Final Cut Pro X for Mountain Lion?

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Level 2

311 points

Final Cut Pro X for Mountain Lion?

I'm currently on extended hold waiting for an Apple Pro Apps Specialist Adviser, so while I'm waiting, I figured it wouldn't hurt to post my question here in case anyone knows an easier way to do this.

I'm currently working on a huge multi-year AV project. I've been able to do all of the video work (so far) with QuickTime Pro 7 and iMovie HD v6.0.3 (which still works in Mountain Lion, amazingly). But I'm approaching the point wherein I need more sophisticated features than iMovie HD offers, so it's time to get Final Cut Pro X. I'm currently operating my primary workstation for this project on a Mac Pro 2.8 GHz (Mid-2010) running Mountain Lion v10.8.5.

Alas, the only available purchase option through the normal channel (App Store) is Final Cut Pro v10.2.2. which has a minimum system requirement of Yosemite 10.10.4. Switching system versions in the middle of a project is...er, "inadvisable", as they say...by which I mean "not a good way to optimize productivity"...by which I mean "stupid". 😉 In fact, I regularly use some production apps that do not have versions that run properly (or at all) in Yosemite.

Anyhow, I want to purchase a legitimate license for the most recent version of Final Cut Pro X that will run in ML v10.8.5. I expect that's going to require some kind of special handling through Apple...oh, wait...I'm finally getting through to the Pro Apps guy...

...OK, I just got off the line with the Pro Apps specialist, and he said that there's no way to do what I want to do through Apple. I did download the FinalCutProTrial10.0.8.dmg some time ago in anticipation of the eventual need to run Final Cut Pro X, but I never actually installed it. So I can run that for 30 days. I offered to pay the license fee in order to continue to run FC Pro X v10.0.8 after the 30-day trial period, but no dice. After the 30 days are up, I'll be forced to buy a license (which is fine; that's what I wanted to do in the first place), but (according to the Pro Apps specialist) the only way to do that is through App Store, which will force me to install the most recent version of Final Cut Pro X...which requires Yosemite 10.10.4. Catch-22 😠

I believe the correct technical phrase that describes this situation is "Aaarrrgghhh!!!" I'm not interested in software piracy. I don't want to install or run software I haven't paid for. I'm perfectly willing and able to buy a Final Cut Pro X license for a version of the app that will run on a version of OS X (ML 10.8.5) that Apple still supports. But Apple cannot (or will not) provide that level of customer support. Frankly, it's maddening.

If anyone knows of a legitimate way around this, wherein I can install a version of Final Cut Pro X that will run in ML 10.8.5, I'd appreciate knowing about it. I'll even buy a license through the App Store, and provide proof of purchase for the version that requires Yosemite...even though I won't be able to run it in Mountain Lion.

Mac Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5), MacBook Pro 17"; 10.6.8

Posted on Sep 4, 2015 12:34 PM

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Answer 1

freevito Author

Level 2

311 points

Sep 4, 2015 2:32 PM in response to Russ H

Hi Russ:

Thanks for your reply. Yeah, that's one of two alternatives I've considered — installing Yosemite on a separate partition and running FCP from there, or installing it on a new Mac Pro running Yosemite and doing the FCP work there.

You're right, of course — neither solution is ideal, but given the limitations imposed by Apple's policies it's probably about as close as I'm going to get.

Thanks again!

Vito

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Answer 2

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,777 points

Sep 4, 2015 1:00 PM in response to freevito

TThere is no way to do what you want. SStaying with old technology is a mistake I think, when there is hardware and software that will enhance your productivity and capabilities. There is no way to bring projects edited in your version of imovie into FCP, even old versions.

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Answer 3

Russ H

Level 7

22,432 points

Sep 4, 2015 2:37 PM in response to freevito

Create another partition on your system drive - or use a spare external drive - and install 10.10 on it.Then boot from the new partition and download the trial version of FCP 10.2.x and try it. If you like it, purchase it and boot from 10.10 (or higher) going forward for your edit sessions and from 10.8 for your other work.

It may not be your ideal resolution, but at least it is workable. And the only way I know to come close to what you want.

Russ

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Answer 4

freevito Author

Level 2

311 points

Sep 4, 2015 2:50 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Tom:

Thanks for your reply, but you've made an inaccurate assumption. Sorry I didn't make my question more clear.

I can understand how you might think that my intention was to bring old iMovie HD files into Final Cut Pro, but that's actually not the case. The stuff I want to do in Final Cut Pro is separate and independent of the iMovie content. In any case, iMovie is just an expedient for assembling some of the content. The final work output is in .mov format with H.264 compression. If I needed to get that content into Final Cut Pro, as far as I know the app could handle it.

For the record, I'm well aware of the disadvantages of "staying with old technology". That's not the issue here. I understand my own workflow, and I must do what I can to optimize it. The problem is the acceleration in forced obsolescence through software compatibility limitations...specifically Apple's unwillingness to accommodate users who have a legitimate need for temporary access to an older version of the software.

If the bulk of my work consisted of short-term projects then I probably wouldn't have the same need for longer-term stability in my system configuration. But much of my work comprises projects that span two or three years. So I have to adjust my software upgrade cycle to the demands of the production environment, not the other way around.

Anyhow, this isn't about the capabilities of Final Cut Pro. It's about the lack of access to software versions that accommodate the workflow requirements of longer-term configuration management than (apparently) most users have to think about or implement. An obsession with staying on the bleeding edge of the software development path can impose just as big a blow to productivity as boxing oneself into "old technology". In my experience, the challenge for anyone who has to remain productive is to find the middle ground. That's where I am.

Thanks again for your reply.

Vito

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Answer 5

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,777 points

Sep 4, 2015 3:56 PM in response to freevito

I Wouldn't suggest going to the newest version of any OS or software, but I know a number of people who have worked on long term projects and have moved to new systems, which has greatly enhanced their efficiency. Someone I consult with began his project six years ago and has moved through multiple OSs and software changes, including making the great transition from FCP7 to FCPX. All that said if you are more comfortable staying with 10.8.5 you might want to consider getting an old copy of FCP7 or Premiere on eBay.

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Answer 6

freevito Author

Level 2

311 points

Sep 4, 2015 3:55 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

I'm definitely not an early adopter, system-wise. I can't afford to find out the hard way that a new system irreparably breaks a production software app or plugin. Every system migration I've done since Tiger has been tested first on a cloned drive or partition. And I don't think I've ever installed a point-zero version of any System since System 9. (I've been a Mac user since 1986.)

Anyhow, it's funny you should mention that. The Apple Pro Apps specialist I spoke with today mentioned that El Capitan will be a refined version of Yosemite, in the same way that Snow Leopard was a better-tuned version of Leopard, and Mountain Lion was a smoother version of Lion. On that basis, he suggested that I might want to skip Yosemite altogether. I had to chuckle, because that's exactly what I did with Leopard, Lion, and Mavericks.

Truth be told, my sticking with Mountain Lion purely a matter of having everything working the way it works right now until the project is complete sometime next year. But I have no delusions on that subject. I suspect that Apple will drop support for Mountain Lion before then. If the past is any indication, the release of OS X 10.11 will soon be followed by the abandonment of support for OS X 10.8.x.

Not being insane, I have no intention of running an unsupported system on a machine connected to the internet. In that case, I'll simply take this Mac Pro workstation offline and continue working until the project is complete. I'll leave it connected to the LAN, but all WAN-facing ports will be disabled.

Meanwhile, I'll set up housekeeping for other tasks on a separate machine...probably running El Capitan. That will be inconvenient at best and disruptive at worst, but it's something I can learn to live with until the project is done.

BTW, I do own an Adobe Premiere Elements 10 license, which came bundled free with Photoshop Elements 10. I've never used it. I installed a trial version of Premiere some years ago and was impressed with how non-intuitive and user-unfriendly (...and butt-ugly, into the bargain) it was, so I uninstalled it. But maybe it's time to revisit the app. Also, thanks for your suggestion about FCP7 on eBay. That might be a decent interim solution.

Thanks again!

Vito

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