Old project on shared computer: audio always needs rendering

Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

Old project on shared computer: audio always needs rendering

Posted by Soraya Anwar on October 17, 2011 at 12:26 am

Hello,
I am a total beginner at FCP and I basically know how to use just what I need to make very basic videos. I am on a shared computer and I think this is causing a lot of problems.

1. Offline material

I was working on a project and everyting was fine, and then a few months ago some other people started using FCP on the same computer for their projects and now whenever I open my project I get a message saying a whole bunch of my files are offline. I AM 1000% sure I DID NOT MOVE my files around, and neither have they, they’re on an external drive.
I’m not sure it’s related to the offline thing, but the audio always needs rendering whenever I open these old sequences. If i copy a clip from one sequence and paste it on to another, I have to render it again, or I’ll have no audio… When I originally imported these videos I didn’t have to render them.

2. The viewer and canvas are set for video from a different camera. The canvas shows an image way smaller surrounded by black and in proportions that have nothing to do with my videos. For example, the frames in the canvas are widescreen and my videos are not.

So what I figure is that the other users changed settings/properties/not sure how they’re called in final cut so that whenever it’s opened, these “settings” are applied… Is there a way way I can just choose some option everytime I start FCP so that I would have my own custom settings for audio and video without changing everything for the other users?

thanks so much to anyone for any help

Soraya

Chris Tompkins replied 14 years, 10 months ago 3 Members · 5 Replies
5 Replies

Henry Smenry
October 17, 2011 at 9:27 am

1) First tip is to not use mp3 audio. Use quicktime to convert all your audio files to WAV or AIFF.
The thing with re-rendering is that FCP can’t find “Scratch disk” (scratch disk includes”Audio Render” folder.) I think most of the OFFLINE clips are actually some render material, not actual media. So every time you open FCP, check your Scratch disk location. (its in the menu FINAL CUT PRO – SYSTEM SETTINGS)

2) Viewer shows video in native resolution. Canvas uses sequence settings for playback. So just match the sequence settings to the footage you are using. (these settings will be used while exporting as well). Easiest way to do it (if you are using FCP7) it to make new sequence and when you drag a clip to timeline. Then you see a message appearing on a screen asking “if you want to match sequence settings to clip settings”. By clicking yes FCP will do it automatically. But you can do it manually as well, by doing right click on sequence on browser tab.
Chris Tompkins
October 17, 2011 at 1:51 pm

Your audio files settings do not match your sequence settings. This will cause the need for rendering, not the best way to work.

Take all the audio files and convert them with Soundtrack pro or Quicktime or compressor and create them to spec:L

48k
stereo or mono
16 bit
.aif

no more problem.

Make sure the footage always has 48k, 16 bit from the camera to avoid this issue in the future.

Chris Tompkins
Video Atlanta LLC
Soraya Anwar
October 18, 2011 at 3:27 am

thanks to both posters for the help. i will try your suggestions when i go back to work

So
Soraya Anwar
October 19, 2011 at 1:51 am

Henry you were right my audio render files were in my colleagues’ folder. I don’t know how it got there, I had the computer to myself for a while, my colleagues only created a folder for their project around a month ago, my project is way older and everything worked fine until they came along. So I copied the folder in my external hard drive and then in the FCP settings I changed the audio render location to my external hard drive but I still have all my audio unrendered (except for the sequences I rendered recently). I’m not using mp3s so I don’t think that’s the problem with my sound.

Chris, You’re right that my audio settings do not match my sequence settings, I got a message regarding that and I didn’t know how to fix it. I’m not sure how to “take them” to convert them on Soundtrack Pro quickly. Is it really faster than just rendering them? I didn’t mention all my sound’s from the video, not sound files I imported separately (I’m a grad student working on archives, nothing artistic), and I am absolutely positive I did not have this problem before others started using FCP so I wonder wouldn’t it be easier to change my sequence settings to match my audio files settings? (I’m not sure if this makes sense…)

thanks a bunch
Chris Tompkins
October 19, 2011 at 12:35 pm

Instead of STP, open compressor.
Import the sound files that are not optimized for FCP.
Use the audio preset:

See pic

Then click on settings and change to best:
see pic

Then import newly created files back into FCP.

You can you copy and paste if need be for the clips in the sequence already.

Chris Tompkins
Video Atlanta LLC

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