Summary:
Serious Magic’s DV Rack handles all the typical signal
monitoring functions of studio test gear, while packing in a variety of
handy production features. Using a "virtual instrument" metaphor, it
recreates the look and functionality of a studio color monitor, a
waveform monitor, a vector scope and a direct-to-hard-disk recorder.
Target Users:
Field and studio DV videographers
What It Costs You:
$495 MSRP
What’s Cool:
Easy to use video signal monitoring; direct-to-hard-drive DV recorder
What’s Missing:
Only works with DV signals; hard drive recording requires separate PCMCIA FireWire card on laptops
RATINGS: Products are rated for features, performance, ease of use and overall value from LAME, OK, SOLID, SWEET to HOT.
Specs
Microsoft Windows XP or 2000; 1.4 GHz or faster processor; 256 MB RAM,
CD-ROM Drive; standard FireWire/IEEE-1394 input; 20 MB of hard drive
space for software installation and 180 MB per minute of recorded
digital video; 32 MB AGP graphics card with 3D acceleration (64 MB
recommended). nVIDIA GeForce or ATI Radeon classcard recommended.
ommended).
Serious Magic’s DV Rack is an elegant software package that handles all
the typical signal monitoring functions of studio test gear, while
packing in a variety of handy production features. Using the "virtual
instrument" metaphor that is popular in many software emulation
packages, DV Rack recreates the look and feel of a studio color
monitor, a waveform monitor, a vectorscope and even a
direct-to-hard-disk recorder. While not without a few flaws, DV Rack is
an impressive production tool for the DV videographer.
Set Up and Go
Setting up DV Rack is a snap—just load in the software, plug your DV
camera into an available FireWire port, and boot up the software.
Inside you’ll find a virtual equipment rack, which you can add in just
the tools that you need. The default Professional Monitor has a number
of great features, including controls to tune your LCD monitor to more
accurately reproduce color, freeze images and correct for 16:9 aspect
ratios. Amateur shooters can get up and running quickly with the Quick
Setup system that uses included charts and a four-step setup mode.
I really liked the fact that the monitor shows the DV native
signal — you’ll see exactly what the image will look like when recorded
onto DV tape, DV artifacts and all. Both the waveform monitor and
vectorscope have all the standard features, and during my tests, they
performed just as well as their hardware counterparts. DV Rack also
offers a very nice audio spectrum analyzer, which is a boon for
identifying problem sounds while at the shoot.
Enhancement, Not Replacement
Without a doubt, one of DV Rack’s most impressive features is its
built-in video recorder. With just one click you can record a video
signal straight to your computer hard drive, in one of several formats
that is compatible with most NLE systems, including QuickTime, AVI,
Canopus and Matrox DV formats. The only glitch with the system is that
if you record video using DV Rack on a laptop, you’ll need to buy a
separate PCMCIA FireWire adapter to record video onto an external hard
drive.
This is an impressive product, but should be thought of as an
enhancement, not a replacement, of regular studio test gear. The
software is only set up to handle the 4:1:1 DV color space via
FireWire, so you won’t be able to hook up other cameras using their
analog outputs. I will say, though, that Serious Magic has done an
impressive job of demystifying video test gear. If you don’t have the
money to spend on traditional video test equipment, then DV Rack is a
great investment.
