Need upgrade counseling

Hi, I'm a FCP late bloomer, and I need some expert advice.

I'm currently using FCP3 on a long form documentary project that has gone on way longer then expected. You know, one of those 6+ year monsters.
I keep putting off upgrading, because I keep hearing it's a bad idea to upgrade mid-project... but I'm starting to feel the limitations of the old version.

That's right, I want to join the modern age before end times.... or at least before FCP 6 comes out. I also want to use all the new great plug-ins. The other thing is my timeline has mixed audio rates from footage shot on a vx1000, and I'm under the impression that FCP4&5 handles that better somehow? In FCP, the sync problems seem to come and go. It may be a figment of my imagination but some of the 32khz clips are giving me trouble.

So... I made a copy of my project file, and tried to open it in FCP4. All was well, accept I noticed my clips were a little darker then normal. Not a lot, but enough that I noticed. I've read that it's a good idea to recapture the media in the new system, but I have so many stupid little clips, this would be a nightmare, untill I get farther along towards a final edit. So, recapturing the media is not an option, and I'm looking for alternative solutions, for now. I'm wondering if I could apply some type of filter/plugin to correct whatever gamma issue is going on, or if there's some real loss of information happening I should worry about? As for the audio issues, I did try to recapture one of the 32khz tapes into FCP4, and it started rendering itself or doing something before saving....was that doing anything? Can I just use my old 32khz clips? Again, I know repcapturing, or converting would be best, but I have too many subclips for that to be realistic right now.

Okay, sorry if that was long winded, and confusing. Part of the problem is my own difficulty wrapping my head around all this. Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

If you do upgrade, wait untl the cut is completed in FCP 3. Then upgrade and recapture the consolidated project so everyhting comes in using the newest codec. If possible, retain the older version in the odd case output would be better from that.

32K can be problematic but I realize you're stuck with it from that camera. The newer versions should handle it better.

[As for the audio issues, I did try to recapture one of the 32khz tapes into FCP4, and it started rendering itself or doing something before saving....was that doing anything?]

I'm assuming you were capturing to a NTSC-DV/ 48K project setting?
It was likely upsamplng on the fly and calculating space, etc.

Can I just use my old 32khz clips? Again, I know repcapturing, or converting would be best, but I have too many subclips for that to be realistic right now.]

You might experiment wth a custom project setup such as NTSC-DV / 32K.

- Loren
Today's FCP 5 keytip:
Set a Level keyframe with Command-Option K !

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Thanks, for the help.

I do have to wonder though, what other problems could I experience if I chance it and upgrade now?

All sorts of yummy stuff! Posible luminance shifts, possibly mysterious clps showing up where they shouldnt, all kinds of interesting events. Be prepared to tweak the cut for a day before color and legalizing when it comes into the new system.

HTH

- Loren
Today's FCP 5 keytip:
Set a Level keyframe with Command-Option K !

The FCP 5 KeyGuide?: a professional placemat.
Now available at KeyGuide Central:
www.neotrondesign.com

i would say, though, that i *suspect* going from FCP3 to 4 is MORE problematic than going all the way to FCP5.

i've been opening a lot of old projects in FCP5, and havent noticed any problems,
(but i'm mainly just looking and grabbing, not editing)

if you have to stay in FCP4, update as soon as possible away from 4.0.
it was the buggiest version of FCP ever.

cheers,
nick

Thanks Nick, I had actually wondered about that. FCP4 sounded messy, but going all the way to FCP5 seemed like it could offer even more potential for problems. I would have to jump to Quicktime 7, right?

ah.. yes.
and upgrade to Tiger.
so maybe not such a good idea after all.

but if you DID have tiger, then going to QT7 and FCP5 would make sense.

nick

Although it's not a good idea to upgrade mid project, I think a lot of this would depend on your computer and OS. Being that you are on FCP3 I am going to assume you are probably on an older G4. (correct me if I'm wrong). My suggestion would be to buy a totally new system. Computer and FCP Studio. Then you could still have the old set up to fall back on if something didn't go right when you open the project on the new system. You could even make a complete copy of all the media and project files and open that on the new system.

OK, while on topic, I have my FCP Studio upgrade sitting in a box next to me but im waiting for a new Hitachi drive to come and be my new system drive.

I'm thinking now is the time to upgrade everything and just want to make sure of a few things.

From what i;ve heard, the best combination is to run Tiger, FCP5 and QT 7. Is that right?

Now, does it matter if its 10.4.3 as they are currently selling in stores? Should i jump right in to the newest OS? What about QT 7.04? It's caused havoc on my home system and i can;t afford troubles at my work's station.

Ok, just making sure, thanks so much...
-S

The smartest thing I think you could do here is to cover your tushie in both directions.

Use Carbon Copy Cloner (or another drive cloning utility...) & make exact duplicates of your system drive and your media drive. Put those in a safe place. A VERY safe place.

Then wipe the drives and start installing from a fresh initializing of the disks...or at least the system disk. You may be able to leave the media drive as is...

You can also just take out the existing drives and put new ones in. Then your existing system and media drives will be completely unfettered. Very safe!

This way, you can always go back to EXACTLY what you have right now if this upgrade ends up being a baaaaad idea.

This gives you best of both worlds. Freedom to upgrade, and the ability to revert completely and easily to something you KNOW works if it goes horribly horribly horribly awry....

Drives are cheap these days!

hi
just wondering if there is any difference between going from fcp3 project to a fcp4.5 or fcp5?

are the issues that loren mentions also likely to happen going to fcp5?

i recently upgraded a project from fcp3 to fcp4.5 and noticed that many of the audio clips had changed from A1 + A2 to Stereo.
It was an easy fix.

But i have another project that needs to go from Fcp3 to 5 and wondering if it will face similiar issues that upgrading to 4.5 entailed?

thanks
craig