FCP X – steady as she goes.

[Steve Connor]

I assume many of us here use FCPX every day and are very happy with it as well. Doesn’t make very interesting reading though.

Although I’m sure you’ll get at least one post pointing out you could do the same thing in Premiere Pro too 🙂

[Herb Sevush]

I’m spending my Sunday mowing the lawn, reading a book on my hammock as I watch the Hudson River flow by, and then getting ready for Yanks-BoSox, because I spent the previous week not working in FCPX and therefore don’t have to work on Sunday. (Just kidding Bill — sort of.)

Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
—————————
nothin\’ attached to nothin\’
\”Deciding the spine is the process of editing\” F. Bieberkopf

[Andy Field]

You could do the same thing in Premiere Pro (there you go…didn’t want to disappoint)

Andy Field
FieldVision Productions
N. Bethesda, Maryland 20852

[Bill Davis]

Sounds like a pleasant weekend, Herb.

Takes me about an hour to record, post, and deliver a 15-page AV Script formatted VO like this one.

So Weekend work is seriously no bother anymore.

Sure is different from all my “go to the studio full of engineers” days.

Now it’s a slim, small 12″ MacBook (cuz no fan noise!) for running X – an iPad for the script AND a live session FaceTime with the client (if requested.) – and a USB interface for the mic. The “VO recording stidio footprint” literally fits into a Manila envelope. It’s crazy.

(VO has come a LONG way, Baby!)

I now try to dedicate my VO earnings to fund “nice surprises” for my wife of 30 plus years – so spending weekend time on this sort of work always seems like one of the best investments I make.

And since this is part one of a 5 part series – I’m extra grateful to FCP X for making it easier to produce than it was for all the years I had to wrangle multiple digital signal processing tools.

Life’s too short.

Hope next week is awesome for you as well.

Take care.

Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery.

[Robert Withers]

What are auditions and X’s Logic modules for the signal processing? I’m curious about sound work in X.
Now working in Premiere.
Thanks,
Robert

Robert Withers

Independent/personal/avant-garde cinema, New York City

[Walter Soyka]

[Robert Withers] “What are auditions and X’s Logic modules for the signal processing?”

Auditions let you store multiple takes in the same timeline clip. This is especially powerful with the magnetic timeline, because if you switch takes within a clip and new timing is different, the timeline automatically reflows to accommodate it. As you might imagine, this is a really strong feature for cutting VO in FCPX. You can quickly mix and test (audition!) different takes to get the read just right.

FCPX has a set of filters from Apple’s Logic Pro X audio application available right inside FCPX. (This is pretty comparable to Premiere’s built-in audio effects.)

Walter Soyka
Designer & Mad Scientist at Keen Live [link]
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
@keenlive   |   RenderBreak [blog]   |   Profile [LinkedIn]

[Bill Davis]

[Walter Soyka] “FCPX has a set of filters from Apple’s Logic Pro X audio application available right inside FCPX. (This is pretty comparable to Premiere’s built-in audio effects.)”

Basically what Walter said.

In particular, the entire titling and graphics suite in X is just a connected subset of Apples Motion code – while the audio engine is based on Logic X – so X’s audio filters and effects are the same ones musicians working in Logic would use.

The thing that’s really unique about sound in X is the Roles sound asset targeting system.

Basically it lets you to assign metadata tags to audio information in your storylines that allow you to group like assets into classes – no matter where they reside on storyline levels, or as part of clip bundles – and when it’s time to export your work, this tagging system makes multiple audio stems and alt deliveries something you can setup – save – and re- use with what’s called a “share destination.”

Basically it’s a pretty new type of database driven audio export automation process for an NLE and still being developed.

The future of the system may hold things like capabilities to do basic database based mixing and effects at a clip level (speculatively) rather than needing to route audio signals through a virtual mixer – as it does with track based systems that still pretty much hold to the traditions borrowed from analog workflows.

The last big X update was pretty much focused on Roles expansion – nobody knows what any anticipated fall updates will include.

Hope that helps.

Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery.

[Oliver Peters]

[Bill Davis] “rather than needing to route audio signals through a virtual mixer – as it does with track based systems that still pretty much hold to the traditions borrowed from analog workflows.
“

Well… I’m not sure that this isn’t what’s happening. Although we are probably saying the same thing. By assigning audio roles, you are effectively creating a submaster routing path through a virtual mixer. It’s just that you aren’t working with a skeuomorphic mixer/fader user interface. So if you have various voices assigned as roles and want to add a “phone futz” EQ FX to one of the voices, the Roles mixer lets you accomplish that, without actually doing any track patching.

– Oliver

Oliver Peters – oliverpeters.com

[Simon Ubsdell]

[Bill Davis] “The future of the system may hold things like capabilities to do basic database based mixing and effects at a clip level (speculatively) rather than needing to route audio signals through a virtual mixer – as it does with track based systems that still pretty much hold to the traditions borrowed from analog workflows. “

This is what has long fascinated me about FCP X enthusiasts and Apple enthusiasts generally. They would like us to see imaginary future developments as current product benefits.

We have seen this time and time again.

In this particular area of audio mixing, we have yet to see Apple come up with anything approaching these grand plans but that has done nothing to stem the flow of romantic speculation.

Don’t get me wrong. I admire the enthusiasm. It’s the logic I can’t quite follow. In every other field, users wait for a product benefit to actually materialise before getting very, very exicted about it.

Simon Ubsdell
tokyo productions
hawaiki

[Andy Patterson]

[Bill Davis] “In particular, the entire titling and graphics suite in X is just a connected subset of Apples Motion code

As an editor I do not want to give up what Premiere Pro has to offer for what FCPX has to offer (or lacks) as far as creating titles are concerned but perhaps you can convince me other wise. Keep in mind you must use two programs to accomplish something Premiere Pro can do very easy. I can create masks and track mattes much easier in Premiere Pro than you could using both FCPX and Motion together. The FCPX/Motion connection is a tad bit over-hyped in my opinion. I am not saying everyone needs to use masks and mattes but I can also create and animate basic titles in Premiere Pro really easy. I should also add that I have FCPX (but not Motion) and 80% of the canned titles included in FCPX are a tad bit cheesy to say the least.

https://youtu.be/j_88Dqiia94