How to deal with lag in FCPX?

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Level 1

133 points

How to deal with lag in FCPX?

Hello to all.

I have been observing a lag while editing on the timeline of late. Was there earlier too but seems to have increased after upgrading to Yosemite 10.10.4 and 10.2.1 version of FCPX.

I have turned off background render but yet the application is annoyingly slow to respond to commands.

[iMac 21.5-inch, Mid 2011; Processor: 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5; Memory: 12 GB; Graphics AMD Radeon 6750M 512 MB]

Is there any way to shift gears?

Thanks in advance!

Dr. Somanna

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.4), garage band, FCPX:10.2.1, iPhone 5,

Posted on Jul 26, 2015 9:17 PM

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Answer 1

Alchroma

Level 7

23,809 points

Jul 26, 2015 9:58 PM in response to somanna

somanna wrote:

[iMac 21.5-inch, Mid 2011; Processor: 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5; Memory: 12 GB; Graphics AMD Radeon 6750M 512 MB]

Dr. Somanna

The above specs are getting on the lower side of the FCP X equation.

Memory 12 gig:

Does this memory relate to all that is on your system drive available?

Al

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Answer 2

somanna Author

Level 1

133 points

Jul 26, 2015 10:22 PM in response to Alchroma

Hello Alchroma! Thanks for the reply. Yes that is the present capacities on the system. The RAM is 12 GB comprising 2x2 GB [came with the iMac at the time of purchase] and 2x4 GB, installed by self.

I have found this product but am not sure whether it would work for my Mac. Sending you the screenshots of the products specs:

The devices on which it works is stated:

I have been guessing that insufficient RAM could be the cause of delayed responses, but would like to be guided by those who know!

Regards and take care,

Dr. Somanna

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Answer 3

Jul 27, 2015 1:11 AM in response to somanna

Loss of 'snappiness' could mean :

Apps&OS need room to 'breath' - rule of thumb: the 'system drive' should offer 20, 30 GBs; check the free disk-space for the location of your OS, usually the internal "Macintosh HD'drive; in case you had partitioned that drive, check hat partition.

most probably: 'hidden processes': launch your Actitvity Monitor App (Apps/Disk Utilites/...)

click on the CPU tab, click on '%CPU' to sort the processes (in my screen shot: a Radio app 'eats' CPU power most ...)

Demanding processes could be list with 3-400% !

check that ....

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Answer 4

Jul 27, 2015 4:24 AM in response to Alchroma

Are you editing using your internal disk drive?

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Answer 5

Russ H

Level 7

22,432 points

Jul 27, 2015 4:59 AM in response to somanna

I'm going to follow up on Al's comment and suggest you click on one tab to the right on Karsten's screenshot of the Activity Monitor, If your Physical memory (12 GB) is substantially exceeded by your virtual memory, things become inefficient – particularly in a resource-intensive NLE application. Sometimes, waiting Final Cut and restarting will free up memory. But on Yosemite, I've found that Safari and Mail are often the memory hogs. Rather than reboot, there are some apps available to clear out memory, although it can be done quickly in Terminal).

Russ

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Answer 6

somanna Author

Level 1

133 points

Jul 27, 2015 5:45 AM in response to Russ H

Thanks for this guidance Russ.

I am posting a screenshot of the Activity monitor with the 'memory tab' clicked. FCPX seems to be occupying a lot of the RAM. I do not know about virtual memory and where its data is to be read. Please see this screenshot I've taken. May I be enlightened about the problem? FYI, I had about 4 Word documents that were open and I have closed them before this screenshot. Also, NOTES was open I had closed that too. I would like to know more about the apps you have mentioned that would clear out memory.

I feel glad to see yours and others posts to help me.

Regards and take care!

Dr. Somanna

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Answer 7

somanna Author

Level 1

133 points

Jul 27, 2015 5:48 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Hello Luis! I am locating my library in an external 1 TB thunderbolt drive. I use it as a 'scratch disk'. Right now it has 632 GB of free space.

Regards and take care,

Dr. Somanna

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Answer 8

Jul 27, 2015 5:49 AM in response to somanna

From the screenshot you posted, memory does not seem to be the problem.

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Answer 9

Jul 27, 2015 5:50 AM in response to somanna

And how much free space on the system drive?

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Answer 10

somanna Author

Level 1

133 points

Jul 27, 2015 6:02 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Greetings Karsten. Nice to see your reply.

My internal HD has about 500 GB of which I find only 164 GB used and 334 GB free. I have not partitioned this drive.

I have clicked on the CPU tab of the Activity monitor. I have taken a screenshot of it. I see that most of the items listed are not eating up CPU power.

Thanks once again for the guidance. Regards and take care,

Dr. Somanna

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Answer 11

Russ H

Level 7

22,432 points

Jul 27, 2015 6:14 AM in response to somanna

So how was FCP performing for you when you took that screen shot? The OS allocates memory according to process demands, which are constantly changing,

If Final Cut was responding slowly when you took this shot, I would agree with Luis that it's not memory-related,

Russ

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Answer 12

somanna Author

Level 1

133 points

Jul 27, 2015 7:13 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

334 GB of the 500 GB internal drive is free.

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Answer 13

somanna Author

Level 1

133 points

Jul 27, 2015 7:25 AM in response to Russ H

Thanks for the further reply. I had not quit FCPX when I took the screenshot. I had been away from home for about 6 hours when I put the system to sleep. On returning, I first opened up this thread to look out for answers and I had not touched FCPX which I had minimised. Subsequently, before getting this last reply of yours, I had quit FCPX and utilised the services of Preference manager for trashing preferences.

I am not in a position hence to answer your query related to the functioning speed of FCPX at the time I had taken the screenshot. I shall open the application again and let you know of its responsiveness However, as stated in the OP, I am observing the slowing down of the application for quite sometime.

Actually, I am right now working on a 20 minute video and have, vexed with the slowness, divided it up into 5 minute sections to work with them as sub-projects, and then add them up at the end to form a single project. But, FCPX seems to be slow even when working with 5 minute sub-projects😟

Regards and take care.

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Answer 14

Jul 27, 2015 7:37 AM in response to somanna

You may try running FCP X from a new user account and see if it also runs slowly in that account.

Often problems arise from something in the user's account not directly related to FCP X. Running from a different account helps to determine if that is the case.

Since you are using an external drive you should be able to still access your libraries in that drive, though you may need to open them explicitly (File->Open Library->Other...)

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Answer 15

somanna Author

Level 1

133 points

Jul 27, 2015 8:39 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Hello Luis! Thanks for 'holding on'!

I have opened FCPX now after quitting all other applications [Word, Bible, Safari] and am finding FCPX chugging along at a leisurely but certainly acceptable pace.

I feel relieved.

It is not as 'snappy' as one would like. Would increasing RAM make it snappy?

So I now have learnt the following:

1] It is good to have all other applications closed when working with FCPX.

2] Not to keep FCPX open for prolonged periods. Should quit and reopen it now and then, if not often.

BTW, I am using Final Cut Library Manager's services for opening FCPX, and this Library Manager I keep open along with FCPX. Is this okay?

Regards and take care.

Dr. Somanna

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