Anyone use Apple final cut pro?

[BirdDogDad]

That is a good question. FCP is supposed to give you the option, when creating a new library and project, of whether to store your files within the library or leave them in their external location. The software seems to have a mind of its own in this regard, though, and I am not enough of an expert to explain why. Sometimes the option exists, other times it does not. Within "Properties" (File > Library Properties) you have some options that can be changed, which allow some storage modifications, but I have not found it particularly helpful. That is due to my lack of knowledge, not due to the program. If, when creating a new library, I see the option to "leave external files where they are," I choose that. If I don't see it, and FCP insists upon copying the originals to the library, I just put up with the large library size until the project is finished. Then, making an archive as I mentioned will allow me to delete the original huge library.

You are very wise in paying attention to the organization of your workflow and files before beginning. It can get out of control quickly. For example, when I first started using FCP, I would edit footage I wanted to use down to shorter clips and save them with different names. I thought this would make editing easier. I would then import them (File > Import > Media) and work on my video. But, I realized I would have to save those edited clips too, if I ever wanted to work on that file in the future, which consumed even more storage space on top of the original footage! This is especially bothersome with 4k or larger files. So now, I just import all the original footage necessary for the project, and I rarely worry about any pre-editing.

The only time I will pre-edit is if I know I have a lot of useless stuff within a given clip. Then I'll do a rough cut to eliminate the junk, and save the edit as my "original," dumping the unedited original out-of-camera footage. The lesson here is to not let video files proliferate unnecssarily, since they just require massive amounts of storage space and become confusing over time if you need to relink an archived library to them.

 

[sh1209]

That is a good question. FCP is supposed to give you the option, when creating a new library and project, of whether to store your files within the library or leave them in their external location. The software seems to have a mind of its own in this regard, though, and I am not enough of an expert to explain why. Sometimes the option exists, other times it does not. Within "Properties" (File > Library Properties) you have some options that can be changed, which allow some storage modifications, but I have not found it particularly helpful. That is due to my lack of knowledge, not due to the program. If, when creating a new library, I see the option to "leave external files where they are," I choose that. If I don't see it, and FCP insists upon copying the originals to the library, I just put up with the large library size until the project is finished. Then, making an archive as I mentioned will allow me to delete the original huge library.

You are very wise in paying attention to the organization of your workflow and files before beginning. It can get out of control quickly. For example, when I first started using FCP, I would edit footage I wanted to use down to shorter clips and save them with different names. I thought this would make editing easier. I would then import them (File > Import > Media) and work on my video. But, I realized I would have to save those edited clips too, if I ever wanted to work on that file in the future, which consumed even more storage space on top of the original footage! This is especially bothersome with 4k or larger files. So now, I just import all the original footage necessary for the project, and I rarely worry about any pre-editing.

The only time I will pre-edit is if I know I have a lot of useless stuff within a given clip. Then I'll do a rough cut to eliminate the junk, and save the edit as my "original," dumping the unedited original out-of-camera footage. The lesson here is to not let video files proliferate unnecssarily, since they just require massive amounts of storage space and become confusing over time if you need to relink an archived library to them.

Thank you so much for all your help.

 

[sh1209]

That is a good question. FCP is supposed to give you the option, when creating a new library and project, of whether to store your files within the library or leave them in their external location. The software seems to have a mind of its own in this regard, though, and I am not enough of an expert to explain why. Sometimes the option exists, other times it does not. Within "Properties" (File > Library Properties) you have some options that can be changed, which allow some storage modifications, but I have not found it particularly helpful. That is due to my lack of knowledge, not due to the program. If, when creating a new library, I see the option to "leave external files where they are," I choose that. If I don't see it, and FCP insists upon copying the originals to the library, I just put up with the large library size until the project is finished. Then, making an archive as I mentioned will allow me to delete the original huge library.

You are very wise in paying attention to the organization of your workflow and files before beginning. It can get out of control quickly. For example, when I first started using FCP, I would edit footage I wanted to use down to shorter clips and save them with different names. I thought this would make editing easier. I would then import them (File > Import > Media) and work on my video. But, I realized I would have to save those edited clips too, if I ever wanted to work on that file in the future, which consumed even more storage space on top of the original footage! This is especially bothersome with 4k or larger files. So now, I just import all the original footage necessary for the project, and I rarely worry about any pre-editing.

The only time I will pre-edit is if I know I have a lot of useless stuff within a given clip. Then I'll do a rough cut to eliminate the junk, and save the edit as my "original," dumping the unedited original out-of-camera footage. The lesson here is to not let video files proliferate unnecssarily, since they just require massive amounts of storage space and become confusing over time if you need to relink an archived library to them.

So I have decided to go ahead and purchase the program because I really enjoy using it and I want to quit overthinking other programs and all that. One question I do have it and I’m not sure if you wanna know is, if I want to use the program on my MacBook Air as well as my iMac I’m assuming I would have to keep my library‘s on an external drive correct?

 

[BirdDogDad]

So I have decided to go ahead and purchase the program because I really enjoy using it and I want to quit overthinking other programs and all that. One question I do have it and I’m not sure if you wanna know is, if I want to use the program on my MacBook Air as well as my iMac I’m assuming I would have to keep my library‘s on an external drive correct?

That is the easiest solution, but there is another way to do it. Let's say you created a project on your iMac, and wanted to continue working on it on your laptop. You could copy the library to the laptop and do some more work on it. Then you would have to copy the newer version of your library back to your iMac, and go through this back-and-forth process every time so you're sure you have the most current version of your project. While feasible, this is a bit awkward, especially as libraries grow in size. I suggest using this method only when you could not use an external drive, for example, when traveling and space is an issue.

Keep in mind that even if you have a current library on both machines, you still need access to all the original video to do your editing. Lacking an external drive, transferring large video files back and forth between computers can be a tedious process. As an aside, the fastest way to copy files back and forth between a desktop and laptop is to connect the laptop directly to your iMac with a Thunderbolt cable, and start up your laptop in Target Disk mode. The laptop will then show up as an external hard drive on your iMac, and you can drag and drop files that will copy quickly.

I have a similar setup to yours, an iMac Pro and an older MacBook Pro. All my applications are stored on the startup drives on each machine, which is the preferred way to use apps. All my working files, including video footage and FCP libraries, are stored on an external four-bay OWC drive providing 12 TB of storage space. This is the cleanest and easiest solution. Make sure your external drive is quite fast and connects via Thunderbolt or the latest USB technology. Using older USB 2.0 or 3.0 externals with FCP can be agonizingly slow and, in my experience, can cause some hangups within the software itself.

Hope this helps!

 

[sh1209]

That is the easiest solution, but there is another way to do it. Let's say you created a project on your iMac, and wanted to continue working on it on your laptop. You could copy the library to the laptop and do some more work on it. Then you would have to copy the newer version of your library back to your iMac, and go through this back-and-forth process every time so you're sure you have the most current version of your project. While feasible, this is a bit awkward, especially as libraries grow in size. I suggest using this method only when you could not use an external drive, for example, when traveling and space is an issue.

Keep in mind that even if you have a current library on both machines, you still need access to all the original video to do your editing. Lacking an external drive, transferring large video files back and forth between computers can be a tedious process. As an aside, the fastest way to copy files back and forth between a desktop and laptop is to connect the laptop directly to your iMac with a Thunderbolt cable, and start up your laptop in Target Disk mode. The laptop will then show up as an external hard drive on your iMac, and you can drag and drop files that will copy quickly.

I have a similar setup to yours, an iMac Pro and an older MacBook Pro. All my applications are stored on the startup drives on each machine, which is the preferred way to use apps. All my working files, including video footage and FCP libraries, are stored on an external four-bay OWC drive providing 12 TB of storage space. This is the cleanest and easiest solution. Make sure your external drive is quite fast and connects via Thunderbolt or the latest USB technology. Using older USB 2.0 or 3.0 externals with FCP can be agonizingly slow and, in my experience, can cause some hangups within the software itself.

Hope this helps!

Thank you. I am planning on using a 2TB Samsung T7 that I rarely use for the libraries to keep it off the internal drive. I'll upgrade in size in the future as things grow.

 

[BirdDogDad]

Thank you. I am planning on using a 2TB Samsung T7 that I rarely use for the libraries to keep it off the internal drive. I'll upgrade in size in the future as things grow.

Sounds like a good plan. Be sure to back up your video files and libraries somewhere else. Losing irreplaceable original footage and a video masterpiece you just spent a month creating can make one suicidal.

 

[sh1209]

I back everything up to a second external drive with carbon copy cloner and also use Backblaze. Do you store you completed videos on the same drive was the Libraries?

 

[Craig Yuill]

I used to use two different versions of iMovie before I got FCPX. (Is the X still used?) I got very frustrated with the lack of precision and control in iMovie in adjusting some basic things, like gamma/mid tones. I downloaded a demo version of FCPX, and haven’t looked back.

FCP can be as easy to use as iMovie, but allows editors to adjust things much more precisely than iMovie does. It also comes with a lot of effects, including several Logic sound effects. And a wide array of plugins can be used with FCP as well. I also found that it does a very good job of automatically converting 60fps interlaced video to 60fps progressive video.

I found that some online training was helpful to getting the most out of the software. Creative Live, Lynda.com, and larryjordan.com (and other websites) have courses and tutorials that you would likely find to be helpful.

One of the other responders also mentioned practicing - use it as much as you can. I think that is great advice. I am much more adept at editing videos in FCP than I was at the beginning.

 

[BirdDogDad]

I back everything up to a second external drive with carbon copy cloner and also use Backblaze. Do you store you completed videos on the same drive was the Libraries?

You are a wise man. CCC has saved my bacon more than once. I keep all files, other than apps, on my 12 TB external, including finished videos. It is a RAID 5, which provides a level of protection beyond a single drive. Once it gets too full, I'll replace it with a new drive. I also back up finished videos and my still photos to no fewer than four additional external drives. Plus, I have an 8 TB single drive attached to my iMac which runs Time Machine hourly backups. I got my first Mac in 1985, which has given me plenty of opportunities to experience a number of hardware failures, including fried motherboards, failed SSDs, corrupted RAID arrays, dead platter disks, plus balky software. I take no chances.

 

[sh1209]

I used to use two different versions of iMovie before I got FCPX. (Is the X still used?) I got very frustrated with the lack of precision and control in iMovie in adjusting some basic things, like gamma/mid tones. I downloaded a demo version of FCPX, and haven’t looked back.

FCP can be as easy to use as iMovie, but allows editors to adjust things much more precisely than iMovie does. It also comes with a lot of effects, including several Logic sound effects. And a wide array of plugins can be used with FCP as well. I also found that it does a very good job of automatically converting 60fps interlaced video to 60fps progressive video.

I found that some online training was helpful to getting the most out of the software. Creative Live, Lynda.com, and larryjordan.com (and other websites) have courses and tutorials that you would likely find to be helpful.

One of the other responders also mentioned practicing - use it as much as you can. I think that is great advice. I am much more adept at editing videos in FCP than I was at the beginning.

Yeah I’ve been messing around with it over the last few days just doing some minor things and so far it seems like the transition is pretty easy from iMovie. I look forward to being able to do more in-depth editing and utilize all the extra functions and features. For the one time price and the functionality it can’t be beat.

 

[sh1209]

You are a wise man. CCC has saved my bacon more than once. I keep all files, other than apps, on my 12 TB external, including finished videos. It is a RAID 5, which provides a level of protection beyond a single drive. Once it gets too full, I'll replace it with a new drive. I also back up finished videos and my still photos to no fewer than four additional external drives. Plus, I have an 8 TB single drive attached to my iMac which runs Time Machine hourly backups. I got my first Mac in 1985, which has given me plenty of opportunities to experience a number of hardware failures, including fried motherboards, failed SSDs, corrupted RAID arrays, dead platter disks, plus balky software. I take no chances.

I only do Time Machine backups once a week and I probably should do it more often lol

 

[Craig Yuill]

I back everything up to a second external drive with carbon copy cloner and also use Backblaze. Do you store you completed videos on the same drive was the Libraries?

I used to store originals and FCP libraries on the same drive, as well as render to the same drive - until that drive crashed during a render. I now put copies of all original video files on two duplicate hard drives. I keep my working FCP libraries on external SSDs. I figured that the drive failure might have been caused in part by FCP constantly saving changes to the HD. SSDs seem to be more robust in that regard.

FCP events can be archived for more compact long term storage, then stored on regular HDs and Backblaze.

 

[sh1209]

I used to store originals and FCP libraries on the same drive, as well as render to the same drive - until that drive crashed during a render. I now put copies of all original video files on two duplicate hard drives. I keep my working FCP libraries on external SSDs. I figured that the drive failure might have been caused in part by FCP constantly saving changes to the HD. SSDs seem to be more robust in that regard.

FCP events can be archived for more compact long term storage, then stored on regular HDs and Backblaze.

So you think it’s OK to use the same external SSD on the MacBook Air and iMac or should I use to separate?

 

[Craig Yuill]

So you think it’s OK to use the same external SSD on the MacBook Air and iMac or should I use to separate?

Video files take up HUGE amounts of space. I would use external drives. I don’t think you need separate drives for different computers. Just make sure the computers have the same version of FCP. The FCP version is baked into the library. If you open the library in one version of FCP you cannot open it in an older version of FCP. Annoying - but a reality FCP users must deal with.

 

[sh1209]

I really appreciate all the help and pointers from you guys. This is what makes the forum great.

 

[BirdDogDad]

I only do Time Machine backups once a week and I probably should do it more often lol

I just set Time Machine to back up hourly and forget about it. You probably know that within TM, you can also select which folders to back up and which to exclude. TM is not archival storage, but it is ideal for recovering something you may have been working on when a computer shuts down or crashes, or if you inadvertently delete a file. It is also capable of restoring a Mac to its current state in the event of a total disaster.

I see no reason why you could not use the same external SSD for your file storage on both computers. Multiple drives containing the same working files (not backups) can lead to confusion about which is the most current version of a given file, and the potential for overwriting a more current version by mistake. Keep in mind that SSDs can fail, too. I've experienced it. Supposedly an SSD has a finite number of read/write cycles, after which it is liable to give up the ghost. I am not expert in such things, but from all I've read there is truth to this, even though the useful life can be tens of thousands of cycles.

Keep it simple, just use one external for both machines, and only worry about backing up one device.

I used to store originals and FCP libraries on the same drive, as well as render to the same drive - until that drive crashed during a render. I now put copies of all original video files on two duplicate hard drives. I keep my working FCP libraries on external SSDs. I figured that the drive failure might have been caused in part by FCP constantly saving changes to the HD. SSDs seem to be more robust in that regard.

FCP events can be archived for more compact long term storage, then stored on regular HDs and Backblaze.

This is not a bad plan, either. I've used some version of FCP for over 15 years, and earlier versions were in my observation notoriously buggy. I have no way to prove it, but I suspect drive failures while using older versions of FCP might have been due not to the drive wearing out, but due to massive corruption of basic OS processes behind the scenes. I've not experienced this in a long time, and FCP seems to be far more stable and reliable than it used to be.

I really appreciate all the help and pointers from you guys. This is what makes the forum great.

I'm just happy to be able to contribute something on a topic I have a little knowledge about. Most of the discussions on this forum involve subjects far above my pay grade, so I keep my mouth shut (or my keyboard quiet) so as not to reveal my ignorance.