[Kalunga Lima]

Strangely enough, when I do this, Quicktime opens the file while FCP can’t. If I export it from Quicktime as a Pal Movie, after a lengthy process, FCP is able to open it. I’m just wondering if there is an easier way to fix the file extention and if I’m losing something by recompressing it.

thanks

[Kalunga Lima]

Sound is not my main area but i do feel you deserve some answer.

1. You really must make a deicison between one of the 3 pre-amps available to you. Pre-amps aren’t meant to be daisy-chained so you have to choose one.

2. The second item in you your chain (3rd if you count the microphone) is the Yamaha mixer. If you are not using the mixer’s own pre-amp, and you are not mixing-in any other sound source, then perhaps you don’t need it. I’m quite certain you can not use your bluetube pre-amp as an effect.

3. The last item in your chain is the MBOX given that I imagine you are using it to go into your computer (a function your mixer can’t do as it doesn’t have USD outputs like the Behringer Xenyx or Alesis Multimix USB mixers). Here again the isue ermains the same, if you are using either the Bluetube or the Yamaha mixer for pre-amplification, then yes, you can’t use the MBOX’s own pre-amps.

Personally I would think that using the MBOX alone, straight into your computer, would be the simplest solution (tweaking the sound with sofware). In Audio (as in life) keeping things simple goes a long way towards having better sound, as it elimiates alot of the noise and signal degradation associated with multiple cables, processors, connectors, power sources etc.

A good site for general audio info is http://www.equipmentemporium.com. You find a nice littel tutorial on mixing boards in ‘Articles about Prod Sound’

best of luck

[Kalunga Lima]

A cheap S-video monitoring solution, if you do not want to use a DV deck/camera, is the Datavideo DAC-200 for under $180 (www.datavideo.us). It is the same color as your powerbook pro, and only works if you are editing DV.

Canopus also makes the ADVC110, which has the advantage of not requiring powersupply (wallwart) if using 6 pin firewire cable. Again DV only.

These are universal and require no drivers as they function with the firewire standard and have nothing to do with the computer (hence DV/DVCAM only). They both give you the possibility of digitizing analogue (composite) video and unbalanced audio.

best of luck

[Kalunga Lima]

Thanks for the information. Apple’s Portuguese site misleadingly claims the iMac to have s-video and composite video outputs, I guess the mean through a DVI connector. I was hoping not to have to add another box, but I think that the Canopus ADVC-110 may be my best.

[Kalunga Lima]

My 2 cents worth.

1. I think you need to take a good hard look at yourself and figure out how you as an individual, learn best. Look back at how well you’ve done in school and compare that to the things you learnt on your own or from reading books. Are you someone who works best by themselves, or someone who shines in a group? My impression is that some people can do very well on their own by reading books and attending festivals, others are more comfortable in a more structured environment such as a college, while some people find on-job-training more motivating. That’s why you can’t necessary look at the path others have taken to ‘make it’, they’ve simple chosen what was best for them, or what was available at the time, which takes me to my second point.

2. Going to college in the USA can be a very expensive proposition, so this is a very different choice for someone who has parents paying for their education then it is for someone who will then be in debt for a very long time. Don’t forget that there is also a lot of short one-week and two-week courses available, which may make more sense financially.

3. So much of life happens in ways that we can not entirely predict, so having a variety of experiences opens up possibilities you may not have predicted. For example, taking a course in a formal environment will give you a chance to meet individuals with similar goals, you would not meet on your own.

4. Last piece of advice, set yourself up for the long haul. What ever you do, make sure it is sustainable, it invariably takes longer than you think to get anywhere in life.

best of luck

[Kalunga Lima]

Will FCP 4.5 run on the new Macs?

thanks

[Kalunga Lima]

Thanks for all the feedback.

I don’t think it is a scanner issue, I happen to be using an Epson 2580 and the pictures look great in Photoshop on my 21 computer monitor… My fault for not mentioning this. I’m primarily concerned about when I bring the pictures into FCP, that they all seem so soft.
kalunga

[Kalunga Lima]

There is a tremendous temptation to have your own gear, but from what I gathered in your question you are not an experienced cinematographer. You may well find that producing and directing will keep your hands full, never mind also having to learn how to shoot. If you have a good script, I believe that you can probably find good camera people interested in your project, including some with their own HVX or HD100. While one may possibly learn to direct and produce “on-the-job” especially if you have theater experience and/or read alot, you really don’t want to waste limited money/time also trying to get the picture and the sound right. Not only is there a lot of good gear out there, but there are also a lot of good camera/sound people out there who are investing in the “latest gear” and who’d love the opportunity to work on a feature. Trust your project and come back to this forum when you have production dates and I’m sure you’ll find not only the best camera, but someone who really knows how to use it.

my 2 cents worth
best of luck

[Kalunga Lima]

Dells are hard to come by in Europe. Anybody had good experiences with IBM Intellistations (MPro or ZPro) or HP 8000?

thanks

[Kalunga Lima]

Couldn’t agree with you more, haven’t been this anxious for news on a new product for a long time. Those of us who have held off on the 25p XL2 and on the limited SD capability of the HDV HVR-Z1 may just find a ‘longer-term’and more flexible HD/SD solution in the HVX200. Sure a 10 bit rival will turn-up eventually, but at this price point and without the need for a deck, makes this product very very interesting for all the projects I can forsee for myself in the coming years… and I love the iPod hat-trick. I’ll be in South Africa this summer and hope it will be on display at MediaTech in Johanesburg in June.