[Ben Balser]

I don’t do Surround Sound mixes, but a quick search through the surround sound section of the user manual may be a good start.

https://support.apple.com/guide/compressor/audio-channel-layouts-cpsrc49c594f/4.8/mac/13.5

support.apple.com

Audio channel layouts in Compressor

Most audio presets in Compressor provide mono and stereo channel configurations; some (like QuickTime Movie and Dolby Digital) provide more options.

[Ben Balser]

Create a replicator of your object/image, keyframe it over time to spread backwards and grow.

[Ben Balser]

FYI, I use Roxio Toast on the rare occasion I need an optical disc and find it easy to use with great quality results.

Avid is still super expensive, I’d not touch it.

DaVincie Resolve is the way to go now, very affordable.

Yes, FCPX has really fallen behind and isn’t getting as much love. Seems every update introduces things specific to other Apple hardware (iPhones/iPads) only. I doubt we’ll see any of the things other NLEs do that Apple doesn’t. Personally, I’m slowly switching things over to Resolve as my work allows me to. And just to be interesting…

FCPX macOS cost $300 for 10 years of use.

FCPX iPadOS* cost $490 for 10 years of use.

Davinci Resolve Studio macOS costs $300 for 10 years of use.

Davinci Resolve Studio iPad costs $95 for 10 years of use.

Avid Media Composer* costs $2500.99 for 10 years.

Premier Pro* costs $2,638.08 for 10 years of use.

*Based on annual subscription rate for single app.

[Ben Balser]

Greg Ball, don’t upgrade for a month. Let those of us who think we’re brave, or are just dimwits (such as myself) find the bugs first. LOL!

But if you wanted to try it out, go to your Applications folder, right-click FCP, and choose Compress File. Then backup any Library you want to test with to a separate drive. Finally, upgrade to 10.8 and knock yourself out (figuratively, literally for some of us). If you run into too many problems, trash FCP 10.8 and your updated Libraries, double-click the zip file of FCP 10.7.1, copy your original 10.7.1 Libraries back, and you’re safe.

[Ben Balser]

Roxio Toast is still a viable option for optical disk burning. I know a bunch of folks still use them, and FCP’s disc tools were very limited and flimsy anyway.

[Ben Balser]

Oh man, having grown up in the 60s & 70s that takes me back. I’ve not seen that done in ages. I’ll search around for a tutorial somewhere. Maybe drop Ripple Training for Final Cut Bro a line and maybe one of them will do a tutorial.

[Ben Balser]

IMHO, compared to what other NLE “major updates” look like, and what FCPX updates used to look like, I was expecting more. Of the 26 bullet points there, only 10 are new features. But, yeah, they have to get it up to speed for the VisionPro. I don’t think we’ll ever see a proper audio mixer or consolidation function.

[Ben Balser]

I’m retied TV producer, but we used to use (and I still do on jobs I take here and there) an iPhone 14 Pro Max or later. Shoot ProRes RAW. Fantastic low light, and I’d put that footage up against any other camera in low light. I’m also a musician and have shot many, many night time and indoor concerts.

[Ben Balser]

What does the YouTube/Google/Android ecosystem have to do with Apple? They have never focused on that ecosystem before.

[Ben Balser]

Apple never did and never will be a broadcast hardware developer. Apple has partnered with other companies before, there not being ‘forced’ to do anything. There’s zero evidence of that. They’ve always had a very close relationship with BMD. Remember that when FCPX was first shown at NAB (I was there and filmed it), they said it was a DSLR model, you buy the camera body, then go to third parties for lenses, lights, etc. They’re still using that model today.

Remember that Apple said the workflow was the BMD camera (no one else is making one like it presently), Resolve, and Compressor. Which is odd that Compressor, which has been stagnant for decades, is suddenly the vehicle to encode the VisionPro video format.

As for a slow death to FCP, explain that. FCP never developed as fast as other NLEs, nor in the same direction as other NLEs. It is a whole different paradigm.vFinal Cut Pro on macOS isn’t going anywhere any time soon, as Apple said a few months ago they have a long term roadmap for it, so no worries there. And the past few updates had some significant new features. Not a lot, but some powerful ones.

Some very reliable “forecasters” I’ll call them, predict we’ll see an FCP 11 by end of the year, and it will be a significant upgrade. 10.8 will be coming soon with AI features. Apple has already announced a few, but not all of them. Why put that much development time and money into a product they planned to drop?

We won’t know anything until the new version is released. And I’d wait until the end of the year before reading doom and gloom into anything. There’s no solid evidence for any doom and gloom.

Wait for 10.8, then for 11 by year’s end.

Apple does have their own AI model, and will be integrating it more and more as it develops. ChatGPT is readily available, Apple is not paying OpenAI any money. They’ve use this model before in the past. So what smacks of desperation? What specific evidence is there of that? The most valuable company on the planet has nothing to be desperate about.

They’re super open about their privacy policies, more so than any other company, and are better at it than any other company. I’m not worried, I see no evidence do cause worry.