CorelDraw Graphics Suite X5
Corel's updated graphics suite delivers real graphics prowess for novices and pro artists alike. We took it for a test drive.
t's hard living in the shadow of Godzilla. Just ask Corel, whose CorelDraw Graphics Suite has generated a loyal following, though it's always been overshadowed by the programs in Adobe's much more expensive Creative Suite. Still, Corel's flagship suite is staying in the game. CorelDraw Graphics Suite X5—the newest version, which includes applications for illustration, layout, photo editing, Web graphics, and animation—offers a bunch of improvements over the previous version. Some are merely catch-up features, while others provide added functionality that may be compelling enough to make seasoned users want to upgrade. And further features are intriguing enough that the non-faithful might want to take a closer look at this worthy contender.Corel, wisely, doesn't try to compete directly against Adobe Creative Suite, which is primarily marketed to creative professionals. Instead, CorelDraw Graphics Suite fits into the niche between the hobbyist/consumer and the professional artist. Corel aims at users who are designers and serious graphics users, involved in creating production projects or ad/marketing material.On our tests, we found CorelDraw X5 an uneven upgrade, with the negatives mostly related to new additions, in particular CorelConnect, the new content browser. On the other hand, the two flagship programs, CorelDraw and Corel Photo-Paint, are stronger than ever, delivering greater precision, refined accessibility, and helpful guidance for both beginners and experienced users.
Avid Pro Tools 9 DAW Software Review
Pro Tools 9 is the latest version of Avid's industry-standard digital audio workstation software. This new update effectively replaces Pro Tools LE by building off of the success of the 2008 Pro Tools 8 update.
What's New in Avid Pro Tools 9
With Pro Tools 8 LE, Avid focused on improving music creation and audio production by way of a completely overhauled graphic user interface, the long-awaited addition of full MIDI implementation and a newly bundled suite of virtual instruments and plug-ins. With Pro Tools 9, Avid continues this trend of enhancing the creative process by rounding out the back end of the Pro Tools DAW with more tracks and busses, interface flexibility and many other workflow improvements.
Top Features of the New Pro Tools 9 DAW
Avid has finally made Pro Tools 9 hardware independent and thus compatible with third-party Core Audio- and ASIO-compatible audio interfaces. This feature offers increased flexibility for Pro Tool users who prefer operating non-Avid/Digidesign audio interfaces. These third-party interfaces quite often cost less and offer better A/D conversion and I/O options than are found on MBox or 003 devices. Furthermore, Pro Tools 9 works with built-in sound cards – a huge plus for mobile musicians and audio engineers. The only caveat here is that Pro Tools 9 requires an iLok or iLok2 device to be installed while using the software.
CorelDraw Graphics Suite X5
Corel's updated graphics suite delivers real graphics prowess for novices and pro artists alike. We took it for a test drive.
t's hard living in the shadow of Godzilla. Just ask Corel, whose CorelDraw Graphics Suite has generated a loyal following, though it's always been overshadowed by the programs in Adobe's much more expensive Creative Suite. Still, Corel's flagship suite is staying in the game. CorelDraw Graphics Suite X5—the newest version, which includes applications for illustration, layout, photo editing, Web graphics, and animation—offers a bunch of improvements over the previous version. Some are merely catch-up features, while others provide added functionality that may be compelling enough to make seasoned users want to upgrade. And further features are intriguing enough that the non-faithful might want to take a closer look at this worthy contender.Corel, wisely, doesn't try to compete directly against Adobe Creative Suite, which is primarily marketed to creative professionals. Instead, CorelDraw Graphics Suite fits into the niche between the hobbyist/consumer and the professional artist. Corel aims at users who are designers and serious graphics users, involved in creating production projects or ad/marketing material.
On our tests, we found CorelDraw X5 an uneven upgrade, with the negatives mostly related to new additions, in particular CorelConnect, the new content browser. On the other hand, the two flagship programs, CorelDraw and Corel Photo-Paint, are stronger than ever, delivering greater precision, refined accessibility, and helpful guidance for both beginners and experienced users.
Pro Tools 9 is the latest version of Avid's industry-standard digital audio workstation software. This new update effectively replaces Pro Tools LE by building off of the success of the 2008 Pro Tools 8 update.Virtual DJ v7.0 PRO
With effects, samples, and transitions that rival vinyl turntablisms, Virtual DJ lets anyone produce polished MP3 mixes.
At the top of the graphically-intense interface, song-structure visualizations show the beats as the music plays. Two simulated turntables play the currently- loaded tracks. Windows below the turntables show samples, effects, music search, recording, program options, and an Explorer-style interface for loading music. You'll need to download an MP3 encoder if you don't want to record files in WAV format.
Virtual DJ not only can create audio collages, but it now also can make montages of video clips. The stylish interface and high number of features score points, but learning how to use the program is a hit-or-miss proposition. Fortunately, the program offers a thorough user guide. Virtual DJ is well worth a look both for aspiring mixers and newbies.
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Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended
Earlier this year,Adobe released its biggest Creative Suite update yet. The new nucleus of the package, Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended, does not disappoint when it comes to new features for video content producers. The first thing you’ll notice when you boot the program up is the speed at which everything works. If you’ve invested in a dual- or quad-core machine and spent coin on gigabytes of RAM, Photoshop can now seamlessly take advantage of the full power of your hardware. If you are running a 64-bit OS—either Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Mac OS X—Photoshop now processes tasks at up to 10 times normal speed. You’ll notice in the preferences there is a RAM slider to set up how much RAM Photoshop can use, and unlike previous versions, you can now use as much RAM as you have in your machine. Previously, I could only use a few gigs, but now with CS5, I can allocate 20GB.
The 3D feature set continues to evolve and expand, the options getting more compelling with each new update. If you are not using the 3D options in Photoshop Extended, you are missing a huge number of powerful tools. Adobe Repoussé is a new feature included that makes creating 3D text, artwork, logos, layer masks, or images a snap to create.
First, you add in some text, for example, and then choose Repoussé from the 3D menu. Your view immediately switches to 3D space and your text is extruded, as a interface box pops up with tons of options. You can use different bevel presets; alter the materials on any side; adjust the extrude, shear, warp, and bend; add custom lighting; and much more. Rendering is fast, and results look professional.
All this power is only one menu item in a 3D pulldown with dozens of menu items. Photoshop Extended started as a way to paint and tweak existing 3D content (perfect for fields like game design) but CS5 moves it into the realm of creating photorealistic 3D logos and objects completely from scratch from within the program.
Photoshop CS5 Extended also includes a complete animation system with audio support. You can paint over time, onion skin, import/export frames in just about any format, and work on touchups on a frame-by-frame basis. Adding 3D into the mix, you can animate depth of field, perform full keyframe movement effects, add shadows, ray trace objects to look like chrome and mirrors, move colored lights and gels around, and much more.
The unfortunate downside is there is a whole learning curve separate from the normal Photoshop workflow. The fact that this may prevent you from even diving into 3D is something Adobe is surely aware of, and the current 3D tools seem much more accessible and user-friendly. In fact, it is far quicker now to get an animated logo sequence up and running in a few minutes in CS5 as opposed to earlier versions. Plus the 64-bit engine now renders everything super fast.
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