However, if you like the idea of being able to tap your finger to a piece of media on your timeline, drag it a few frames over neighboring media, and having a dissolve automatically created upon letting go, then you might have a lot of fun with Catalyst.
If you are a fan of keyboard shortcuts, Catalyst’s point-and-click style might take some getting used to, and this simplicity makes the software best suited for mediums other than scripted feature films. In fact, Sony released an upgraded version of the software in November 2015 (titled Catalyst Prepare 2015.1 and Catalyst Edit 2015.1), which features 4K and RAW support, expanded editing tools, FX plug-in support and an even simpler interface.Īdvertised as “focused” and “fast,” Catalyst is so streamlined that it can be used on touch-screen devices (absolutely impossible with the other NLEs mentioned above). Each component of the suite, Catalyst Prepare and Catalyst Edit, is designed to be as simplified as possible, not folded into one another, as Michael Bryant, Sony Creative Software’s Director of Marketing, announced at NAB 2015. Sony’s Catalyst Production Suite bucks this trend.