Not quite buyers remorse, but... Mac Mini, final cut pro x

Yesterday I bought my first mac, a late 2012 mac mini 2.3 GHz i7 with 4GB RAM. I do some very semi-professional video work and for years have been using a PC I built with Sony Vegas and it was time to get mac.
I know I took a chance with the mac mini, considering it doesn't have dedicated GPU, but it's not as snappy as I expected. To be fair, I've ordered RAM to get this machine up to 16GB, so maybe it will get better.
What I'm wondering is if there's any other mac mini users who have are using final cut pro x and adobe photoshop with similar specs?
I may be returning this and building my own PC again, I don't know. I really want this mac to be as awesome as I think it can be. Any experiences is appreciated.

Not FinalCut, but I do use Adobe Premiere, Encore and AfterEffects as well as PS, Dreamweaver and Audition.
PS was terribly slow with the OEM 4Gb. My Mini is a Corei5.
I first bumped up to 8Gb and that helped, but Premiere was still slow rendering. Photoshop worked well.
I have 16Gb now and I can run PS or Premiere with a Virtual Machine running too, and no lag at all.

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Mac Mini - Final Cut Pro HD rendering

Hi
I have the late 2009 model mac mini, which I'm using to edit with final cut pro 7.
Up until recently I have always used DV footage, but I'm currently editing a project using HD footage from two cameras, one filmed at 720p the other with 1080p. The 720 footage is fine but the 1080 footage requires rendering each time I make any changes at all. I currently have the RT set to safe, and the playback set to dynamic. I've tried changing these settings which result in no change.
My question is - if I upgrade my mac mini to 8gb of ram instead of the 4gb currently installed, will this solve my issue?

NO. 8GB RAM is ideal for HD editing. But RAM isn't invovled in RT playback. The CPU and hard drive are. On an iMac you are stuck with FW800 external as your Scratch Disk, and this is just barely fast enough to deal with HD editing.
To make things run more efficiently, I'd make sure the codec of both camera footage match. That will save your CPU and hard drive a lot of work. I'm going to get the 720 is DVCPRO-HD and the 1080 is HDV? Any Long-GOP footage is going to bog down on FW800, so change it to either ProRes. Or if the 720 footage is Panasonic DVCPRO-HD then transcode it to that. That FW800 drive, and the GPU on that model of iMac are simply the best for HD video editing.
Set RT to Unlimited, Dynamic, you'll get the most playback out of it you can, once the codec issue is settled.

Mac Mini & Final Cut Pro X: Intel Core i5 vs. Intel Core i7?

The Intel Core i5 is a dual-core, while the Intel Core i7 is a quad-core. Which one should I get and which one is more beneficial? Will I notice a difference in performance between the two? Besides FCPX, I'm also going to be listening to music, browsing the Internet, creating discs, and playing games. I know that the Macs no longer have a disc drive, but I am going to be buying an external disc drive.

Like woodmeister50, I generally buy the top of the model line (I have a late 2012 Mac mini with the 2.6GHz i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and Fusion drive) on the theory it will perform well enough to last through at least one more generation before I am longing for an upgrade. That said, given what you say you are planning to do with your Mac mini you are unlikely to notice a difference in performance between the i5 and i7 processors. However, you are likely to notice a difference between the model with only an HDD and one with a Fusion Drive. The Fusion drive will yield disk I/O performance that feels like a SSD but with the capacity of an HD. That could be a noticeable difference using FCPX.
NOTE: You mentioned games and with highly graphic intensive RPGs you may not be satisfied with the performance of the Intel video processor in the mini. If you are a serious gamer I would recommend you consider an iMac or even a Mac Pro for their superior video performance.

Can/ how do I link two or more "projects" - not events or clips - "projects" together in final cut pro 10?

Can/ how do I link two or more "projects" - not events or clips - "projects" together in final cut pro 10?

Thanks Tom -
I created two "sequences". They are currently listed individually in the "project library". Now I want to take sequence "B" and attatch it in it's entirety to the end of sequence "A" - forming one long sequence.
I have tried to drag sequence "B" and drop it into "A's" timeline. I have tried to creat a compound clip. I'm either missing something - or - you can create a compound "clip" or a compound "event" - but perhaps you cannot link to "projects" together.
Does this help descibe my problem?
Thanks again.

Is Adobe Lightroom compatible with Mac's Final Cut Pro & iPhoto?

Is Adobe Lightroom compatible with Mac's Final Cut Pro?
I have 27" Mac Pro and I'm a Fine Art Photographer. I need features similar to LR. But I need to know ~ is it is compatible with my Final Cut Pro & iPhoto?

What kind of compatibility are you looking for?

I need the font style century gothic for a project im working on, but neither my final cut pro x nor my photoshop have this font style. Where do you get/buy new fonts?

I need the font style century gothic for a project im working on, but neither my final cut pro x nor my photoshop have this font style. Where do you get/buy new fonts?

Not on this list.
Maybe it gets installed with something else? For example, I have MS Ofiice on the 10.7 system but not on the others.
Russ

I have two "MACs" and Final Cut Pro 7. I need a license to use this same software on both "Macs" How do I get it?

I have two "MACs" and Final Cut Pro 7.
I need a license to use this same software on both "Macs"
How do I get it?

You don't. You can install the same copy of FCP-7 on two macs (as long as you own both macs). You can't operate both copies at the same time.
MtD

Suitable macs for final cut pro?

Hello everybody,
I decided to switch to a MAC, in order to learn Final Cut Pro, but I need a clarification.
I'm interested in an iMAC 21.5inch, base model, so with a graphic card "NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory" (taken from the site).
I'm afraid that final cut pro is not supporting such a system, can you please confirm (or not) my impression?
Thank you very much!

Final Cut Pro will work perfectly on the cheapest iMac.
The graphics card may impinge on the performance of Color (one of the apps included in Final Cut Studio) but if you are an amateur you are unlikely to be too bothered about that.

Premiere Pro CS3 on Mac versus Final Cut Pro

Any of you working on a mac with Premiere Pro CS3? If so, why did you choose Premiere over Final Cut Pro?
I'm currently using a Matrox RTX100 on a custom made PC that has all the correct pieces of hardware to make it work. It's running PPro 1.5 and I'm looking to upgrade to a new computer and wanted to know if PPro CS3 runs better or like butter on a Mac versus a PC. I will be using a Raid 0 1TB drive from G-Raid. For Mac the other option is Final Cut Studio 2.
I've been a Premiere user since 1999-2000 and have had my share of grief with it but have grown to like it very much especially with the integration with AE.
I want to know what your thoughts are if you were in the same position.
Thanks,
Frank

I'm using PP CS3 on the Mac, having recently switched from a Windows machine. Since I already owned the Windows version of CS3 Adobe allowed me to "crossgrade" to Mac for the cost of shipping. I took a look at FCP but saw no compelling reason to make the switch in editing programs. If you do a lot of editing in HD it might be a different story as PP doesn't include an intermediate codec (FCP does), has issues with HDV video/audio sync and lacks native support for XDCAM. Hopefully these particular weaknesses in PP will be addressed soon.
PP CS3 on the Mac has worked very well for me so far. The integration with AE is excellent. One other thing to note is that PP is available as a stand only app. This is no longer true of FCP, where you are forced to buy the entire Studio 2.

Audio sounds great in Quicktime Player but horrible in Final Cut Pro

I'm working with a 16-bit wav file that sounds great in the quicktime player but once I bring it into Final Cut Pro 6 and play it back, it sounds like the quality has degraded quite a bit. I've tried setting audio playback quality to high in preferences, but this has not helped.

Hi -
Open the wav file in Quicktime 7 and export it as a 48Khz AIFF file.
Import that file into FCP and see if that solves your problem.
MtD

Can not turn on the AV Output with Final Cut Pro 10.1.1 and IOS 10,2,9, Who can help me

Non riesco a attivare A/V Output con Final Cut Pro 10.1.1 e Mavericch 10.9.2

First, Mavericks is an OS X version, not an iOS version. iOS is for mobile devices, OS X is for Macs.
Second, what is the specific input/output device your Mac is using for A/V Output to access?
Have you gone into the Preferences, into the Playback section, and in the "A/V Ouput" menu, what device A/V Output is suppoed to use? Then, go to the Window menu and turn on A/V Output.
If none of that works, you have a compatability issue. Verify with the manufacturer you have the latest drivers, and that it is compatible with OS X Mavericks 10.2.9 and FCPX 10.1.1.

Ok I am looking at macs for final cut pro

I want to find the best option to run final cut pro x and motion, can anyone give me any advice...
the iMacs are simply not powerful enough
I am waiting for the next edition of MacPros from Apple in Europe
and the other option is looking at Hackintosh
can anyone suggest the following
RAM?
Disk?
Graphics Card?
Sound Card for Logic?
Thanks

Hi there
Your characterization that "iMacs are simply not powerful enough" is not accurate. You can customize the iMac to be very powerful if you want to spend the money.
Processor
Get amazing performance from the quad-core Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor, which features four processor cores on a single chip. Choose the speed and processor you want.
Processor
3.2GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
3.4GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz [Add $200.00]
Memory
More memory (RAM) increases performance and enables your computer to perform faster and better. Choose additional 1600MHz DDR3 memory for your iMac.
Memory
8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X8GB [Add $200.00]
32GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x8GB [Add $600.00]
Storage
Configure your iMac with a large Serial ATA hard drive. Or choose flash storage for greater performance. Or get the best of both worlds and select Fusion Drive.
Storage
1TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
3TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm [Add $150.00]
1TB Fusion Drive [Add $250.00]
3TB Fusion Drive [Add $400.00]
768GB Flash Storage [Add $900.00]
Graphics
Your iMac features next-generation NVIDIA graphics based on the Kepler architecture. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX with 1GB of dedicated GDDR5 video memory comes standard for superior graphics performance. For even better graphics response, configure your iMac with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX with 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 video memory.
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX 1GB GDDR5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX 2GB GDDR5 [Add $150.00]
In fact I'm using a late 2007 model iMac and it seems to work fine with FCPX.
See here for specifications. http://support.apple.com/kb/SP624
IMHO buy the best equipment you can afford rather than waiting for some undetermined time for a product update that may or may not come. And, I'd stay away from the Frankentosh. You may end up spending a lot of time and money not to mention frustration using one of those machines.
Carl

Not hearing external instrument through speakers in final cut pro 7.

I'm using Final Cut Pro 7. When I connect an instrument to the line in on my macbook pro, I don't hear sound through the speakers or headphones while I'm playing the instrument. I'm using the voice over tool and it does record the instrument ... I just can't hear what I'm playing. I'm trying to do a simple background audio to a movie I'm making.
Thanks,
Jay

Hi. Your FCP7 question should be posted in this forum. https://discussions.apple.com/community/professional_applications/final_cut_stud io
Good luck.
Russ

Slim 2010 Mac mini & Final Cut Studio 3

Hello all,
Is anyone running Final Cut Studio 3 on one of the new 2010 slim Mac minis or mini server? Is it really slow or is it running OK.
Thank you all very much.
Message was edited by: MLCinema

Some things to consider when you are deciding what to buy...
What are your needs?
Are you playing with FCS or will it be paying the bills?
If you are planning on doing a lot of work then you will need an additional hard drive to your system drive either internal or external.
Some machines don't allow for adding internal hard drives.
You will want at least 2G's of RAM to run FCS
Make sure you get a video card that can handle Motion if you plan on using that app.
There are plenty more gotchas that can pop up depending on what your plans are so think it through and remember sometimes going cheaper can cost you more in the long run than if you had just shelled out a little more in the beginning

Can not make still image using share in Final Cut Pro x

This is what I get when trying to make a still image under share.
(com.apple.Compressor.CompressorKit.ErrorDomain error -1.)
This is a new error message. Was able to make still image before.
Thanks for anny help in solving this problem.
Russ Andris

Hi again Russ,
just posted this over at Compressor because of the Compressor related error message I was getting wheN i tried to 'Share' a sill image from video.
Thanks for the tip Russ, I did not know that one. I had tried using cmd+shift+3 with Snapz Pro to screen capture which intially worked but then did not. I tried ditching the prefs and the apps with Digital Rebellion but had no luck in saving a still. But, I installed the new FCPX update and on first try I was able to export a stll frame, on one laptop anyway. BTW, must say, I am not keen on the 'Share' notion in an app like FCPX. What I considering I am doing when trying to obtain a stil image is exporting or saving not sharing. I hope Apple might considered amending such terminology, share seems appropriate for iTunes or iWeb but not FCPX.
One more thing, a truly odd one. Files marled as .mov from my Fujifilm X100 will not import into FCPX!!
That is truly amazing - Quicktime files not recognised by an Apple aplication!! Our trials are not over.
D

Not quite buyers remorse, but... Mac Mini, final cut pro x

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