Kevin Monahan
Forum Replies Created
-
-
i’d wait until after NAB to make any decision. Suppose they did have cluster rendering for FCP. That does not mean that the G5 and the Intel Mac will work together. I’d wait awhile and practice ways to reduce your rendering time – like previewing fx and only rendering when you walk away from your Mac. You know, like After Effects artists do.
Kevin Monahan
Take My FCP Master’s Seminar!
fcpworld.com -
Futhermore: Soundsticks SUCK. They are the worst possible speakers you can use for FCP.
They only have a USB connector so you cannot hook them up to the deck for true 48 kHz output. Also, they are FAR from being giving you a subjective audio mix. Soundsticks are not flat response speakers. They overdrive the bass to crazy propotions.
To use them with a broadcast monitor, you’ll be forced to use a frame offset which makes your keyboard soooo sluggish.
You’ll be much better off with the following advice.
1. Trash the Soundsticks or give them to a friend NOT doing video post.
2. Hook up some flat response studio audio monitors to your audio mixer’s “Control Room” output. (No mixer? Get a cheap Y-Split adapter from Radio Shack).
3. Connect the Mac’s audio output to Ch. 1 and Ch. 2
4. Connect the deck’s audio output to Ch. 3. and Ch. 4NOW you have yourself a proper audio post scenario my friend.
Sorry you have wasted money on the worst possible speakers. Get rid of ’em. R.I.P. Soundsticks – we hardly knew ya.
Kevin Monahan
Take My FCP Master’s Seminar!
fcpworld.com -
-
[iMan] “Can anyone elaborate on how this is done, what I need and what the advantages are over a regular LaCie external FireWire HD?”
Hi,
How it’s done:
Open the case, plug in the power and pin cables, use a screwdriver to mount the drive to the case. Close the case. Initialize with Mac OS Extended. Done. Very easy to do, and you can also follow the instructions that come with the case.Advantages over a LaCie: None really. Other than saving you money and having the option to put higher quality drives in the case.
All my FireWire drives are home built. No problems, but I’ve got high quality drives and maintain them regularly.
Kevin Monahan
Take My FCP Master’s Seminar!
fcpworld.com -
Here’s the real secret.
Do not render as you work.Motion graphics artists never render as they work. Editors have the annoying habit of rendering as they work. The compromise is to preview your work and be confident in your skills. Step through your effect, Use QuickView, RT Extreme or whatever you need to feel confident about your effect without having to render it!.
Only render when you walk away from your FCP Workstation.
I hope that helps you.
Kevin Monahan
Take My FCP Master’s Seminar!
fcpworld.com -
I believe the CTI has to be a full frame in length and most NLEs operate with a playhead like this (Media 100, Avid, etc.). In other words, and as I understand it – it’s not a bug – it’s just how things are with frame based editing.
I believe in Avid, you could change the playhead to snap to the last frame of the out – but didn’t that make you mark a frame in early on the in? I forget how that feature worked. Time to get out the old manuals.
Kevin Monahan
Take My FCP Master’s Seminar!
fcpworld.com -
Right. You don’t want to use the Apple Intermediate Codec unless you’re using iMovie or FCE. Once you get your Sequence settings correctly set with a new sequence, you should be cool.
Kevin Monahan
Take My FCP Master’s Seminar!
fcpworld.com -
You should work with your deck or camcorder powered up at all times and connected to a pro video monitor. Your speakers should also be set up out of the deck or camcorder. If you are set up properly, you should always be able to see your image on your monitor.
Preview Disabled usually happens when you are crowding the FireWire bus with daisy chained camcorders and firewire drives. Typically, I need to trash my prefs to bring my Log and Capture window back.
Even so, it’s much better to have my video monitor up and running as I log and capture.
Many, many people do not operate with FCP properly set up with no external gear. When you are not set up right, all kinds of confusion can happen.
Kevin Monahan
Take My FCP Master’s Seminar!
fcpworld.com -
Man, you see this a LOT lately. By “this” – I mean confusion about your exported footage looking lo-res. Hopefully, this advice will help.
1. NEVER judge your rendered graphics by what you see in the Canvas, always judge your graphics on a NTSC or PAL pro video monitor.
2. Always cut with a video monitor attached as you work, not after you burn to DVD.
3. If you plan to judge the quality of your video with a QT Export, you have to know that, upon export, you are looking at a lo-res proxy that the Canvas uses.
[Will Keir] “1) Why do my high resolution pictures (2048×1536) look grainy and low quality when I view my project as an exported Quick Time Movie, or a DVD movie?”
The high quality toggle switch must be enabled in order for you to see the actual rendered quality.
In QT – go to Window>Show Movie Options.
In the dialog, click on the movie
Click on Visual Settings
Check the High Quality check box.You should now see the true quality of your rendered graphics as an outputted QT.
Bottom line, it’s far easier to monitor the high quality if your FCP workstation is set up properly with a NTSC or PAL pro video monitor attached to your rig at all times!
Kevin Monahan
Take My FCP Master’s Seminar!
fcpworld.com