[Andrew Swarbrick]

Thank you for the clarification on this matter. Good to know I am not losing my marbles
A

Andrew Swarbrick (BA Hons Film & Photography)
Off-line and On-line Editor

[Andrew Swarbrick]

Further Update

Just to let you know I have plugged the BMUSE into a 27″ IMAC, last years model, running OSX 10.10.5, FCP X 10.2.2. I only had access to a thunderbolt LACIE Drive. But again pro res 422 optimised clips into FCP X. All settings correct. SAME PLAYBACK ISSUE. Also latest Desktop Video 10.5

So It cannot be the mac hardware as that is two macs tested

It cannot be the Blackmagic Box as hardware as it wouldn’t work smoothly with DaVinci Resolve 12 and BM Media Express.

It can only be some sort of bug in the driver that affects FCP X and the mac, somehow it makes the box incorrectly buffer the run up for the first 24-40ish frames of playback. As if the box/or its pipeline with the mac cannot handle the sudden stop start of editing. As this is the issue, not long playback, but the stop start nature of editing.

Audio is not affected.

As I stated yesterday I have a faulty Ultrastudio 4K lying around the studio that had an embedded audio issue, however it does not stutter on picture playback at all! It may well be that the guts of the Ultrastudio 4K as it has to process a 4K signal is better at handling 1080??

Andrew Swarbrick (BA Hons Film & Photography)
Off-line and On-line Editor

[Andrew Swarbrick]

I have checked that APP Nap is off, background rendering is off. It makes no odds. I have also the GUI set up to use the least amount of processing power in relation to height of timeline clips etc. As I have said without BMUSE FCP X runs fine. As soon as the AV output is enabled the picture takes a second to catch up. Audio seems unaffected.

Andrew Swarbrick (BA Hons Film & Photography)
Off-line and On-line Editor

[Andrew Swarbrick]

HI Craig and Bret,

I am about to respond to Blackmagic having run some tests.Below is the main body of the email:-

Okay here are my findings regards the dropped frames

1. Media Express software does not drop frames at all

2. FCP X has been set up as Pro Rez 422 Render to match optimised clips, 48 KHZ sound

3. Audio in System preferences has been set to Blackmagic. It plays out via the BMUSE and shows on my PPMS via XLRS out of BMUSE and also as Embedded audio via HD SDI into my JVC grading monitor VU Meters. I have two speakers connected to the JVC grading monitor which provide the monitoring sound output, to remove latency as much as possible. I have not enabled AV Output, so there is no picture on my grading monitor. NO DROPPED FRAMES AT ALL SMOOTH

4. With AV Output on so we have a picture enabled it drops frames immediately. With the warning on it stops immediately. With it off you are looking at about 1 to 2 seconds before it runs to speed. It either stutters or is a freeze frame, then bang it start to run. This makes reviewing cuts less than ideal unless you build in a decent run up. Once up to speed it runs fine

5. Reset of SMC and PRAM makes no difference

I am going to send BM UK a screen recording of the dropped frames to see what they say. I have this feeling that they will say it is within tolerance. If it is I am unimpressed. In the days of digibeta, when I had a BM SD SDI Decklink card to capture digibeta and monitor playback on a CRT grading monitor it never stuttered in FCP Studio. Sighhhhhh!

Andrew Swarbrick (BA Hons Film & Photography)
Off-line and On-line Editor

[Andrew Swarbrick]

I am using the latest Desktop Video 10.5 which is I assume the driver for ultrastudio??

Andrew Swarbrick (BA Hons Film & Photography)
Off-line and On-line Editor

[Andrew Swarbrick]

I have had some more feedback from Blackmagic, so when I some downtime in the suite on Monday, I will run through somethings they suggest and let you know how I got on. I would say there is something in FCP X as it wouldn’t work in resolve if it was hardware. I will start a new project and set it up exactly as the PDF section for setting up a FCP X project describes in ultrastudio. Maybe it is a render and timeline clip mismatch. Maybe not. As ever thanks for your response Brett>
A

Andrew Swarbrick (BA Hons Film & Photography)
Off-line and On-line Editor

[Andrew Swarbrick]

Hi Brett,

Thanks again for the reply! I wish that it was as easy as my stupidity as then I could get this resolved!!! As far as I know everything is all lined up as it should be. 1080p 25 timeline, Pro Rez 422 or Pro Res 422 HQ if using BMPPC. Sometimes transcoded (or optimised internally), sometimes not. Video desktop set to HD SDI 1080P 25 and embedded audio 1080P 25. My monitor acknowledges the input.
Everything matches across the board. The issue is not that FCP X doesn’t work, it just drops frames immediately and if you have the warning box on, then naturally the playback stops. If not it struggles on until it either updates from a still frame or runs up to speed, which takes a few seconds. once ‘up to speed’ to use the sold 35mm film term it runs smoothly, perfect. It scrubs ok and advances one frame at a time okay. It just cannot play ‘without running up to speed’. It takes a second, maybe two to overcome the drop frame issue. This of course is no good for editing. I am away from the edit suite for a few days due to school things, but will look into it again on Monday. As I said if I was a noob then ok, but as an experienced editor who has been using FCP since its inception and the old SD SDI Decklink cards, I cannot understand what the issue is. V odd, especially as you say that Davinci Resolve 12 has inferior playback!

Blackmagic contacted me via email today so we begin the long process to, not sure what the issue is.

A

Andrew Swarbrick (BA Hons Film & Photography)
Off-line and On-line Editor

[Andrew Swarbrick]

Hi Brett,

Thanks for your reply. No i am afraid the video desktop app and the fcp x timeline and av output in prefs all match 1080p 25. The issue is with dropped frames 8 out of every 10 times i playback,stop,start etc. The grading monitor also displays the input as 1080p 25. It also does it regardless of whether 422 pro rez or prorez hq. The box definately trips up fcpx and im not sure why. It cannot be a fault as resolve 12 is flawless with the same setting or relative settings

A

Andrew Swarbrick (BA Hons Film & Photography)
Off-line and On-line Editor

[Andrew Swarbrick]

I don’t mind FCP X and I think the update has helped iron out quite a few issues. Obviously if you need EDLS then it is not ideal, though XML’s work fine in round tripping to DaVinci Resolve 12. I am working on a high end Mac Pro Guinness Can. I will say that Blackmagic Ultra Express box does not like FCP X. Or is it the other way round? FCP X drops frames immediately upon source or record playback, regardless of GUI or file type and quality (inc performance playback). Turn off AV Output and it flies. DaVinci 12 however works like a charm.

Andrew

Andrew Swarbrick (BA Hons Film & Photography)
Off-line and On-line Editor