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FCP X – steady as she goes.
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[Andrew Kimery] ” It’s not about old vs new. It’s about what’s good enough. I mean, CDs got clobbered by MP3, not SACD or DVD-A”
The history of media technology is to constantly be making things faster, cheaper, easier and almost as good.
Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
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nothin\’ attached to nothin\’
\”Deciding the spine is the process of editing\” F. Bieberkopf -
The interesting comparison is the iPad. There are a number of iPad software emulations of physical control surfaces. Tangent comes to mind. This is where you use the iPad as if it were a physical controller for color correction. I have yet to run into anyone that actually works this way. No tactile feedback.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters – oliverpeters.com
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[Andrew Kimery] “One of my main take aways from reading the “Innovator’s Dilemma” years ago is that existing tech is rarely eclipsed by better tech, it’s eroded away from the bottom by newer, inferior tech that’s less expensive but ‘good enough’ for some segment of the population. As the newer tech improves more people adopt it because the performance gap narrows while the price gap typically remains broad.”
All I’ll note is that I’ve had to visit my local Apple Store for Peripherals twice in the past month.
In both cases, while talking with store associates – I’ve watched them whip out their iPads and type in either search queries or notes on issues we’ve discussed.
In both cases, the 20 or 30 something associates have been able to enter textural information at a clip equal to or better to me as a 40 year pretty darn good touch typist.
My point is that if you only improve on the tech you’re most accustomed to using – it may be self-fulfilling that THAT will be what you see as a superior process.
PERHAPS – it’s only when you accept that the new touchscreen has the CAPABILITY of being close to or equal to that tactile input device – do you can begin to achieve equivalent mastery?
Just food for thought.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
[Oliver Peters] “No tactile feedback.”
Often it is touch screen software trying to emulate hardware that fails most. In a way I agree with Bill that just visually copying hardware that works is a bad move because it lacks the tactile and often the ability to do multi actions like real hardware.
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[Bill Davis]”PERHAPS – it’s only when you accept that the new touchscreen has the CAPABILITY of being close to or equal to that tactile input device – do you can begin to achieve equivalent mastery?”
Perhaps it is when you try both with an open mind that you will find which is better for you. I use a combination of all in various parts of my work and I’m always open to finding new ways to improve everything. Some hardware developments have been pretty amazing too. Touch screens for mixers and DAWs have been around for a long time as well and not compared favourably.
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[Michael Gissing] “I love your consistency Bill.”
Thanks! ????
[Michael Gissing] “Even when it sometimes takes a step backwards, you see the positive”
Well, people spent a full two years constantly telling me I was “taking a step backwards” by adopting FCP X. Yet, here I am, WAY WAY faster getting my work done than I’ve ever been before. It’s more fun and I’m WAY more efficient. You might not have had results like that. But I have. So it’s made an impression.
[Michael Gissing] “What pleases me the most when young editors watch me grade and mix is they drool over hardware controllers and how they work with software like Fairlight. The ah ha moment when they see what you can do with ten fingers on a mixer and how you can go for hours without calling the physio. “
I’m quite pleased for the one hundredth of the one percent of the video creation market that will continue to make their livings grading on Fairlight systems, then. Good for them. I hope they can continue to make a living long into the future.
[Michael Gissing] “I don’t expect you to understand there can be a better way that is not new. You can’t see it through your bias but I can and do accept when things improve and when they take a step backwards from all software and hardware vendors. Just don’t expect respect for your views when you have such a limited single vendor view of the word.”
No problem.
My “limited view” seems extremely widely shared all around the globe. So I think I’m going to be fine.
Sure there might be better ways that are not new. But I’ll continue to bet that with the massive amount of development money still being spent by ALL the technological companies working globally – that advances are not only possible – but common.
And what *I* don’t want – is to always presume that because I felt I had the best practice yesterday – that means that thing is necessarily going to remain the best practice going forward.
This is all colored, of course, by (in my opinion) so many “technological” people getting the gestalt of X so completely wrong for so very long. All that virtual acrimony and ink spilled by the clueless – bellowing that it was useless out of the gate – when in fact it was TREMENDOUSLY useful to me literally from day one.
So once burned / twice shy and all.
Good luck with your process.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
[Michael Gissing] “Perhaps it is when you try both with an open mind that you will find which is better for you. I use a combination of all in various parts of my work and I’m always open to finding new ways to improve everything. Some hardware developments have been pretty amazing too. Touch screens for mixers and DAWs have been around for a long time as well and not compared favourably.
“
It’s a valid point.
But I’m still concerned with the question of whether those Apple associates would have become the speed demons they often are using virtual keyboards on iPads – IF they had been allowed to stick with the keyboards they’d likely learned to type upon in high-school.
At some point, your mastery of a technology seems substantially tied to constant, evolving and improving experience with it.
It may be seductively attractive to opt to improve something you already have expertise in – rather than climb a new learning curve that MIGHT improve things more.
Maybe.
THAT is my central point here.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
Ah… I thought Quantel was reduced to just color. I see Rio is an editor as well.
I noted that eQ-iQ was gone, and I assumed that they were out of the editing game. -
[Bill Davis] “PERHAPS – it’s only when you accept that the new touchscreen has the CAPABILITY of being close to or equal to that tactile input device – do you can begin to achieve equivalent mastery?”
Why assume that someone hasn’t already put multiple technologies through their paces and come to a conclusion based on practical experience? For example, I had a Palm Pre w/a hardware keyboard for 2yrs and an iPhone with a software keyboard going on 6yrs. I certainly type on my smart phone today w-a-y more than I did in 2009, but as an overall experience I don’t think the soft keyboard is as good (ex. I could touch type on the Pre, symbols weren’t buried three layers deep, etc.,). Am I in the market for a phone w/a physical keyboard? Not really, because I’m fine with the soft keyboard since in my application it’s a difference that doesn’t really make a difference. It’s good enough.
Do I want the soft keyboard experience to be inferior? Of course not. An iPhone isn’t cheap and I certainly want it to be an all around better experience than the old phone that it replaced. If anything I should want to convince myself and others that the soft keyboard is marvelous compared to a hardware keyboard so I can help justify the purchase. But I just don’t think it is. Going with soft controls certainly has advantages, but it also has drawbacks as well. If I used a soft keyboard all day, everyday because I worked at the Apple Store I’m sure I’d get even faster with it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’d be faster than if I’d been using a hardware keyboard all day, everyday.
For a more germane example, I’ve colored with a KB/M, a KB/Wacom, with a small panel (Ripple) and with a larger panel (JL Copper Eclipse, Avid Artist Color) and once you get past the learning curve you just can’t beat a control panel as a primary interface device. I’ve only used the iOS app a tad so I’m going to refrain from speaking definitely about it, though if I had to take a guess I’d say it’s probably better than a KB/M, but below a hardware panel. The lack of tactical feedback and having to constantly take your eyes off the grading monitor so you can work the virtual panel are probably the two biggest short comings. But having to avert your eyes isn’t just a soft panel problem.
I’ve found that with Ripple I’m having to shuttle a lot between the Ripple, the keyboard and the mouse as I’m using Resolve and that interrupts my flow while grading. Having just the rings and balls is certainly better than using a mouse, but it’s not nearly as nice having more controls under your finger tips. I think I’d be happier with something like the Wave2 or the BM Micro, but when I bought the Ripple neither of those products existed (and I wasn’t super excited about the original Wave when I used it). Plus I don’t do very much intensive grading these days so it’s hard to justify the purchase price for something better.
I have been playing around with the Quadro iOS app though, and I think it could turn an phone/tablet into a neat companion HID. It will take some experimenting though to see where I can fit it in.
[Bill Davis] “And what *I* don’t want – is to always presume that because I felt I had the best practice yesterday – that means that thing is necessarily going to remain the best practice going forward.”
With that being said, it sounds like you’d be trying out a variety of different hardware and software on a regular basis but for the last 6yrs, and correct me if I’m mistaken, you’ve been in a monogamous relationship with FCP X on your MBP have you not? To Michael’s point, it sounds like you are fine to keep doing what you are doing until Apple makes its next move.
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[Bill Davis] “I’m still concerned with the question of whether those Apple associates would have become the speed demons they often are using virtual keyboards on iPads – IF they had been allowed to stick with the keyboards they’d likely learned to type upon in high-school.”
There is no chance, none, that a virtual glass keyboard can be used with the same efficiency as a dedicated keyboard. If it were so then people whose very livelihoods are based on their tactile efficiency would migrate there. But the opposite is true. Dedicated tactile keyboards, whether for audio mixing or piano playing, are the province of those who demand the highest efficiency in their work surfaces. It is amazing how fast some folks get with virtual keyboards, but the fact remains they would be even faster with dedicated ones.
the argument for virtual keyboards is the same as for most technological improvements – lighter, cheaper (and in the case of virtual keyboards) more flexible and ALMOST as good.
Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
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nothin’ attached to nothin’
“Deciding the spine is the process of editing” F. Bieberkopf
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