Incite's designers set out to create a great broadcast editor. It looks to me like they have succeeded toward that goal.

Three years ago, Matrox decided to get out of the software business. That was when it sold off a nascent nonlinear editing application, Incite. The budding editing software found a new home in Switzerland, and there it remains today -- a uniquely original package that seems like it's written by and for seasoned video editors.

[Click for Larger Image] Incite's Media Assistant has three independent converters (AVI, QT, and RM), a conversion server, and two Make Movie applications.

In some ways, the software clings to its Matrox roots. Underneath the hood is a choice of Matrox hardware, including DigiSuite LE, DigiSuite LX and DigiSuite. If you're not interested in using Matrox hardware, you'll have to look elsewhere because that's all that Incite is able to use. But that's a good thing. Matrox's time-tested hardware devices bring stability and efficient real-time operation to Incite, and give former linear editors a comfortable combination of both linear, tape-based editing and hard disk-based cutting. That's right -- you don't have to leave your old friends behind, those trusty Betacam tape decks that almost everybody still uses at one time or another. This hybrid system gives editors a delightfully designed system that encompasses the best of both worlds.

[Click for Larger Image] Media Logging allows direct control over input source for both video and audio. All information including Proc Amps, Audio Gain and Video Quality, and Tracks Captured is saved per clip instead of globally. This means each clip can have different settings in each of these catagories, and if you need to go back to re-batch capture, Incite remembers all of the settings for you.

Teamwork
Throughout the interface, there are design touches that pave the way for a new type of editing software that allows groups of editors to work together on the same project. For instance, Incite makes it easy for one team to work on graphics while the other grabs numerous clips off many videotape machines, while still other team members are finishing that same footage and adding real time effects.

A hallmark of the software is that it lets you work your way, with a number of ways to do anything you want to do. For those who want to use a mouse, there is a row of icons from which to select. For those more comfortable with a physical In and Out button with shuttle control, the system supports the JLCooper controller so you can have that familiar, hands-on feel. But by far the most efficient method for editing with Incite is with its key combinations. Rarely have I seen an editing interface that works faster than this one. In our testing, I witnessed an expert Incite demonstrator, Jared Harrelson, simply flying around the clips, adding to this one and clipping from that, all while using nothing but the keyboard. To acquire this kind of speed, Harrelson recommends the special keyboard that's made exclusively for Incite, with all the key combinations marked. It's an extremely high-quality unit that, although expensive at $150, is well worth the extra investment.

Next: Mousing Around

 

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