[John Davidson]

In avid there is a way to make that fade to color apply to all layers simultaneously, although I forget how it’s done (maybe applying fade to color on an empty layer above?).

i’m still on my first manual, so maybe volume 2 or 3 has it in there….

[John Davidson]

I’m still learning, so i’ll try these tips. I’m sure there’s a way to do it, I just haven’t found it in the manuals yet. It is a little weird to not be able to select more than one video track at a time to insert, even if there isn’t a source track to input (avid just inserts blank space), however, that feature on Avid has screwed edits so many times unintentionally, that if it isn’t supported in FCP maybe it’s a good thing.
j

[John Davidson]

Hi,

I’m in the same boat as you are right now. Currently I offlne on Xpress/SDConnect at home and online in a symphony at a post house nearby. There are alot of chest beaters out there for both systems, but what really matters to you is the $. So, let me answer your question as a potential client and then as a business owner.

1. As a client, I, and none of the other producers at Disney, ABC Family, TNT, FX, CNN, and any other network I have worked for have used Final Cut Pro, much less paid session time for it. I do know one guy in Atlanta who swears by it, but that’s primarily because his budgets are locked and he’s working from a “how can I save cash” standpoint. So, if you’re looking to rent out a FCP system at Avid rates, you’d better have a stellar editor with his own clients to attract attention to the room. Otherwise, it’s just another place with FCP.

2. As a business owner, FCP makes perfect sense. Many, and I mean MANY high end production companies have already moved over to FCP. Wanna see something cut with FCP? Go to a movie, check out the trailers. At least half are done by FCP nowadays. Your business setup and how you attract clients is the main factor. If you are the production company hired out to produce, create, and finish the product, then go FCP. You’re goal is to get the completed project done, not entertain clients in a cushy avid suite. If you are a day-to-day rental facility with clients on the network, music video, or film level, you should go with Avid regardless of the cost. Most producers at that level stick with what they know works – Avid.

In the end, while a 20k difference looks big on paper, it’s just one project difference between them. The best bet is to listen to your clients and see what they want.

Worst case, Avid is a beautiful write-off.

[John Davidson]

Even more fun –
FCP imports MP3’s no problem.

I knew it had to be a mistake.

[John Davidson]

Chris,

How dare you listen to Apple’s marketing! Who really expects a company to test the “most advanced computer operating system” before it is released? Furthermore, you should have gone out and purchased a used engineer before considering an upgrade. It really is your fault. Why do you think it’s called tiger? Because it mauls you! Consider the OS discs flat, pretty, round, grenades and your advanced computer a helpless little kitten completely incapable of protecting itself from a devestanging blast.

Perhaps the OS should come with an engineer named Harry and a backup drive in the box.

All joking aside, I’m with you. I think you’re right to be pissed. With all that marketing you’d think somebody would have done a thorough install on a few systems before they released. It’s not like with windows/ibm systems that have dozens of pc manufacturers realeasing 20 different versions of every pc. Apple is the only company that makes macs. They know what Macs they’ve made and there aren’t THAT many versions out there to test.

I will say though, I decided to wait a few weeks before making the FCP5 jump just for the reasons mentioned in other posts on this string. Don’t wanan get cut by that bleeding edge.

Bring on the 400 comments about me being unfair to Apple….

[John Davidson]

Interesting. Limited functionality and compatability is a benefit. Maybe the program shouldn’t work with DV formats in the future, since we’re pro and all.

I’m not upset about it, it’s just annoying that it’s like that. Another fun feature is not letting Soundtrack Pro export OMF’s. I also didn’t hear whether or not FCP-exported-OMF’s now contain clip volume information so that your mix transfers over seamlessly to Protools.

For those of us considering a move to FCP it’s important to be aware of all the issues, large and small, before we commit to it. I’m still on the fence, and FCP has certain features that I am very attracted to, but many of the mixers and editors that work on my projects have voiced concerns that I’m hoping are fixed in FCP5.

Certainly Avid is a beast and it’s got many quirks, but they are quirks I understand. The last thing I want are surprises that slow production. I’m just gonna wait a few weeks and let the community laud their praises, and curses, about the new version before I make a final decition.

Deep down though, you guys know it’s weird to not be able to import mp3’s. Apple certainly sells the hell out of them online :-). oh wait, those are Apple M4P’s, but still the same quality as mp3’s. I wonder if those work in FCP….

[John Davidson]

Of course I have the CD’s, and of course a 256k mp3’s are completely fine for sound effects. It’s stupid not to be able to handle MP3’s correctly. As far as ‘pro’ is concerned, audio cd’s are samples as well – built at 44k, not the pro-level of 48k or higher. MP3’s are just better math. Perhaps we should all be digitizing straight from a record album just to ‘keep it real’.

I’m booked in Avid all over LA and don’t have time to spend 4 hours of my first session at each place digitizing in 7 cd’s of sound effects at $150 an hr. I dumped everything over to a dvd filled with all the sound effects into one pretty disc that loads everything in minutes. How I produce my ‘pro’ network elements is irrelevant to the real issue, though. The point is, what other limitations is apple building into it’s products in order to prop up other Apple applications? FCP is supposed to be the solution to another product with built-in limitations (Avid).

You are correct that FPC is a pro system though. Only pros could make a mistake like this.

I really still can’t believe they did that. HDV? Let’s start with MP3 first and work our way up. Sheesh!

[John Davidson]

That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.

I have the whole noise generator series (licensed!) backed up on (256mbps) MP3 because it would do a super-fast import on any avid I work on (Avid thinks Mp3’s are like quicktimes). I’d been thinking about making the move to FCP, but really, distortion? Not when I have 9000 sound effects to import….

Where was Apple’s brain when they decided we didn’t need MP3’s to play correctly?

That’s really funny.

[John Davidson]

Are you saying that you can’t import an MP3 directly into FCP and have FCP convert it to a usable QT file? I think even avid’s DV Express does that.

How could five versions of Final Cut be created without a freakin’ import option for one of the most popular audio storage formats? That has to be wrong.

[John Davidson]

Great point on the XServ. I just checked it out. Assuming I add a second FCP room in a few months, the XServ would be capable of working both systems at once (like Avid unity), right?