Upgrade CS5.5 to CS6 or get Final Cut X?

[Brian Pascale]

I have been using mostly FCP7 but slowly starting to use CS5.5. I can either upgrade that to CS6.0, or for about the same money go for FPCX. I haven't invested in a graphics card yet to take advantage of the Mercury Engine, but will if I stick with Premiere. I do documentaries both long and short, as well as promo and spots. Any thoughts of which is better when working with Red footage?

I could get both, but am only going to invest the time to learn one inside and out.

 

[Mark Toia]

Ive been testing both for some time now. FCP X has some great features and a highly annoying interface...
Premier is still FCP 7 type editing, simple , what you know.... But a little bit clunky and CPU heavy... lacks in some areas.

For me, I think CS6 will get the nod, only because the ADOBE boys listen and are try to better the application each update.

We are about two computer evolutions away frrom awesome... were we can edit, grade RED in real time is full res... and I think Adobe are in the box seat for this, and apple hate it ! . I'd love for Apple to make a FCP CLASSIC look interface in FCP X, so none of us need to jump through there stupid interface hoops.. as I do think FCP X has better tools, but the interface sadly is shit, and the hidden save files and no scatch etc drives me nuts.

My money is on Adobe being the choice into the future.. and with direct links to the most underated, massively powerful compositing tool named After Effects... makes it even better.

But at the end of the day..... this is only my humble opinion .

 

[Matthew B]

You can download a trial of FCP X.

The red cine RMD -> FCP X workflow is awesome. I'm cutting at 1/4 debayer multi streams, no rocket, no raid. Loving it.

A few days understanding the magnetic timeline is in order and you will find yourself clicking 10x less and making cuts significantly faster. I can't imagine going back to the NLE timeline paradigm of 1998.

 

[Ethan Cooper]

Been using the trial of FCP-X for a couple days now and I'm shocked at how much I don't hate it. For whatever that's worth.

 

[Jeff Whitehurst]

I bought and learned both, having used mostly CS6 until FCPX's recent 10.0.6 update with native R3D integration. Since 10.0.6, I'm liking FCPX more than Premiere for my work (wildlife documentary). The option to transcode and create proxy media in the background on ingest, yet retain easy in-timeline RAW setting changes, and then automatically use full debayer R3D data on export is awesome. Way better than relinking offline/online files manually. I get better playback performance and monitoring quality on both my 17" MacBook Pro and decked out Mac Pro with FCPX, and I can use ProRes proxy files for playback and R3D's for renders without having to commit to one or the other. Keyword and favorites tagging is really helping me manage and choose takes from tons of similar shots. Color matching shots is sweet in FCPX. I used and enjoyed Premiere with R3D's, but I found an R3D Premeire/AE roundtrip to be problematic, slow and unstable, and still ended up rendering out exports to roundtrip instead of using embedded in-timeline AE comps. You could place an R3D in the Premiere timeline natively, but accessing RAW data was kludgy and I found I constantly had lengthy renders and exports, which made editing slow.
2 cents...

 

[Wil Wong]

I'm a big fan of FCP X. It's not perfect but I do like the new layout. I find the 'bento box' approach a lot cleaner to deal with then the past design.

It can get bogged down if you end up doing a lot of layers and graphics and don't transcode...but it is fun (in my opinion) to use the new interface. I think it's because I think more about what I can do rather then how to do it.

My opinion of coarse.

 

[Gary Paul Walker]

I have a bizarre question for those folks that upgraded to 6 from 5.5 - After the upgrade does Flash Catalyst disappear entirely?
I want (or perhaps need) to upgrade, but I'll be sad to see the lil'-program-that-pastes-over-my-Flash-ineptitude go!

 

[Mark Toia]

7 against 1... FCPX wins

 

[Matthew B]

Mark, if we can sort out why you are getting dropped frames in your timeline we might be able to change your perspective...

 

[Tim Morten]

CS6 for the win. Apple only just caught up, and Adobe has another release around the corner that will widen the gap all over again. Adobe monitors RedUser and responds to posts. Apple tells you what features you're supposed to want, and takes a year to course correct when they get it wrong. Adobe is adding better and better integration with Speedgrade, AE, etc. Apple has no roadmap whatsoever.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

This is a very interesting time in NLE history. Really, there's no clear cut winner per se but rather multiple workflows for different types of users. A lot of movie and TV editors cut with Avid. A lot of people on here hate Avid from what I've been able to gather from various threads. Why the discrepancy? Because the people using Avid have workflows that require it and other solutions probably didn't fit their needs. Same goes for Premiere and FCP-X. These NLEs are fulfilling needs of other editors who have found these tools give them the most efficient workflow. I have a love/hate relationship with all of them. That's why they all have a place in my editing suite and why they all get used. Would love to have the magic box that fulfills all my needs but unfortunately that is not the case right now. Need multiple tools to get things done. For the OP, I would identify your needs, how fast you have to work, how you like to work, etc. and test drive all the tools you can to make an informed decision. It's the best way to approach it.

 

[Lewis Smithingham]

they all have a place in my editing suite and why they all get used. Would love to have the magic box that fulfills all my needs but unfortunately that is not the case right now. Need multiple tools to get things done. For the OP, I would identify your needs, how fast you have to work, how you like to work, etc. and test drive all the tools you can to make an informed decision. It's the best way to approach it.

I completely agree with the above. CS6 can be a little clunky, but it has a much better engine behind it, and tends to churn out better results. additionally, I feel like the adobe dudes have their heads in the game and actual care what we want and seem to be more supportive. with that said, ive found it annoying for very large projects (really anything more than ten minutes) render times are insane (even with a rocket, cuda card, 48gb of ram and 8 cores). But FCP is also annoying for large projects and anything with a real post-production workflow

On the other hand, apple is clearly just a cell phone manufacturer now (I WANT A NEW TOWER!!!!), and I feel like FCPX is more of an afterthought than an actual program and i resent the fact that apple keeps telling me what I want rather than responding to my requests, but then again, I felt this way when apple got rid of floppy drives. I remember moaning about how crazy it was and how Ill never be able to use a floppy again, etc.


AVID can be clunky, and is certainly harder to use, but it has much better support for projects that are going through the full post production process.

use and learn all three!

 

[Matthew B]

I think it is an oversight to say that FCP X is an afterthought...

After using the app for a year, and having a background in UX development, it is clear to me that the designers of the app spent a lot of time watching editors work and said "We can remove a significant amount of clicking here" – and it is clear they set out to do something different.

Think about it, In most NLE's you are managing a timeline. There is a lot of selecting, moving out of the way, inserting, selecting and moving back, rinse and repeat. This is the NLE paradigm of 1998 and I don't miss it one bit.

 

[Jarek Zabczynski]

FCPX is a dead stick.

 

[brett ogden]

Or what about waiting for ADOBE's Next thing i *hear it looks great...

 

[Brian Pascale]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I will plow ahead with Adobe and test Final Cut Pro X when I have the time. I don't mind learning multiple softwares, but when I switch back and forth I constantly use the wrong keyboard short cut. I never thought Final Cut Pro 7 was the cat's meow, but for simple bread and butter editing there where times when the interface faded away and it was just me and the material. Oh well, this is the forth editing software in my career I am leaving behind to move onto greener more powerful pastures, surely it won't be the last. Good bye Final Cut 7, hello future.

 

[Matthew B]

... there where times when the interface faded away and it was just me and the material...

this is exactly what I believe the UX designers accomplished with FCP X - "managing a timeline" is an unnecessary bloat in the storytelling process. FCP X is a tool that lets me try more things in less time and I mean it when I say that I don't miss the old NLE paradigm one bit... That combined with the unbelievably awesome r3d workflow... It's really worth a trial for anyone who has seen the NLE evolve since the media 100 days.