Macbook Pro Retina - un-useable with FCPX?!!

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Level 1

9 points

Macbook Pro Retina - un-useable with FCPX?!!

Getting very frustrated here, I have about 50gb of mixed Sony RX100 Mk3 footage and Drift Ghost S footage I am bringing into FCPX, latest version, all updated software, no cleaners installed, media running off external USB3 1TB drive. Imports all fine, (no images, just video at 1080 and 60fps into a 30fps timeline), but is just painfully slow to move anything, scrub etc. Simply scrolling through the clips that were imported, goes a few clips then spinning wheel for 60 seconds before repeating, same with even touching the timeline - spinning wheel again and again. Left overnight to render - have performance over quality and background render off and on (makes no difference either way.)

Have tried new projects, libraries, everything, it's just totally un-useable? I have trashed preferences time and time again to no avail.

The Macbook is a late 2013, 8gb ram, 512gb SSD hard drive, retina etc... Have reinstalled FCPX, repaired permissions etc.

iMovie was so much better, even for a 50gb project, can anyone add some insight before I ditch this rubbish program that cost me $399 and go back to iMovie? Thanks in advance... Andrew

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Aug 30, 2015 4:29 PM

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Answer 1

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,089 points

Aug 30, 2015 4:39 PM in response to Troutboynz

WWhat are your graphics specs? What software version are you using? Try making a new user as a test.

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Answer 2

Troutboynz Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 30, 2015 4:43 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

The card is the integrated Intel 4000 Iris that comes with the Pro Retina. FCPX Software version is 10.2.1. Will try the new user. Thanks

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Answer 3

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,089 points

Aug 30, 2015 4:56 PM in response to Troutboynz

NO separate graphics card?

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Answer 4

Troutboynz Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 30, 2015 5:03 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

No, just the integrated one, worked fine on complex iMovie edits previously? Sample of the work I'm doing on Youtube user "TroutboyNZ" Cheers

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Answer 5

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,089 points

Aug 30, 2015 5:29 PM in response to Troutboynz

System requirements would indicate that FCP makes higher demands on the OS and the hardware.

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Answer 6

Troutboynz Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 30, 2015 7:06 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Tried a new account, bit quicker, but still painful spinning wheel for several minutes on end simply scrolling imported clips, just so disappointed in this laptop and this terrible (supposed pro-level) program. I really would have though it could handle Final Cut Pro?

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Answer 7

Alchroma

Level 7

23,809 points

Aug 30, 2015 8:25 PM in response to Troutboynz

Your Mac should be working waaaay better than that.

Can you Optimise a clip then switch to Optimised for playback and see how that performs?

Al

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Answer 8

Troutboynz Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 30, 2015 8:49 PM in response to Alchroma

Thanks for the reply. Just tried that, but ran out of space, will go and grab a new external drive and try again. I should add there is actually 1080/60p footage from three different cameras involved, will optimizing likely make the clips faster after transcoding?

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Answer 9

nicopiro

Level 1

13 points

Aug 30, 2015 10:20 PM in response to Troutboynz

A few advises and observations

1) I don't think the system is so terrible considering that you are handling a small library (just 50gb) even if 16gb of ram are essential to success

2) Never use internal disk for storage, SSD is a small drive suppose to give extra speed to the system (and it does)

3) Instead of optimising, you can just create proxy (menu transcode media...two options...flag just proxy) it saves a lot of space of course this will affect your system when you will be exporting (you don't want to export proxy so a moment before clicking share you have to get back to full quality in the view menu)

4) Optimising means that all the clips in various format (you mentioned 3 cameras...do they generates different file format?) will be encoded to ProRes (which is a very good format but takes...a lot...of space)

5) Don't buy a slow HD otherwise you will be in trouble even more...buy a 7200rpm + thunderbolt or USB3 interface

Ciao

NIco

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Answer 10

Troutboynz Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 30, 2015 10:41 PM in response to nicopiro

Thanks, yes running the media off external drive, but USB 3.0, new, but only 5400rpm. The main SSD drive has 350gb free.

I have imported as proxy and optimized, still running, but will take hours to convert (if they are actually converting) unfortunately, but the clips that have been finished via "background tasks" still say only "original" is available, both proxy and optimized have small red triangles against them! The Sony footage is the majority and is 28mbps quality.

Yes, the cameras produce AVCHD and MP4 files, but all still 1080/60p.

Cheers, Andrew

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Answer 11

Alchroma

Level 7

23,809 points

Aug 31, 2015 12:05 AM in response to Troutboynz

Troutboynz wrote:

both proxy and optimized have small red triangles against them! The Sony footage is the majority and is 28mbps quality.

Yes, the cameras produce AVCHD and MP4 files, but all still 1080/60p.

Cheers, Andrew

If you don't see green dots then there's no Proxy or Transcoded files available:

You only need to transcode one file.

Pick one that is highlighting your problem and test it to find out if playback performance increases.

Once you determine a smooth work flow then you can get to work.

Al

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Answer 12

Aug 31, 2015 3:15 AM in response to Troutboynz

I would seriously suspect your hard drive as the weakest link in your setup.

Try running BlackMagic Disk Speed Test on it and see what it says.

When attached via USB3 or Thunderbolt, the drive itself is the limiting factor. A slow drive may well cause all the trouble you are experiencing.

Also, the drive being almost full can slow it down even more.

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Answer 13

Aug 31, 2015 4:28 AM in response to Troutboynz

Check the format of your external USB 3.0 drive. My understanding is that it should be Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Right-click (or Control-click) on the drive icon and select Get Info from the pop-up menu. What does it show for Format?

John

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Answer 14

Aug 31, 2015 3:31 PM in response to Troutboynz

Just wanted to chime in and let you know it's not your Mac configuration.

I just started with Final Cut last week, cutting a four camera shoot in multicam mode. Only 8 GB of RAM on my 2012 Retina laptop. Before using proxy media, a complete disaster. Once I transcoded from Apple ProRes422, no issues. Very fast.

I am using an 8 TB thunderbolt G-drive, 7200 rpm, with a transfer rate of 327 Mbs. All files live on that drive. $700 but worth it, I think. I do wonder about your hard drive. A 4 TB G-drive with the same specs would cost $500.

Sounds like you're in good hands in this forum! These folks know a lot more than I do!

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Answer 15

Troutboynz Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 31, 2015 6:36 PM in response to Mount Whitney

Thanks for the reply's, much appreciated. I have ordered a Thunderbolt 7200rpm external (My current USB3 is formatted correct), but in the interim I have found it's this stupid AVCHD format causing the issues. For some reason optimizing or proxy conversion won't work on my files within FCPX, still says they are all H.264. after a lentghy conversion time. So I used a converter from the App store to re-wrap all the RX100 files to ProRes 422, imported them and everything is super snappy and quick! Not sure if I have lost quality, I can't notice, but all is working perfectly with ProRes 422.

I did finish the clip in iMovie through pure frustration, where the AVCHD native files were absolutely fine to edit I might add, so this is definitely an issue with FCPX and AVCHD I'm thinking?

Final clip output, first 4mins is a exported compound clip from FCPX and it shows, the rest is iMovie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY-weQKsgJc

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