Capturing in FCP 5.1 for Editing in 4.5

[Andrew Fraser]

Steve,
I am currently experiencing the same problem as the original poster. Our Director offered the services of a volunteer “Asst. Editor” with a FCP 4.5 system (G4 tower) to log and file into bins all clips for final edit by Editor using 5.1 system. I protested, but not too strenuously

1. Captured (DVCPro HD)using 5.0.x (Dual 2.0GB G5 PowerMac)
2. Copied footage to G-Force external hard drive.
3. Asst. Editor started working.
4. Director peered over shoulder and noticed only single track of audio.
5. Barrage of phone calls to me to fix/reassure/investigate.

I checked the original captures and saw multiple audio tracks on many files.

So I just want to get my story straight.

Is the one track of audio issue due to FCP 4.5, or Quicktime 6, or both?
Furthermore, Is it correct to assume that the Asst. Editor CAN continue to log clips and file into bins and that when the Editor mounts the hard drive and opens/converts the FCP 4.5 file with FCP 5.1, the Editor will be able to see the separated audio tracks in all the neatly organized folders.

Andrew Fraser
Austin, TX
Editor/Producer/PM

[Steve Cohen]

I really can’t answer that. We never looked into it that deeply, the editor that was cutting on 4.5 nust wound up redigitizing the clips.

I believe it is a FCP issue.

Maybe I’m not following your issue.

What you are doing is the opposite of the original poster and my situations.

You are logging in 4.5 and editing in 5.1. That should be fine. the problem seems to be capturing in 5 or newer and then taking the media only into 4.5.

FCP is not able to open a newr project on an older system (IE started on 5 or 5.1 and then go to 4.5)

We had a deadline so management suggested that I (FCP 5) digitize the media to save the other editor (FCP 4.5) so time I did and he just omported the media into a ne timeline on 4.5. It turned out not to save any time becuase he had to redigitize.

Going from 4.5 to 5.1 should not have any problems.

Steve Cohen
Senoir Editor
O2 Media Inc.

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Fraser1025] ” Quicktime 6″

There was a major overhaul to quicktime between 6 and 7 and a lot of it had to do with audio pertaining to FCP. Quicktime 6 only captured two channels of audio, qt7 will allow 99 or something crazy.

Upgrading a 4.5 file with FCP SHOULD work, but might not be prefect, especially if quicktime 6 was used to capture the files. The best way is to log in whatever version you want, then send an XML to the ‘final’ version of FCP. This will ensure compatibility.

Jeremy

[Andrew Fraser]

(Thanks for the info re: QT6 v. QT7.)

Hypothesis: Upon opening (a copy of) a FCP 4.5 project file (in which all the audio tracks are mixed down to 1 track) with FCP 5.1, I should see separated audio tracks in all their glory.

Given: DVC Pro HD footage originally captured using FCP 5.0.4,
AND Asst. Editor is using FCP4.5 w/ QT6.

Procedure:
1. Mount external work Hard Disk.
2. Copy 4.5 project file to 5.1 system.
3. Open and convert FCP4.5 file with FCP5.1
4. Reconnect offline files, if necessary
5. Open new HD 24p sequence with 1V,4A.
6. Drag clip into sequence.
7. Examine timeline for multiple audio tracks.

My FCP system isn’t too complicated. I’ll dismount all other scratch disks and set up my preferences to point to the external “work Hard Disk.” Anything else I’m missing?

Regards,
Andrew Fraser
Austin, TX
“learning more about FCP every day”

[Jeremy Garchow]

Yeah, I am confused. You say the project is originally captured in 5.0.4, but logged and captured in 4.5 and then opened in 5.1?

If I understand your experiment, it SHOULD work, but there might be some pitfalls. Be prepared to recapture.

Jeremy