What I hope for in Final Cut Pro 5.0
Everything points to a new version of Final Cut Pro at NAB, starting 16th of April.
I will eat this post if Final Cut Pro is the “latest version announced” the day after NAB, 22nd of April.
Here’s what I would like to see in FCP 5.0:
Move before import
I would like to see a checkbox somewhere when I’m importing something. When this is checked, files are moved to the current Capture scratch folder before importing. I’ve blogged about this before.
One click CD import
In the File menu I would like to see: Import drom audio CD. Then a iTunes-ish window pops up, where I check which tunes to import. Or listen to them. When clicking import, all files go to your projects folder in Capture scratch, inside a folder marked by CD name, artist etc (just like iTunes does).
One click Backup project
Put “Backup project” in a menu somewhere. Pick a sequence or several, and choose “Backup project”. It saves all files that can’t be batched. That is imported soundfiles from CDs, graphic files etc. But not things that came from tapes, those can be batched (batch digitize). FCP then collects all the files, reports if any are missing, and asks for a destination. And tell you to insert an empty DVD if you want to backup to DVD. The folder (or DVD) it then creates is called “(name of project) backup 040205″ by default but yoy can change it. It also puts a PDF-file with the names of the tapes needed to batch the sequence. That way, you can give the DVD to an assistant without FCP on his Mac, and he/she still will be able to find the tapes and put them at your desk.
iTunes and iPhoto tabs in Browser
I would like an iTunes tab in the Final Cut Pro browser. Just like we have “Effects”. When clicking this tab I see all my iTunes tracks, and also my playlists. This would be a HUGE timesaver, as we have all our audio effects in iTunes. With a iTunes Tab I could get to all the sound effects without using other software.
Same goes with iPhoto, even though it’s much more seldom I need photos in FCP.
Multiuser iTunes enviroment
This is not a Final Cut Pro wish, but adresses an important issue for FCP users working at bigger post houses or schhols where several stattions are connected through a fast network or a SAN. Let’s say you have 200 sound effects CDs that you want 10 FCP Macs to share. You insert every single one into iTunes on one Mac and import every track (in 48 KHz of course). Thanks to CDDB you don’t have to type all the names!
When all the sound effects are imported, and stored in a single folder on the SAN or network, go to every FCP Mac and import the whole folder again. Remember to check off that option that moves songs you import. The whole point is that the sounds should stay at the server/SAN.
OK, so now we have 10 FCP Macs with access to all our sound effects. The licence for this is of course ok. No stealing here.
Then, next week, you get 15 more CDs. You import them on the first Mac, then what? Then you have to do the same import again for all 10 Macs. No good.
iTunes is a great program for music and sound effects. Apple should make a version that lets an administrator update the library on several Macs from one central location. Not to steal or copy music illegally, but to make things easier for the companies that uses their other software, like Logic and Final Cut Pro.
It could be connected in some way to Apple Remote Desktop 2, or maybe XSAN. And only work on the same subnet. This would prevent it from being misused by people who just want to copy music between Macs.
What are your top wishes?
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