Pyramix competency test?

[charlienyc]

Hi,
I'm continually looking for interns familiar with Pyramix, since the learning curve is so steep. Taking four weeks out of a six week internship to teach an intern the software isn't the best use of anyone's time. Does anyone have a basic competency test?
Cheers,
-Charlie

[fl]

I would think that setting up a Source-Destination editing project from scratch, and then performing one or more edits would test anyone's mettle.

[DJS]

I find SD project setup and editing easy now thanks to you Frank. I find automation, setting up a complex mixer with many busses and monitoring the most challenging now.

[charlienyc]

I would think that setting up a Source-Destination editing project from scratch, and then performing one or more edits would test anyone's mettle.

Good idea. Thanks!

[DJS]

I'm continually looking for interns familiar with Pyramix, since the learning curve is so steep.

One wonders how they will obtain familiarity if not during an internship?

[Graemme]

In addition to FL's S/D project recommendation, I'd have someone demonstrate that they understand the mixer and it's separation from the timeline (e.g. mixer strips are not just re-drawn EDL tracks, mixers can be shared, etc.)

For some workflows: Do they know about the ASIO Bridge? I use it daily and I need any assistant here to know how to use and troubleshoot it.

They don't have to know it right away, either: Their willingness to learn (and not whine about how it doesn't work like 'X') is perhaps much more important in the grand scheme of things.

[DJS]

... I'd have someone demonstrate that they understand the mixer and it's separation from the timeline (e.g. mixer strips are not just re-drawn EDL tracks, mixers can be shared, etc.)

I was confused by this when I first used Pyramix, because I started only opening multichannel WAV files from my Nagra recorder. How each ISO track mapped to timeline lanes and mixer strips confused me, ie. no hardware inputs. I always thought it would be good if each track/channel of a multichannel WAV could be treated like a hardware input.

[Graemme]

Once learned, I've appreciated the flexibility of the mixer - and the learning curve is a small price to pay ;->

I am still completely unimpressed and annoyed at the poor VST implementation in Pyramix - basically I've given up on it and have integrated WaveLab or Reaper in to my workflow when I'm using a lot of plug-ins. Hence, my comment about ASIO-Bridge; it's an elegant 'workaround' for the lame VST implementation, allowing the use of multiple ASIO clients with Pyramix' mixer at the hub - an utterly brilliant feature.

... I'd have someone demonstrate that they understand the mixer and it's separation from the timeline (e.g. mixer strips are not just re-drawn EDL tracks, mixers can be shared, etc.)

I was confused by this when I first used Pyramix, because I started only opening multichannel WAV files from my Nagra recorder. How each ISO track mapped to timeline lanes and mixer strips confused me, ie. no hardware inputs. I always thought it would be good if each track/channel of a multichannel WAV could be treated like a hardware input.

[charlienyc]

I haven't used the ASIO bridge successfully but did try to get it working with RX via RX Connect. After too much time spent I gave up and setup RX to play out via USB and manually switch inputs on my monitoring controller. It's only cumbersome when there are many fixes to be made. Anyway I'd fail the ASIO Bridge test

Thanks for the edit - mixer link suggestion in any case.

One wonders how they will obtain familiarity if not during an internship?

There's a difference between basic competency and familiarity. My issue is this: Spending an entire internship teaching/learning a piece of software the intern may or may not ever use again is probably not a productive use of anyone's time. If it were in widespread use this could be a different story. However at least in the States there is not a large user base; most engineers haven't even heard of Pyramix outside classical / orchestral music circles. I hope this is different elsewhere in the world.