Help! Final Cut Pro Thinks My RAID Array Is A Camera Card

 Huh? What?

So today I went Import to try and re-import some media that behaved funky. Doing this I got a surprise: my RAID Array appeared under CAMERAS instead of DEVICES. And FCP started listing all the media files importable (there are 140k+ files on this drive array!), and not showing any of the folders/subfolders.

What? RAID_ZERO Array under Cameras???

A quick search found an article by Larry Jordan from 2015 about this very problem.

Heck, I checked my RAID, and lo and behold... I didn't have the three folders Larry is talking about (DCIM, MISC, PRIVATE) at the root of my drive, I only had a DCIM one. And that was enough to trip FCP into thinking my drive was a Camera/Camera card.

DICM folder at the root of the drive, not good!

I quickly dropped this DCIM folder into another folder at the Root, and now back to normal. 😊

That's how it should be.

Final Cut Pro Error: RequestFrameAt returned: 3 for absolute frame: 312

 Final Cut Pro is flashing an Error on Share via a custom h264 Compressor Setting:

The footage consists of Multicam clips comprised of one HEVC image + stereo audio file, and one multitrack separate audio file comprised of one stereo and two mono tracks.

The Share exports just fine if I do not change anything in the audio panning mode - at the multi clip level, or at the individual tracks level, does not make a difference.

As soon as I change the default "None" panning mode to "Dialog" Amount 100%, which is what I want, I get this error on Share and the export fails.

This audio panning mode "None" exports just fine every time.

This audio panning mode "Dialogue" 100% fails every time.

This error message is not helpful in tracking the problem. Nothing remarkable happens at frame 312 in my case. It's clearly linked to audio.

Now if I export as ProRes (proxy in my case) it goes through the Sharing with no Error massage, but the export is fucked-up. The image is OK, the audio is thrown out of sync from the beginning and stays out of sync until the end. Damn it!

Final Cut Pro "Incompatible Audio Units Found" Message - Waves Plug-ins

The message: "Incompatible Audio Units Found" with a list of Waves Plug-ins appears at Final Cut Pro launch.

This happened after I installed Waves Plug-ins using Waves Central app, but forgot to license the computer to use these specific plug-ins.

To get rid of the pesky message and validate the plug-ins, first license the plug-ins using Waves Central.

Go to Applications / Waves / Waveshells V11 and run “Waves AU Reg Utility Y 11.app”.

You might have a different version (11, 12 whatever) of Waves plug-ins, and in my case I had 4 of these utilities in the folder (Y = 1,3,6,9), I ran them all.

Go To User / Library / Preferences, and trash "com.apple.audio.infoHelper.plist". Empty The Trash. This will force FCPX to rescan and validate all plug-ins at launch.

But first, Restart the computer.

Re-Launch Final Cut X and be patient while FCPX validates Audio Units.

Missing Sound Effects in Final Cut Pro

 Out of the blue Sound Effects have gone missing in Final Cut Pro.

The sounds are still on the computer where they belong: /Library/Audio/Apple Loops/Apple/Final Cut Pro Sound Effects.

Several users have complained in past years and no real solution have been offered. Even some people went to the length of trashing all prefs, trashing the sound package, re-downloading the sounds, re-installing FCP... To no avail, the stuff of nightmares.

I found that closing all FCP Libraries and creating a new FCP Library... Boom! The Sound Effects appeared all of the sudden. From there, re-opening my working project, closing the empty newly created Library, and yes the Sound Effects are still there.

There is a glitch somewhere that makes Sound Effects disappear and re-appear. At least this workaround works for me.

I also noticed that the Photos folder was also missing altogether from the list. It showed only Logic Pro X, iTunes and Sound Effects (empty.) After the "re-trigger" move described above, the Photos folder re-appeared.

Sound Effects folder populated. Photos folder back at top of the list.

Final Cut Pro 10.4.10 Refuses to Update

Tried everything with the App Store today. It shows Updates available for FCP (10.4.10), but the Update button does not work, not for FCP, not for Motion, not for Compressor. Nothing happens. What a pain Apple.

Had to delete FCP (10.4.9) and install from the App Store (Cloud icon.) That installs the whole app to the current version, it just takes much longer.

But why? Why?

Holly Molly!!  Pro Video Formats update from Apple today! Version 2.1.2

Final Cut Pro update next?? Soon... ??!! TODAY!! FCP 10.4.9 update for Mojave and Catalina.

Link to Pro Video Formats 2.1.2 on Apple.com is also here: https://support.apple.com/kb/DL2050?locale=en_US

Doesn't look so different from 2.1.1, "Canon" name dropped from the XF-HEVC codec, no mention of MXF this time.

If you want to know which version is installed on your computer, follow Apple's instructions: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207249

I have multiple versions on mine, probably because I have a backup disk currently connected, so it shows all the old versions as well. Most current 2.1.1.

What's new in the App Store?

Final Cut Pro X 10.4.9, Motion 5.4.6 and Compressor 4.4.7 updates! That's what!

Final Cut Pro: How To Move A Clip Without Affecting Connected Clips

A very powerful modifier In Final Cut Pro, when you want to move a clip WITHOUT affecting connected clips. Because of the Magnetic Timeline behavior, any connected clip will move together with the adjusted clip, which is GREAT most of the time. Some other times I want connected clips to stay where they are.

To do that, hold down the Grave Accent (`) key and drag the clip to another location in the timeline using Select or Position tool. It also work with the Trim tool which is my favorite. Hold (`) and drag the clip with the Trim tool will modify its start/end point without moving any connected clips. FANTASTIC! Try it! It'll save you loads of time.

Check: https://support.apple.com/guide/final-cut-pro/connect-clips-ver7a77ef9e/mac

And open the submenu: Edit clips in the primary storyline without affecting connected clips.

Final Cut Pro and Davinci Resolve Scopes Compared

 Resolve scopes: hard to read, distorted, not showing out of range values.

FCP scopes: easy on the eyes, clean, showing out of range values.

Now, Resolve is the reference color correcting software. Reflect on this for a moment.

Random "Modified File" message in FCPX - Offline Media.

I'm being hit by a random media getting offlined by FCPX. The Clips show the Message: "Modified File", even though nothing changed to my knowledge.

Relinking doesn't work, weirdly. FCPX shows the proper file name, but trying to reconnect to the actual media does not work.

I thought of re-importing and manually replacing the clips, but what seems to miraculously work is to actually drag the offending media file from the Finder into the Browser.

All of a sudden the media gets recognized and the clips are re-linked and online again.

Quid?

Final Cut Pro X is optimized for speed

One thing that often get lost in discussions: in addition to some of its uniqueness (trackless, magnetic timeline, roles...) FCPX is optimized for speed. It uses the hardware better than PP during editing (more of a fluid response) and during export (faster exports.) 

From a 90 min. ProRes Timeline, with ProRes clips, with color correction applied, EQ and compressor applied to audio, FCPX exports a ProRes 422 file in less than 30min. without pre-rendering. It uses at least between 580% and 830% of CPU, most of the time around 750% of CPU, and something like 4.65GB of RAM.

Export from FCPX, six cores in action.

In comparison, Premiere Pro/ Adobe Media Encoder takes 94min. for the same task (again without pre-rendering), and it uses the CPU at under 500% at best, and about 9GB RAM.

Export from Premiere/AME (Queued), same six cores.

Again, a 90min. Timeline exports in 30min. with FCPX. It takes 94min. in PP, THREE TIMES LONGER!

These are my numbers on a MacPro 5,1 mid 2012, 3.46Mhz six core with 32GB RAM, macOS Sierra 10.12.6 and a Sapphire Radeon 7950 3GB VRAM.

Do you have a Nvidia card in a similar specced system? Do you have a system that fares better? Would you be nice enough to send real test numbers my way? Make a HD Timeline with Prores 422 clips, add some color correction and EQ+compressor on audio and Export away to ProRes 422 - no rendering allowed. Start your timer and report in the comments. Thanks!

FCPX drives me crazy with the stupid TIMELINE behavior! Apple please FIX THIS ASAP!!!

FCPX has a weird way to load whatever it pleases into the Timeline on opening a Library. This behavior SUCKS!

What sucks even more is when you are working under the gun and have a group of audio stems and need to do some subtle mix adjustments, to say the music - happens all the time, always at the last minute, right when I need to export my Master ASAP and be done already!!!

INSTEAD of opening the proper Group or Compound Clip, FCPX opens whatever old / other Compound from an old Snapshot opened at RANDOM on Startup!

At this point I have TWO different Compound Clips with the same name in the Timeline.

In FCPX the Timeline is TOO EASILY populated with CRAP that I cannot close or organize in a meaningful way.

There I said it, this is my number one gripe with FCPX.

So I do to alter my Music Stem in my Compound Clip and it does not reflect in my Project. Why? Because it's the WRONG one!

But which is which? No way to tell but to Click on the damn Timeline Arrow and then see... that it belongs to an old Snapshot. Aaaargl!!!

- Why is this even loaded in the Timeline?
- Why can't I get rid of it?

So not intuitive.

I have to CLOSE the Library completely, re-open it -and by the way FCPX finds it's great to load the Timeline with... a random Compound Clip instead of the Project I need to work on. Great!

Then I need to load the actual Project, and Right+Click on my Audio Stems Compound to "Open Clip" and load it into the second "tab" or whatever you call this of the Timeline.

Poof! for some reason FCPX closes the other one this time... go figure? FINALLY, it opens the proper Stems. Oh boy...

Alright so, please Apple, make this Timeline navigation snafu a thing of the past, you know what we want already, we have commented on this for years.

Give us a FREAKING HISTORY ala Adobe. We need a History of the Timeline with the capability to ORGANIZE our Projects and Clips, and a CLEAR LABELLING of things so we can order them, delete them, etc.

Just add this to the Index and be done already.

Is it too much to ask?

IS IT!??

FCPX Audio Meters

 FCPX has a particular audio metering. It scales from minus infinity to +6dB, with intermediary marks at -50dB, -40dB, -30dB, -20dB, -12db, -6dB and 0.

FCPX audio meters showing a 1kHz tone played at -20dB.

FCPX audio meters showing a 1kHz tone played at 0dB.

According to Apple:

"The audio meters show the audio levels of clips in Final Cut Pro and warn you if a particular clip or section of a clip reaches peak levels, which may result in audible distortion.

When an audio clip is approaching peak levels during playback, the level color changes from green to yellow.

When an audio clip exceeds peak levels, the level color changes from yellow to red, and the peak indicator turns red for the respective audio channel or channels. The peak indicators are reset when you stop and start playback.

To avoid having clip volume exceed peak levels, adjust the volume. Although the proper level for a clip depends on the mix, it’s important to make sure that the combined level for all concurrent clips doesn’t exceed 0 dB during the loudest sections."

The Zero being the actual 0dB MAX FULL SCALE. In other words, FCPX has a +6dB buffer up there. Obviously, the absolute loudest sound in your program should not go above zero, even though we have this +6dB buffer for occasional - to be dealt with, or not - incursions.

For film work the median level for dialog is -23dB Full Scale (EBU) or -24dB Full Scale (ATSC-85), on the FCPX meter this translated to a position in-between marks as seen below:

FCPX audio meters showing a 1kHz tone played at -23dB.

A specialized meter display like the YouLean Loudness Meter has  different display for film work, here marking -23dB (the marking can also be set to show -24dB.) Note the YouLean meter has no headroom above zero. That's the absolute max.

YouLean audio meter showing a 1kHz tone played at -23dB.

In practice FCPX meters are fine. Note that they are the PPM kind, not the VU kind. Meaning they show instant Peak values, as opposed to averaged values. For a constant volume sound (like the tones shown above) it's all the same. For dialog which is inherently varying in volume all the time, that's a different story. See below for the same speech displayed on FCPX meter and on the YouLean meter.

FCPX (PPM) meter showing speech played at an average of -20dB.

YouLean (VU) meter showing values for the same speech played at an average of -20dB.

FCPX meters are much more "alive" jumping up and down with huge variation. The YouLean is more tame and tranquil, with limited incursions. Same signal, PPM vs. VU representation.

Starting with a proper range will make the transition into mixing easier. While editing in FCPX it is good practice to have most dialog levels in the -20 to -6dB range, visually "dancing" most of the time in the -12dB vicinity.

FCPX 10.3.4 to DaVinci Resolve 14.3 Observations

I just downloaded DaVinci 14.3 and out of curiosity exported a fcpxml of my current FCPX project to see how well things translate. I'm currently using FCPX 10.3.4.

Let's start with audio and then we'll look at picture:

1) My FCPX project starts at 23:59:57:00 to allow for a 3 sec. preroll and then start the first image at 00:00:00:00. Well Resolve handles this differently and continues playing Timecode at 24:00:00:01 and counting... What?

What is this BMD?

Fairlight counts correctly to 00:00:00:00 pass 24hr., but does not like crossing over and plain STOPS there. Even signifies its refusal with a "T" mark in the time bar. And trying to click further down the time bar doesn't do anything.

You won't go pass that 00:00:00:00 point.

Changing the Timeline Starting Timecode to 00:00:00:00 or 01:00:00:00 effectively removes the "T" mark, or better it's out of the way, and Fairlight plays happily.

2) The Disabled Clips in FCPX Timeline are correctly Disabled in Resolve/Fairlight Timeline, EXCEPT for clips grouped into a Secondary Storyline, see below, thus creating chaos.

3) Stereo clips are brought in as Mono L/R. Why we still have to deal with this ancient mode in modern NLEs are beyond me. Are you listening engineers, programmers? We want proper multi channel audio track handling.

3) The order in which Resolve brings audio clips seem very random, and in any case doesn't take Roles into account in any way.

4) Audio grouped under a Storyline in FCPX translates into Resolve as "Secondary Storyline_L/R clip instead of the proper audio clips name. Thus creating additional chaos.

5) Some audio grouped under Storylines are NOT PRESENT in Resolve Timeline. I don't know why some audio is being dropped. That's wrong.

I guess we cannot use Secondary Storylines for audio for this workflow or we have to take all audio clips out of Secondary Storylines before exporting fcpxml.

6) Gain (a Logic Pro Effect) is ignored. Alex4D Sound Only (a FCPX/Motion Transition) is ignored.

7) Volume is ignored.

8) Fades are ignored.

So all in all, not a very satisfactory first impression audio wise  I mean we live in times where we must keep as much as possible of the information from system to system, and this is clearly not a good example of that. Sending fcpxml to X2Pro to ProTools via AAF is a much more advanced workflow. As far as Audition goes, it still can't open fcpxml, you have to roundtrip through Premiere and loose most of the info there. Audition cannot open AAF, so cannot make use of X2Pro either. Then there is Logic, but I don't have any info at this point. If you do, please leave a comment.

As for picture:

a) Basic Titles with single formatting/font translate correctly. All others do not.

b) Speed changes have been working correctly for some time now, and still do.

c) Stills translate correctly, but not the Ken Burns Effect which is IGNORED. Stills in Secondary Storylines translate as "Secondary Storyline" instead of the name of the still. Plus some seemingly random stills are discarded, and I cannot figure the reason why. That's WRONG.

d) Fades and Cross-Disolves still translate correctly.

e) Effects (Vignette, Color Correction, Gaussian Blur, Drop Shadow) are discarded.

f) Transform and associated keyframes do translate, but appear quite shifted, so adjustment will be necessary.

g) Generators are not understood and continue to be replaced by Roundtrip Dummies.

At this point all the known limitations are still in action, we continue to be in "Bake everything into QT before exporting to fcpxml" mode, or too much is lost in translation. Secondary Storylines are still a no-go and a cleaned-up FCPX timeline is your friend.

FCPX Missing Plug-in (Effect) difficult to track down - pt5 (X-FX Handler)

Couldn't hunt this missing Effect down, so I downloaded X-FX Handler from Spherico: http://www.spherico.com/filmtools/X-Files/X-FXHandler/

Exported an XML of the Project, loaded it into X-FX Handler, and Kaboom!

Look at this missing Hawaiki Effect! FASLE! That's right! But, but, hold on a second... That's fine and dandy, but WHERE CAN I FIND IT IN THE TIMELINE?

Ah! Ah! Here is the secret weapon: double click on the missing Effect and Kabaaahm!

It's enabled on CLIP0000180 - THAT I CAN SEARCH FOR IN THE INDEX.

Three Clip0000180 in my Timeline indeed, and the third one wins the missing Effect prize.
(It was actually OFF!) Delete. Good riddance.

Thank you Andreas Kiel, Spherico.