttle controller, LCD display window and two GPI triggers.
For those who have a home computer that they'd like to use for video editing, there are several good low-cost items to choose from. Videonics' Video ToolKit 3.0 ($279),is a software/hardware product that can control up to seven devices, including VCRs, special effects generators and titlers. If you already own Videonics' MX-1 Digital Video Mixer, the Video ToolKit will give you the option of controlling all functions of the device directly from the computer screen. The Video ToolKit also performs the very useful function of controlling batch digitizing for nonlinear systems.
Pinnacle's Studio 400 ($199) takes control of a camcorder and home VCR via a home computer's parallel port; with the included Studio Mixer box, it's possible to capture still images, overlay titles and graphics, incorporate special effects, create real-time previews of editing decisions and automatically log the contents of a videotape.

Let's turn our attention to a higher quality level of video gear. As you begin matching your video production needs with a heftier dollar investment, you can expect a durable and reliable return on your investment. Initially the price tag may sting a little, but in the long run the investment will pay off: you will have less repairs, glitches and frustration at key moments in your production.
Panasonic offers a wide range of edit controller choices. On the prosumer level, the Panasonic AG-A350 edit controller ($1050) is a popular model that features time code support, player and recorder counter displays, a jog/shuttle, 9-pin RS-422 control, and preview, assemble and video/audio insert modes. It also supports control of variable-speed VCRs, such as those with digital slow motion features.
On the computer-based edit control front, there's TAO's Editizer ($1995). This popular A/B-roll edit controller has been around for a number of years. The Editizer consists of a software editing interface and a small hardware device that controls all of your editing equipment. Support for RS-232, RS-422, JVC 12-pin, Control-L, and Panasonic 5-pin is available, as well as GPI triggering and direct serial control of some SEGs. The Editizer is available in both PC and Mac versions.
Another popular computer-based edit controller is FutureVideo's V-Station 3300 VX ($795), a fully functional A/B-roll system that controls 3 decks, an SEG and a titler from a Windows software interface. Like most other computer-based edit controllers, the V-Station 3300VX makes use of both hardware and software to control decks and equipment. A small box that attaches to the computer can be configured for Control-L, Panasonic 5-pin, RS-232 and RS-422 support; GPI triggers control the SEG and/or titler. For full serial control of most prosumer-level SEGs, the V-Station 3300 Plus is available ($1195); this upgrade also includes a SMPTE time code reader and generator. Also available for the V-Station VX or Plus models is a jog/shuttle controller for $695.

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