Upgrading PluralEyes 2 to version 3. Worth it?

 

When shooting with a DSLR camera, and recording dual-system sound, Red Giant’s PluralEyes has been a godsend. Period. We couldn’t even consider working without this awesome plugin. Version 3 has been out for a while. Will upgrading to PluralEyes 3 make us more efficient? Or should we just stick with our trusted friend a bit longer? Let’s go over the differences between the two versions and decide.

PluralEyes upgrade features:

• Faster Audio/Video Sync  – Version 3 is up to 20x faster than Plural Eyes 2.
• New User Interface and Timeline – Watch the sync occur in real time and identify problems right away.
• Quality control – New Two-Up View and Snap to Sync, along with a visual timeline for testing and adjusting your audio.
• New PluralEyes stand-alone app – Red Giant’s integration of a standalone PluralEyes application takes audio/video syncing out of the non-linear editing software.
• All Hosts and OS’s for One Price – Previously, you purchased PluralEyes by host app. When you purchase PluralEyes 3, you get it for ALL host applications supported by PE3 – not just one.
  

How much?

Red Giant is on our “white” list of companies providing decent customer service, good technical support, and very good educational content for their products. Their prices, and upgrade/update policies are also fair:

• If you never owned PluralEyes or DualEyes you pay $199.

• If you are a student, faculty, non-profit organization or religious institution you can get most applications 50% off. The Academic version of PluralEyes goes for $99.

• If you own any version of PluralEyes 2 or DualEyes, upgrading will cost you $79. Keep in mind that you will need your original Singular Software license key to upgrade.

• If you already own PluralEyes 3.0 or 3.1 you get version 3.2 as a free update.
 

Conclusion:

Is the PluralEyes upgrade to version 3 worth $79? For us, no.
PluralEyes version 2 works really well with our Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 workflow, and is quite fast already. However, upgrading really depends on your specific situation, and the workflow you are comfortable with. If you are using Final Cut X or Premiere Pro CC, both have built-in audio sync features, but we have heard many complains about reliability. If you are still syncing audio manually, most of the time the software can do it faster and more efficiently. The standalone app supports a broad range of filmmaking workflows. The PluralEyes plugin allows compatibility with non-linear editing tools such as Sony Vegas 10-12, Avid Media Composer 5.5-6.5, and Adobe Premiere Pro CS5-CS6. For the full list of cameras, file formats and codecs supported, check out more info HERE.

Below is a tutorial on the PluralEyes workflow. It shows the stand alone application for MAC, but it is very similar to the Windows workflow. Got more questions? Here’s the FAQ. Nervous about making the leap to video? Book a private consulting session today.