[Les Kaye]

[mike wavrecan] “I’d like to run Final Cut Studio at home”

I brought a psd file to the apple store to see how it would work on FCP 5, and it did surprisingly well in a non-taxing situation. A moot point for FCP Studio however, in that Motion can’t run on a Mac Mini (inadequate video card).

[Les Kaye]

Thanks for the detailed response (again), Herb. I generally find it unseemly when someone enters a “home” here on the COW, only to trash the software before asking for help. Thus I’ll try to be more tactful.

[Herb Sevush] “Less menu’s, less buttons, more consistency in commands – at the price of less functionality”
Bingo! I was initially very surprised at the VERY SIMILAR UI and workflow similarities between FCP & PPro – i.e. toolbar, timeline editing, more gestural and less modal than Avid. OTOH – yes, IMHO there is considerably less functionality in PPRO than FCP or Avid. (ALERT – I’m not dissing PPro and saying NO functionality – but in my VERY LIMITED use, I’m agreeing that it just seems less).

[Herb Sevush] “CG – FCP’s internal CG is incredibly primitive”
Yep, FCP certainly could use something more useful for fast creative titling. OTOH, I use LiveType & Motion for the graphics that I need, so I don’t feel a loss. That’s not to say this is true for others (as you yourself feel differently). Still, it is amusing that FCP bundles 3 basic titlers (Text Generator, Boris & Typewriter) that could be handled by one good program like Inscriber.

[Herb Sevush] “Data Management
The joys of having an assistant editor – stuff I don’t have to deal with, so I won’t be hypocritical and discuss things I don’t worry about. Other than it does seem a pleasure in FCP (as opposed to Avid) to deal natively with Quicktime.

[Herb Sevush] “Editing – FCP has the incredible bug of destroying all renders if you mute a video track – this bug has been around for so long they no longer even try to fix it.
Yep – not a bug, but a pretty stupid design flaw. OTOH, as in PPro, you can turn off “Enable” for the clips in question. While it’s not an elegant workaround, at least it’s a workaround. But yes, this should be addressed.

[Herb Sevush] “All in all I find FCP much easier to cut with but much harder to learn.”
Yes, in spite of it’s flaws, (and considerable strengths), FCP is very deep. In fact I’m surprised at its depth. Not everyone needs all this functionality, just like not everyone needs the functionality in PPro. However, when a feature is needed, it’s good to know it’s there.

[Herb Sevush] “Output – PPRO has the ability to burn DVDs from the timeline; unfortunately this feature rarely works”
I thought this feature was in FCP as well. In any case, I haven’t used this, so I can’t comment.

[Herb Sevush] “Real-Time – If you want real-time then get PPRO with Axio, otherwise there is no such thing on either system, except for draft resolutions. There is nothing like Axio in the FCP world.”
Um, not sure what you mean. The Kona 2 doesn’t deliver all the real-time multiple streams that’s in Axio, but I’m having no problems doing real time work using DVCPRO HD. Yes I need to render certain effects, but it renders fairly quickly. While this is fine for my workflow, it may not be for others, so Axio should be a solution for those where realtime streams are more important.

As some of members of the discete edit forum are aware, I’ve beeb working at a facility that started with Avid Adrenaline HD, and then changed to FCP. This doesn’t mean that Avid was terrible – only that it didn’t serve our needs. The same is true of FCP as it is with PPro. Not every tool is useful for every user.

[Les Kaye]

[Herb Sevush] “This is not to say that I don’t like PPRO, I find many things about it quicker and better implemented than in FCP for example”

Herb,
This is in no way meant as a snide comment. I’m getting my hands into PPro, and would appreciate if you could elaborate on the PPro features you prefer and why. Anyone else here with experience on both systems are welcome to also respond. (And please no PC vs. Mac arguments).

[Les Kaye]

[don huckleberry] “Your smug response could easily create a flame war the way it’s worded.”
[don huckleberry] “Code of conduct quote:”

Don,
I apologize if you were offended, especially since I thought I had graciously thanked all those who responded to my question, including yourself. I didn’t criticize Premiere Pro, nor did I criticize those who use it. After 6 posts of trying to explain asynchronous trimming, it was a little frustrating that there was not a single response that understood the feature or how it worked. Maybe I wasn’t clear, but I think not. Thus it seemed apparent to me that perhaps this feature was something that might not be needed by the user base here.

OTOH, I really don’t need a lecture on COW etiquette from someone who doesn’t know me or my history of posting on the COW, and who has contributed (according to your profile) just a handfull of posts in his time here. If you have any problems with my conduct here, I suggest you complain to the Forum Administrators. In fact, I’ll send them the link to this entire thread for you.

[Les Kaye]

[Steven L. Gotz] “So you are not using the Trim Window?”

I don’t see it in the Trim Window & I don’t see it using Ripple or Roll. Sorry, but it’s simply apparent that the folks here don’t know what I’m talking about. Perhaps it’s just an advanced feature that PPro users don’t need. Thanks to all the responders.

[Les Kaye]

[Craig Howard] “ie. what is the single step that trims video and audio tracks in different directions”

Perhaps I should have said “a single trim step”. So okay. In Avid: enter trim mode and ctl or cmd click (depending on platform) the desired sides of the cut points (outgoing or incoming). There is a visual representation on the trim roller of the a side, b side or both sides of a cut point. Then drag or jkl play the desired length. As the outgoing side of a cut extends toward the tail of the sequence, you’ll see the incoming side of the opposing cut(s) selected move toward the head of the sequence. FCP works similarly except if desired, there is no trim mode to enter (just like PPro). And like microwave ovens, it’s a feature that once used is pretty indespensable for keeping tracks in sync (as opposed to just locking them).

[Les Kaye]

[Craig Howard] “Whats the difficulty ? It is no problem to trim in any direction”

Respectfully,
The basic question is to trim one (or more) tracks in one direction while you’re trimming another track (or tracks) in the opposite direction with one operation. This would be regardless of whether the cutpoints are in sync or linked or are at identical locations. It’s apparent that PPro can’t do this.

[Les Kaye]

[creig bryan] “the description given above doesn’t quite fit it, but instead, seems a more appropriate fit for A/B editing.”

No, it has nothing to do with A/B editing. It’s a feature in both Avid & FCP. Don’t know if it’s in other NLEs.

[Les Kaye]

To go to a specific location, just choose which window and type the tc value (with period to specify hour, minute, seconds, frame) and hit the return key (NOT Enter). To go a specific amount, type + or – and the amount (i.e. +60 or +2.00) and again hit return.

And yes PPro SEEMS more reliant on the mouse than edit or FCP.

[Les Kaye]

[Craig Howard] “I’ll take a guess and assume you want to trim audio or video in the same clip to different lengths. ( a “J” or an “L” cut).”

No. It’s being able to trim a track (video or audio) in one direction while also trimming other tracks (or track) in opposing direction. All in one step. It’s something I use often.

See very rough diagram below. (The | are cut points in a timeline, and the arrows represent clip lengths, and the direction of the trim.

V ____>>>>>|
A1 ________|<<<<<< A2 ______|>>>>>>>>>>>
A3 ______________|<<<<