The latest VEGAS Pro 22 update adds some impressive new features

A raft of new features hit VEGAS Pro 22 including ARM64 support, Auto Normalize, Auto Ducking, Multicam Audio Sync, and a new AI Assistant for enhanced video editing.

A free update to VEGAS Pro 22 dropped last week and includes a tonne of new stuff.

Currently in beta is native support for ARM64. In collaboration with Microsoft and other partners, VEGAS has optimized its application for some NPU-enabled devices. Results have shown a 2x increase in speed and 8x reduction in energy consumption for AI features such as as Smart Mask.

Elsewhere we have Auto Normalize. This new video-event switch automatically recalculates the audio normalization for an event after that event is edited. VEGAS says that several different edits could trigger this recalculation, including slip and slide edits. The Auto Normalize switch makes it possible to edit audio events with the assurance that the normalization recalculates and updates based on the audio that remains so users don’t have to renormalize manually after each edit.

There’s also a new ability to automatically duck the volume of one or more tracks based upon the audio present in one or more other tracks. For example, when a narration track is set as an Auto Ducking Control track, this creates a new volume-automation envelope based upon the presence of audio on the track. Users can then establish a “listening” relationship between the control track and one or more other tracks that contain other audio, like music. On playback, the listener track’s volume reacts to the volume changes that the Auto Ducking Control envelope dictates. 

This can be used to create a hard duck to a specific level, or a sophisticated duck map that reacts to the varying volume peak levels of the control track.

Multicam Audio Sync now analyzes content and selects the best synchronization algorithm (general, voice, or music). This saves users a great deal of experimentation time and provides even more accurate results. File format compatibility has also been improved and now supports file formats like iPhone videos.

And, as you would probably expect in 2024, the new VEGAS Pro 22 update also includes an option for early access to the software’s newest Assistance with Intention feature called AI Assistant. But it’s perhaps a more measured approach to all things AI than many.

"With the video editing software industry rushing to implement AI features and capabilities, not all AI innovations are welcomed by the creator community,” states the company. “VEGAS Creative Software has taken a measured and intentional approach to integrating AI capabilities into its workflow. This mindful approach ensures that all AI features are designed to assist artists and content creators, to ease tedium in their workflows, and ultimately provide them complete control and creative freedom in their work. VEGAS Creative Software calls this approach Assistance with Intention and it is the guiding light while designing and implementing new AI features. 

AI Assistant is being developed in close cooperation with key hardware partner, Intel, and enables users to describe the video they want to create in a detailed chat prompt. The assistant asks clarifying questions to help refine ideas and the desired output. The assistant then searches for—and provides several options for—video media and music, creates a script for the video, turns the script into a natural-sounding narration file, gives users the ability to choose the media they want, and finally assembles a rough-cut storyboard on your VEGAS Pro timeline. Once the media is in place on the timeline, users can edit the project for timing, replace the placeholder media with their own footage and audio, or do anything else possible with the extensive VEGAS Pro feature set.

The VEGAS team is also eager to point out that AI Assistant operates primarily on the user’s local machine (although it accesses the VEGAS Hub cloud-based stock media library to gather appropriate media), which allows them to fully leverage the power of their hardware while keeping their data private at all times.

AI Assistant is designed to run best on Copilot+ PCs and video editing workstations with powerful GPUs that meet or exceed the following specifications:

• Operating system: Windows 11or10
• Storage: 20GB of available hard-disk space for installation
• CPU:
  • 13th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 or newer
  • AMD Ryzen 5 or newer
  • Recommended: 15th Generation Intel Core™ i7 with integrated NPU
• GPU:
  • Modern Graphics Card With min. 11 GB VRAM
  • Intel ARC 140V GPU with 16GB of shared memory (recommended)

Software pricing starts at $19.99 a month. More info here.

tl;dr

• VEGAS Pro 22 introduces new features like ARM64 support, Auto Normalize, Auto Ducking, Multicam Audio Sync, and an AI Assistant aimed at enhancing video editing efficiency.
• The Auto Normalize feature automatically recalculates audio normalization after edits, while Auto Ducking adjusts track volumes based on control tracks, improving audio editing workflow.
• The Multicam Audio Sync analyzes content for optimal synchronization, and the software now supports a wider range of file formats, including iPhone videos.
• The new AI Assistant helps users create videos by generating scripts and media suggestions, operates primarily on local machines for privacy, and is designed to run best on high-performance PCs.