[Craig Alan]

Step 1, reenter where you want the media, render files, and FC backups kept using the first dialog box that opened.

Step 2, consolidate media to that same folder (drive) – highlight the library, then in the inspector info tab, you’ll see the consolidate button. If you are saving everything to the library, that’s the default option.

Step 2, reimport all your original media from wherever you are saving the media.

If it is a permissions issue, select the drive that is no long granting permission, then get info (command-I) , unlike the lock at the bottom right, and see if you have read-write permission. Including all enclosed folders If you do, then repair permissions.

Most of the time if I get this error, a re-import will solve the problem. And I just reimport everything. FC will only update missing stuff and it will do it much faster than the time it took to do it the first time. I find it less hit or miss than trying to use ” re-link files,”

Are you sharing the drive/media with another editor?

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Craig Alan]

Thanks, that is exactly what I hope to be able to use. Don’t mind round tripping if something is truly a mess. But in this series, at least, that will be rare. I do get asked if I can fix things on other projects.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Craig Alan]

Thanks again. i’m in.

That said third party software is often left behind. i like Black Magic products, but their drivers are often out of date. it seems. where as really old printers from Brother and HP still work fine with a 2015 Mac. I will most likely never buy an epson printer again. When I moved to OS X, I had an expensive inkjet photo printer from them that did not get a driver update until it was too late for me. Moved to a Canon.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Craig Alan]

Thanks Ronny. My primary need is to filter out a consistent background noise – air through vent noise – that occurs on some days in the studio. Though all the thermostats are turned off for the shoot, air will still blow through the ducts. Some days. The voices are recorded clearly at good levels. When using the background noise removal in FCP X, I find it distorts the quality voices before I’m happy with the degree of removal. I’ve been told by audio tech’s that they are really happy with Isotope RX, thus the mention of it in this article about using FC really caught my attention. And if it can be used in FC rather than round tripping would make it even sweeter.

My only concern using third party apps is wondering if they will remain updated as Apple updates the OS and FC.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Craig Alan]

Personally, I’d like them to keep the X but pronounce it “EX”
“FCPX (ten) 10.2.3” is ridiculous.
They should have called it FCP 8.__.__ , FCP 9.___.___ …
(or even FC 8 as in it’s not just for pros)
and gotten rid of the OS X (ten) cats and mountains which were/are insanely stupid. Nick names for the developers are fine but years later who remembers the order these cats came out?
Wouldn’t it be nice if the OS had been OS10, OS11, OS12 …

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Craig Alan]

Hi Lance,

Great article!

“Using Izotope RX4 directly inside FCPX I dug into the dialog and cleaned every shot the first week.”

I’ve had my eye on Isotope RX4 to do some cleaning up of audio on a short-form series I’m working on.

I wrote Isotope support about using it within FCP X (as plug in?)

Here was their response:

“Yes! You may insert some RX modules as realtime plugins in FCPX. However, expect to have much latency and CPU spikes with Final Cut.”

I’m using El Capitan latest update. FCP X latest update.
iMac i7 2015.
AMD Radeon R9 M395X
32 GB 1867 MHz DDR3

So how exactly are you using Izotope RX4 directly inside FCPX?

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Craig Alan]

Can’t imagine what the point is of LED backlight on a TV monitor. I could see the monitor becoming a framed piece off art display or slide show when its not being used but shining distracting lights around it is weird.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Craig Alan]

The 302 is also better in many other ways other than the extra xlr input . For starters it has a more powerful preamp. On the mixpre I often had to turn it up to max.
They are both relatively quiet even turned up. But maxing out an amp will always add some noise.
The mixpre can be used in post as an audio interface so you can do voiceovers using a good xlr mike >usb into computer and does have the option to mount underneath a small camera (+ $100 accessory and only a one screw hole for quick release tripod plate so it tends to move from side to side).

I spoke to Sound Devices about the lack of power and they said they were aware of it and it is a concern that they have gotten a lot of feed back from end users. I think this is more significant on dynamics than when providing phantom.

I think for production the 302 is a very good investment that will last a long time.
If you are shooting with a camcorder that has poor audio with only a mini plug the mixpre is a step up but you’d be better off with an audio recorder than trying to improve a crappy recorder. You can also use the mixpre with an audio recorder. Modern NLEs sync sound very well and easily unless you are doing long continuous recordings.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Craig Alan]

Like photographers who wait for the magic hour and trees and cloud coverage to filter the light, wait for times when the wind dies down. and find locations on-board where/when there is less wind.

shoot all angles on the boat and places you visit to use as backgrounds in case you need to green screen shots back home.

Blimp systems rycote brand.

keep boom parallel to wind and facing in same direction that wind is coming from so that the wind hits the back of the mike, not front. Choose a boom with highly directional pick-up pattern. find something to block wind from reaching the mike. but don’t create a hazard doing so. rearrange things that are making loud sound because the on-coming wind is hitting them. wind sound that acts as Foley is needed to capture the atmosphere of a boat. A lot of the dialog can be done with ADR. Particularly easy if the dialog is coming from the person not facing the camera. OSS shots lets the audience know who is talking with the camera on the expression of the listener.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Craig Alan]

Everything Ty says is spot on. I have learned more about audio from him than any other source. Quite frankly, read about audio and you are often overwhelmed by tech jargon that is often the kind that if you understand it, you wouldn’t need it in the first place. If you can afford one pro on an independent shoot, hire an audio tech with their own gear. Sound is the hardest craft on a basic level and ruins more shots and more productions when you don’t get it right.

That said, I am often a one man band. I have gotten decent sound on short form films where the talent is in a fixed location. You also need to train your talent in certain basics. No audio tech can correct for a talent that unpredictably raises/lowers their voice suddenly or turns their head away from the mike. And if you are shooting an interview where the talent stays in a fixed location and you are not doing a lot of camera movement: you can adjust your focus, angle, exposure levels; then calibrate your camera to your mixer (both devices are designed to do this); set your levels for each voice; then monitor the audio throughout the interview. Way easier as you gain experience. Better if you had an experienced audio tech to do it for you, but doable just the same. Floating a boom pole over a fixed location talent can work also and again not as well as having a skilled boom pole operator who aims at the talent’s mouth and monitors the sound to adjust to the voice characteristics of the speaker.

One tip you might try is to give the interviewer a series of unrelated questions and do a practice interview so you can learn the voice levels and characteristics of your talent. For some you might need to leave more headroom than others and determine how close you can get to the talent’s mouth. Room characteristics is a major variable as well.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.