Adrenaline HD vs. FCP – Don’t want advice, just comparisons

[Walter Biscardi]

I’m working in a situation right now where a show is being cut for SD broadcast on an Adrenaline and then I’m conforming the show for HD on my FCP / Kona 2 system. It’s working great with the Automatic Duck plug-in allowing me to open the entire AVID project right in FCP.

The two interfaces are just different and AVID’s on board hardware does give you some realtime features that you won’t get in FCP. Really, it doesn’t matter what anyone on this or any forum says. You just need to get a local VAR to allow you to sit down and try out the two systems. Your budget and workflow will really determine what system will fill your needs. You’ll most likely also find that one interface better suits how you like to work.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Mark Raudonis]

You say you don’t want any advice… so I won’t give you any. I will tell you to do your own homework. Anything you hear on either this or the Avid board is going to be colored by personal opinion. Test both systems yourself. Form your own opinon. Oops. That’s advice.

mark

[Les Kaye]

Thanks Walter.

[Les Kaye]

Thanks Mark, we are doing our homework, but we are looking for real world daily workflow experiences. Since you have reality experience, can you offer your opinions on the Pros and Cons of both systems?

Walter’s response here, and Michael’s on the Avid COW forum, are precisely the kind of feedback that I’m looking for.

[Zman]

I work on both every day, here’s my +/- list for both,

avid + fast render time, thats about the only plus it has for me.

avid – it crashes a lot, it has a tendency to dump all your media (adrenaline thing), it’s still the same old interface and the same old edit tool (nothing new), if you loose something it can be a mess finding it (thats a PC thing really), has slow responce time (you can do something and it’s like the computer has to catch up) and the most important you are a slave to avid. avid is very expensive, to be honest I believe in a few years they will be all but dead. avid over all is a very clunky edit tool, it’s years behind the times, they did the adrenaline / DV thing to stay with FCP, but the AHD is like 30 – 40 grand with the HD box, for me adrenaline HD today is not a wise investment in a changing world, a year ago ok but not now.

FCP + is that it’s more of a graphic tool than a stand alone edit, anything you can do on an avid can be done multiple ways in FCP, with motion and shake and livetype if you can work them all or at least some makes this system a killer. we have an Xraid for the 4 FCP’s and they scream, (on avid we have 6 on unity and we are still trying to recoupe the cash for it). FCP is much smoother over all, granted if you learn FCP correctly (many people are not well versed on FCP) you are deadly. more people are using FCP, at least in LA they are so that must say something.

FCP – there are a few, the media management tool it sucks. avid kills them here. and the renders not staying around when you do some simple track movement is a real pain. maybe they will address some of this stuff in 5, but over all for my money and time FCP is the way to go.

in the 2 years we have had both systems the avid has been seeing less and less work. we charge the same for both systems, fcp is new and exciting and more creative people are jumping on it.

What are you doing with either system, commercials, features, TV sitcoms, reality show, web stuff? I do commercials, and now and again a music video, but if you have ever worked in a commercial editorial house you will know there is no BS, it’s all about being creative and billing. and these days FCP is out billing and out creating avid, in my place that is.

[Martin Baker]

I have several friends who work on Adrenaline and the only positive thing I hear from them is that it renders really fast. Apart from that it’s the same old Avid frustrations such as ange has described (oh and more crashes than the older Avid Meridien systems).

When the NAB announcements are out, it might become a very easy decision for you to make as it was for us when deciding to switch from Avid to FCP after NAB 2003.

Martin
Digital Heaven, London UK
________________________________________
Ten Final Cut Plug-ins for just $10 each
Multicam Lite – The first multicam solution for FCP