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The first thing to always try is to Quit FCP, Restart the Mac, Open your FCP project and try again.

Next:
THE FOLLOWING COMES FROM THE KEN STONE WEBSITE:
“Over 5,000 years ago Confucius wrote: ‘If you are toiling away, you have changed nothing and FCP heads South on you, [starts behaving in strange ways] then it is time to trash your FCP Preferences.’ ”

Click the following link for instructions.

https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/trashing_fcp_prefs.html

A great way to do this is to use “FCP Rescue” a free Apple Script that will Trash the Preferences for you (and restore nearly all of your user settings afterward).
There are versions for FCP (Pro) & FCE (Express) and a new one for FCP 5.

Download these free Apple Scripts at

https://fcprescue.andersholck.com/
or
https://pistolerapost2.com/fcprescue/

This is one FCP tip that has helped in solving hundreds of “odd” problems.

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3 or 4 seems about “the norm” but you can TRY as many as you like.

Each system is a bit different.

If you NEED more drives, it makes sense to add another FW CARD (with several ports) to handle them.

Another method is to only use a certain number of drives AT A TIME.

And only patch in the ones you need for a given project.

Keep in mind that FW drives are NOT officially SANCTIONED by Apple for use with FCP.
Thousands of editors USE them, but they are not “guaranteed” or even “expected” to perform up to full spec. like an INTERNAL drive.

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If the subject and overall shot are fairly static, export a typical freeze-frame into Photoshop and “COB” (Cut Out Background) the subject.

Create an alpha channel shaped like the background and re-import it back into FCP.

Use that shape to separate the subject so you can adjust that level independent of the background.

Use the “Color Corrector 3 Way” and the White, Mid, and Black LEVEL sliders (and others) to make the subject look as good as you can.

You can substitute a “similar-but-different” background.

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Make a copy of your Sequence (to keep the Master “clean”) and, on the copy just add the Timecode Print Filter.

Effects tab > Video Filters > Video > Timecode Print

You can choose TCG or TCR function.

You can NEST your COPY of the Sequence and the filter will show the TC beginning from the head of the Sequence.

Depending on your Sequence and your system, you may need to RENDER the effect.

Then output this to whatever format you like.

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[Curtis Savage] “The ibook only has Firewire 400. Is this fast enough for editing Mini DV footage?”

That’s what many editors have been using for years.

That said, FW External Drives are not actually “officially sanctioned” by Apple for use with FCP.

But, again, there are THOUSANDS of editors doing just that.

You MIGHT have some problems trying to connect both the FW drive and the DV camcorder or deck (daisy-chained) to the same FW port.
But some have no problems… you can see how your system works.

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Here’s an even bigger “hint”:

https://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301852

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[eyecamiam] “We have a couple of decent cameras and a couple of real cheap ones that do not have external mic input ports.”

[eyecamiam] “Is ATRAC a decent quality audio compression?”

Many shooters use MiniDisc as an audio acquisition medium (and MD is ATRAC encoded).
While there are various “generations” of ATRAC, for your purposes (and probably MOST purposes) it should be just fine.

That said… are your SURE your cheap Canons DON’T have a MIC INPUT?

Which model?

Canon (like Sony) seems to delight in finding ways to “hide and disguise” many jacks under nearly invisible flaps and covers.
I have seen many small inexpensive camcorders, and most have an external mic input.

Check the manual carefully
(Manuals can usually be downloaded on-line).
and do another “cavity-search” on the camcorders.

Finding and using an external mic input would save MUCH, MUCH time and trouble trying to “sync up” a dual-system audio track during the edit process.

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What editing system are you using?

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The first thing to always try is to Quit FCP, Restart the Mac, Open your FCP project and try again.

Next:
THE FOLLOWING COMES FROM THE KEN STONE WEBSITE:
“Over 5,000 years ago Confucius wrote: ‘If you are toiling away, you have changed nothing and FCP heads South on you, [starts behaving in strange ways] then it is time to trash your FCP Preferences.’ ”

Click the following link for instructions.

https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/trashing_fcp_prefs.html

A great way to do this is to use “FCP Rescue” a free Apple Script that will Trash the Preferences for you (and restore nearly all of your user settings afterward).
There are versions for FCP (Pro) & FCE (Express) and a new one for FCP 5.

Download these free Apple Scripts at

https://fcprescue.andersholck.com/
or
https://pistolerapost2.com/fcprescue/

This is one FCP tip that has helped in solving hundreds of “odd” problems.

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For Mac-

https://www.dvdxdv.com/
https://www.miraizon.com/products/products.html
https://www.alfanet.it/squared5/mpegstreamclip.html

You can find answers to most questions in seconds
with the “Search Posts” here on the COW.