New FCP to arrive this Spring!

[Chuck Purnell]

I would like to see 64 bit as well. I would like to see an update to all the transitions and video filters in the Effects tab too. I am sure they will add more editing codecs. With the rise of people using HDSLR cameras, I wonder if they will add support for them i.e. convert your files and ingest right into FCP instead of using Compressor or Mpeg Streamclip first.

Cre8tive Minds Entertainment, LLC

[Sam Cole]

. . . and wouldn’t it be just dandy if they improved their audio timelines by having routable audio channels into subgroups, naming conventions, layer filters etc. Hmmmmm would that be like merging STP within the FCP app?

Sam Cole
On line Mastering Facility
FCP, Avid, Adobe
Sydney, Australia

[Andrew Kimery]

[jon smitherton] “Mac Pro Server then.”
I think a Mac Pro Server is just a Mac Pro that comes w/OS X server. It doesn’t get any better than the 12-core machine right now.

-Andrew

3.2GHz 8-core, FCP 6.0.4, 10.5.5
Blackmagic Multibridge Eclipse (6.8.1)

[Jon Smitherton]

[Sam Cole] “routable audio channels into subgroups”

Yeah for those cheap progs where audio is done in FCP, chucking a compressor, EQ and limiter on a subgroup would be great!

Jon

[Sam Cole]

[jon smitherton] “for those cheap progs where audio is done in FCP”

I am not talking just for ‘cheap’ programs.
When we edit doco’s we always send our audio to Nuendo and mix it in a pro audio suite.
But our producers want to preview rough cuts with good ‘guide track’ audio mixes. When you have half dozen effects tracks and music etc that you have to ‘dip’ for narration it would be so much easier to dip a single m&e rather than each track individually. Thats my main use for the feature.

Sam Cole
On line Mastering Facility
FCP, Avid, Adobe
Sydney, Australia

[Michael Gissing]

Bussing (as sub grouping is known in the audio world) and channel based effects are very important features that hold back FCP as an audio tool. I would like to see them so editors can do better offline mixes without making a mess of their timelines for us audio post people. Classic problem is the lazy mix by splitting a clip, adding a short dissolve and then changing gain on the second half of the clip. When this arrives in the Fairlight via an OMF we end up with lots of clip splitting that is useless to us and has to be undone. The other problem is doubling up clips to add gain or because an editor can’t seem to get a mono clip panned to center.

So yes to improvements in how FCP handles basic audio. However, sub frame editing and sub frame effects like dissolves with variable curves are vital for proper audio post and I don’t expect that in FCP.

[Jon Smitherton]

[Sam Cole] ” I am not talking just for ‘cheap’ programs.”

Ahem, was meaning fast turnaround programs. I am a Pro Tools Engineer as well, but some clients don’t want to pay for my machine. Yup, be good also for audio ducking for narration to automate this process.

And yeah Michael, probably too much to ask for custom audio fades (please note +3dB option are for cross-fades, and 0dB option is for fade-in/outs), but FCP can do subframe editing:
https://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutpro/usermanual/index.html#chapter=43%26section=7%26tasks=true

Must admit I do use the split clip technique as it is very fast at mixing compared to those pesky rubber bands, but I always get rid of them before I spit out an OMF.

Jon

[Michael Gissing]

[jon smitherton] “but FCP can do subframe editing:”

I am talking about the ability to chose an edit point on any sample. FCP allows you to slip a clip sub frame in 1/100 ths (1/80 in PAL). This is not the same as placing the cut anywhere within a frame and creating crossfades that are not locked to frames.

When you edit with a real audio system like Fairlight and zoom in to individual samples and can jog at the sample level, you will know what I mean.

[Matt Lyon]

I don’t know if this has been mentioned on the board, but here’s a trick I like to do for these “good” producer preview mixes:

Lock your picture — creatively, that is; don’t lock your video tracks in FCP 🙂

duplicate your timeline

unlink all audio and video (but don’t destroy your stereo pairings)

select all the clips in all your dialog tracks (hopefully you’ve been keeping them organized!)

nest your selection

repeat for your SFX tracks and your music tracks

Now you have three pairs of stereo nests. You can easily add global filters to each, and it is much easier to do ducking.

That’s my “quick n’ dirty” version of bussing. I usually lay the compression pretty heavy on the dialog, so I don’t get notes about “illegible” dialog 🙂 You can also razor blade the nests for “per scene” treatments, like reverb, etc…

A similar effect could be achieved by exporting stems and bringing them into a new timeline, but you obviously lose the ability to “open the nest” and make tweaks.

Once your screening is done, open up your old copy of the timeline and start editing again!

As for adding more “pro” audio features to FCP, I have to say that I’m on the fence. Part of me thinks it would be really handy, but part of me thinks that it could lead to feature bloat and instability.

I really want a “convert cross dissolve or fade to rubber bands” tool, so I can turn those audio fades into keyframes.

Matt Lyon
Editor
Toronto

[Paul Jay]

Proper AudioUnit support with the proper visual representation of the plugins.
Background rendering.
Native MXF support.
Better Audio Mixer/Level
Soundtrack Pro completely integrated in FCP. Dump Soundtrack Pro Standalone.
Realtime Compositing ( blending options )