Final Cut Pro hangs while validating audio units

I can understand your frustration but you probably don't need such drastic measures. Just rename /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components to Components.ignore or whatever you'd like so FCP won't try to load them at launch. When you want to run Logic or another DAW, just rename it back to Components.

It seems this AU issue is due to something related to the macOS 13.3.1 update since that's when most people here say they encountered it so hopefully Apple will provide a fix to FCP or macOS soon.

The renaming of the components folder isn't a workaround when using Logic. Logic btw. has no probs when rescanning the AUs.

A checkroutine should return with a message and should not stay in the nirvana.

Found the solution. I had recently installed Screens 4. Uninstalled it, then uninstalled FCPX totally, reinstalled, and everything is now fine.

But yes, there is an AU Validation issue. Mine hung up on various different AudioUnits, including Apple's own SoundIsolation AU.

I really don't think it's specific AUs, it's something buggy in Ventura 13.3.1 AU Valitator system. FYI; Logic Pro X nor any other app I have that uses AUs has any issues at all. FCPX seems to just get more buggy with every macOS update.

I agree, my AU hanging issue only happened when i updated MacOS to Ventura 13.3. Before that FCPX worked fine.

A lot of is because Apple update their pro apps far less frequently than they do OS system updates. Of course 3rd party apps also need to be in line with the newer OS, but my AUs work fine in Logic Audio on Ventura. So, i think FCPX and Ventura are out of tandem and why it’s buggy.

i still do think FCPX leaves a lot to be desired with how it works with audio, generally speaking, but that’s another topic. 🤓

It's almost like people refuse to actually read the thread before giving redundant solutions that don't work.

It is not an issue with AU Compatibility. The AUs work fine. You can validate them and use them in Logic Pro, Studio One, Resolve and other software and they function as expected.

The issue is FCP-specific and has to do with the way it validates Audio Units.

Wasting hours of your time moving all of your hundreds of Components out and then restarting the app over and over to see if anything fails validation (which is common even in Logic Pro, for various reasons - you simply to go to the manager and rescan them and they pass) is wasteful.

What Apple needs to do is move AU Validation to a background process, separate from the rest of the software, and allow the software to start up even if the AU Validator fails. If there is an issue, then issue an error message if anything goes on. That way, even if the AUs don't get scanned/validated, people aren't left unable to do actual work when they turn around and break the software - only to leave it broken for months at a time.

13.3 released in January. The software has been broken THAT long. Is this supposed to be a Pro App, or is it just an expensive PowerDirector alternative requiring an expensive hardware dongle for ... rich hobbyists?

This isn't just a case of the software crashing here and there. It's LITERALLY UNUSABLE, and unfortunately I need my Audio Plug-ins and I'm not going to be moving things back and forth every time I need to switch applications. Sorry, but no. That isn't even a workaround.

i had similar until i deleted fcp preference files. Hold cmd + alt while launching fcp x app. It’ll ask if you want to delete prefs. Then it’ll rescan AUs. After that for me i was able to single out the “incompatible” plugins in fcp.

YMMV! But for me the only brand i had issues with in FCP was Izotope. Everything else, including waves, ik multimedia, arturia, slate, etc worked fine once id removed izotope AUs.

I've sold my MBP. I'm shipping it out Monday. I will use Resolve on my ASUS, and I can't be bothered to give feedback if they can't be bothered to test the product for such blatantly obvious breakages.

This is not an attempt to excuse Apple but whenever anything new comes out there will usually be unexpected consequences.

To minimise this tech companies give their products to hundreds (thousands?) of users for testing prior to release.

However, no two users will have the same apps, folders, files and other gubbins on their computers so the tech companies cannot be 100% certain there will not be some people who fall through the safety testing net.

I would think they tested FCP with the new system but forgot that some users (a minority) use third party plugins or assumed they would work the same as the built-in ones.

These comments are a bit late but may help some people in the future.

The regulars on this forum know that new releases can be problematic so they generally have "automatic updates" switched off and don't update for a week or so until any flaws have been discovered.

My technique with updates to the operating system is to download the update, create a new volume on the Hard Drive/SSD with Disk Utility and use my critical apps on that volume.

After thoroughly checking everything is OK, I can delete the new volume and install the updated OS as per usual.

Ian R. Brown wrote:

This is not an attempt to excuse Apple but whenever anything new comes out there will usually be unexpected consequences.

To minimise this tech companies give their products to hundreds (thousands?) of users for testing prior to release.

However, no two users will have the same apps, folders, files and other gubbins on their computers so the tech companies cannot be 100% certain there will not be some people who fall through the safety testing net.

I would think they tested FCP with the new system but forgot that some users (a minority) use third party plugins or assumed they would work the same as the built-in ones.

It's literally freezing validating Apple's own System AUs for people. Lol. Again, this has nothing to do with third party Audio Units. I'm not sure how many times this has to be stated before people get it.

So... I swapped out the offending unit, only to have it hang on the very next one -- as though the problem is whatever unit it happens to hit as its 43rd. Grrr.

So I took a nuclear strike approach - went to Library > Audio and just renamed the Components folder. That way FCP didn't see any of them at all. Which is fine for my use case. And now I'm up and running.

Thanks for the tips above!

I don't understand how anyone could think Disabling all of your AUs in a Video Editor is a workaround. That seems a bit uber-casual and out of touch. I am not trying to take out the frustration I have with apple on the forum, but I don't even understand how someone could think that is a reliable workaround... except to people who do nothing but chop out clips for TikTok or their Facebook Timeline.

Without those plug-ins, the software itself is of no use. It's the reason why I have the plug-ins. If they weren't useful, I'd have deleted them all and moved on - why even waste GBs of storage on my machine for them, if I don't *actually* need them. I don't even really use Logic Pro on that machine... ever. It was purchased for Final Cut Pro.

Video is an Audio-Visual medium. We can't just be expected to disable all of our plug-ins, plug-ins that were purchased and/or installed specifically for use in the software. Until Final Cut Pro offers the equivalent of - at least - RX Standard, then that is 100% a no-go. Not for the type of footage I have to work with (due to the facilities/environments in which it is recorded, not because it was "badly recorded").

If Video Plug-ins couldn't be scanned and were freezing FCP the way AUs are, I wonder how people would react to others telling them to just disable all of them and wait for Apple to remember that they completely broke their own software. It's been at least a full month since they broke this, and they haven't even attempted to fix it.

All of this for... correct Skin Tones on Pushing Hands emoji?

If you can't wait for a fix the only solution is to create a new volume on your boot drive with Disk Utility, install an earlier version of macOS on that and use it for FCP.

Once you have the installer the whole process takes less than half an hour and you will be able to use FCP and all your plugins exactly as before.

The problem for me is I'm a Pro Tools editor and have hundreds of plug ins.. they all brick FCPX

And quite often I'm bouncing between FCPX and Pro tools, so removing them or making a new user just doesn't work.. Upgrading to Ventura has been a absolute dud for me ..

But the Automator may be a kind of workaround sure .. id be happy for FCPX to not even use the AU components .. But they share a common folder and that's not possible right?

Thanks Ian .. Id just updated to Ventura so yes definitely that's a option to go back but I think I'm going to use Pro Tools with AAX plug ins and avoid using any AU plug ins or other apps that use them for the time being, I was just about to start on Logic but ill wait .. that will keep me running till there is a fix. Id forgotten Pro Tools no longer uses AU on the version I have.. so that's something