Using Compressor with multiple cores

Here's a quick tip that a lot of people still don't know about. So you've just bought that shiny new Mac Pro, you finish your Final Cut Project, export to Compressor and wait.... and wait... and wait. Hang on a second, that brand-new 8-core machine is only utilizing one core!

Welcome to the world of Final Cut Studio, which is completely unaware of multiple cores in your system. Hopefully this will change in future versions but in the meantime, here is a trick to using those cores in Compressor.

1. Go to System Preferences and open the Apple Qmaster section.



2. In the Setup tab, click Stop Sharing if Qmaster is already activated.



2. Select QuickCluster if it is not already selected.

3. Under Services, select the service marked Compressor and select the checkboxes for Share and Managed.

3. Then click Options for Selected Service.

4. Now you need to select the number of instances to use for the cluster. This is the number of copies Qmaster will spawn to compress the job, and is a question that's open to debate.



Apple's official advice is that the number of instances should be half the number of cores. So if you have a quad-core machine, you should select two cores and four if you have an 8-core machine.

However, newer Mac Pros (early 2009 onwards) and MacBook Pros (early 2010 onwards) support a feature called HyperThreading which allows each core to act as two separate "virtual cores", allowing two tasks to run simultaneously on a single core. So for these models you should match the instances to the number of cores - i.e. four instances for a quad-core and eight for an 8-core.

Some people have suggested setting the instances to the total number of cores (or virtual cores on the newer machines) minus one. I find that this depends on the format you are compressing. If you are compressing a "light" format like DV, you could probably get away with it. However, more processor-intensive formats like H.264 will need a lot more headroom. You would also need at least 1 GB of RAM per instance.

Another point to bear in mind is that Compressor needs to stitch the separate pieces of the file together once processing is complete. More instances mean more pieces to assemble, which adds to the time taken. Consequently, the time saved by increasing the number of cores may be offset by the increase in the time taken to assemble the final file. I would therefore recommend sticking with Apple's advice of half the number of cores for early Mac Pros and matching the number of cores for later models.

5. If you are using Shake. Maya or have any other command-line renderer set up with Qmaster, select the Rendering item in the list and click Options for Selected Service.

6. Click the + button and add as many "Local machines" as necessary (see step 4 for details), then click Ok.



7. Under the QuickCluster section, type a name for your new virtual cluster.

7. Click Start Sharing and close System Preferences.

8. In Final Cut Pro, export your sequence as a QuickTime movie. This is important. Do not choose File > Export > Compressor, as this will fail.

9. In Compressor, import the movie, set up your batch and click Submit.

10. Instead of "This machine", select the name of your new cluster in the Cluster list and click Submit. The movie clip will be processed by multiple cores in your machine.



This is called Virtual Clustering, and it is achieved by launching a new version of Compressor for every instance. This is much easier from the perspective of Compressor's programmers but it takes up more memory and is less efficient than if they were to implement true multi-core capabilities into the application.

So be aware that using this method will require considerably more memory than rendering on a single instance. Apple recommends 1 GB RAM per instance but again, this depends on the media you are transcoding to. If you set too many instances and don't have enough memory, your machine would slow down (or worse, crash) thus undoing the whole point of setting up the virtual clusters in the first place. For best results, follow the recommendations in Step 4.

See the article Speeding up Compressor for more tips on improving Compressor performance.

Update 2010-12-06: This forum thread has an interesting comparison between This Computer and a Quick Cluster with various instances. Results vary depending on the chosen codec but the fastest times seem to occur with roughly half the number of instances compared to cores. The data would also suggest that a Quick Cluster is more beneficial on long files than short ones.

How to reinstall Compressor and Qmaster

We recently released Compressor Repair, which aims to fix some of the most common problems with Compressor - but it can't help you if you've got missing or corrupted files. Sometimes a reinstall of Compressor and Qmaster is needed (although these steps apply to any software in the Suite). Here's how to do it properly.

1. Download FCS Remover and run it.

2. Select "Compressor and Qmaster Only" as the preset.



3. Click Remove and enter your admin password.



4. Restart your machine, and when it boots up again, empty your Trash.

5. Insert your Final Cut Pro or Logic DVD (I'm using Logic here), ctrl-click on "Install Logic Studio" or "Install Final Cut Studio" and select Show Original.



If you are running Final Cut Studio 3 (FCP 7), perform Step 6. If you are running Final Cut Studio 2 (FCP 6), skip to Step 7.



7. Run Compressor.pkg (if using Final Cut Studio 3) or Compressor.mpkg (if using Final Cut Studio 2 - note the extra "m").



8. When that finishes, run Qmaster.pkg (FCS 3) or Qmaster.mpkg (FCS 2 - again note the "m").



That's it! At this point, it is a good idea to update Final Cut Studio. Several users have reported that this method did not work until they had updated Compressor and Qmaster to the latest versions after reinstalling.

(Note: I've seen other people recommend Pacifist as a way of installing the files again once they've been removed. Pacifist is a great piece of software but if you make a mistake, it's possible to seriously screw things up unless you know what you're doing. I think this method is a lot safer and less susceptible to user error. However, if the above steps don't work for you, try Scott Simmons' Pacifist method here.)

11-5-08: New AppleCare articles

In the past week or so, Apple has posted several new ProApp-related articles to the Support section of its web site.

Final Cut Studio: Switch to higher performance graphics with MacBook Pro (Late 2008) - Learn how to configure the MacBook Pro (Late 2008) for better graphics performance with Final Cut Studio.

Motion: QuickTime proxies from RED sometimes import with no audio - Sometimes there may seem to be no audio when you import QuickTime proxies generated by RED cameras or by REDAlert into Motion. This may happen if you import the movie by using the Import button in the File Browser, drag the movie from the File Browser to the Canvas, or drag the movie from the Finder to the Canvas.

Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express: Unexpected quit during AVCHD ingest - Final Cut Pro 6 or Final Cut Express 4 may sometimes quit unexpectedly when you attempt to transfer AVCHD media, if the third-party Perian QuickTime component is installed.

Final Cut Pro: "AE Effects Error: Unable to find plug-in" warning when opening some projects - You may see the warning dialog "AE Effects Error: Unable to find plug-in..." when you open certain projects in Final Cut Pro.

Motion: Higher performance graphics mode may remain active if Compressor is used to transcode Motion projects on MacBook Pro (Late 2008) - When you transcode a Motion project in Compressor on a MacBook Pro (Late 2008), your computer may stay in "Higher performance" graphics mode after the project has been transcoded. This can happen even after you change the graphics setting in the Energy Saver pane in System Preferences to "Better battery life," log out, and then log back in. The Energy Saver pane in System Preferences may report the graphics mode is "Better battery life," but it will still be in "Higher performance" mode.

DVD Studio Pro: Authoring a DVD that plays automatically without a menu - Most DVDs are created with at least one menu from which the user can select tracks, other menus, special features, and so forth. In some cases, you may wish to create a DVD that just plays its content without the need for user interaction.

Logic Pro: Using DSP powered plug-ins with systems that include nodes - Logic Pro 8 allows you to utilize the processing power of additional computers (nodes) on a Gigabit ethernet network. Most of the plug-ins native to Logic, and many third party Audio Unit plug-ins, can be processed by node computers.
Learn more about using DSP powered plug-ins (plug-ins that run from a card or externally connected device, rather than directly from the CPU) and nodes.

Pro Application Replacement Serial Numbers - A new serial number can be generated in the event that yours is missing or invalid. Apple requires a valid proof of purchase to request a replacement serial number submitted via fax or email. The following guidelines will help you to determine what is best for you.

Upcoming Snow Leopard features you should know about

Snow Leopard is the name of the next version of Mac OS X, due next year. The idea behind Snow Leopard isn't to add a lot of features but instead to overhaul and optimize the OS for maximum performance. Developers are already receiving pre-release versions - here are some of the biggest features:

* No PowerPC support - This operating system will be Intel-only I'm afraid.

* Full 64-bit support - This was somewhat rudimentary in previous versions and consequently developers didn't really take advantage of it.

* New default display gamma - This one is very important for editors. With previous versions of Mac OS X, the default gamma was 1.8 which was great for print work. The default display gamma in Snow Leopard is now 2.2, which brings it closer to most TVs and Windows computers.

* Cocoa rewrites for all applications - "Almost all" of the visible applications (including Finder) have been rewritten in Cocoa. Cocoa and Carbon are two different application programming interfaces (APIs). Basically, Apple has decided that it wants to transition developers away from Carbon (which is more convenient if you are also developing for Windows) and towards Cocoa instead. Consequently, Cocoa tends to get all of the new features (such as 64-bit support) while Carbon gets left behind.

Ars Technica speculates that Carbon applications in Snow Leopard could be "wrapped" in Cocoa. I imagine this would affect performance and it should be noted that Final Cut Pro is currently written in Carbon. A Cocoa rewrite of FCP is inevitable (and much appreciated) but of course, no-one knows when that will occur.

* And then of course, all the features mentioned in the original press release - Grand Central for more efficient multi-core processing, OpenCL for using the GPU as another processor (must be why the new MacBook Pros have two GPUs) and QuickTime X which offers "optimized support for modern codecs and more efficient media playback" which would imply some kind of acceleration.

So all in all, this looks to be a promising update for people in the film and TV industries.

Solving Logic Studio installation issues

I just bought Logic Studio so expect more posts on this in the future. Upon trying to install the application, I had the problem many people have been experiencing - Compressor is grayed out and refuses to install. I also noticed that upon completing the installation, Soundtrack Pro would crash when launching, citing a missing framework (ProFX.framework) as the cause. I don't know what causes this as I don't have Final Cut Studio installed on my Logic machine to conflict with it, and there were no receipts related to Compressor on my system. However, there is a simple workaround.

1. Install all the other components and let the installer skip Compressor for the time being.

2. On the main Logic installer disc, ctrl-click on Install Logic Studio and select Show Original.



3. Click on the Packages folder.



4. Double-click Compressor.mpkg and complete the installation process.



5. If you also got the same error as me about the missing ProFX framework when launching Soundtrack Pro, double-click the file PluginManager.pkg and follow the installer.



6. I was then able to launch Compressor but upon performing a test render, I noticed that Batch Monitor was missing (why, I don't know). So if you get that problem too, install Qmaster.mpkg.



This finally solved all of my problems and I was able to operate the Studio fully.

P.S. In case you were wondering, the difference between .pkg and .mpkg is that .mpkg (meta-packages) are containers for sub-packages (.pkg). The .pkg files only install one set of files whereas the .mpkg files can install a group of related packages.

Is this the death of FireWire?

One of the biggest things making the rounds this week is the fact that Apple's new MacBooks have had their FireWire 400 port removed. Now why would Apple do this when they were the company that popularized it in the first place?

Someone posted an email purportedly from Steve Jobs onto Flickr in which Steve states that most modern consumer camcorders nowadays operate over USB 2. That may well be the case but as we all know, FireWire is the superior standard and it seems silly in my eyes to phase it out in favor of an inferior format. It seems like a case of Betamax vs VHS in which the most convenient format and not the best format actually won, with the best format relegated solely to the professional market. It's a great shame in my eyes.

Advertising may also play a part too - USB 2 is advertised as operating at 480 Mbps vs FireWire's 400 Mbps which looks good on paper but as we all know, FireWire is capable of sustaining 400 Mbps whereas 480 Mbps is just a theoretical limit for USB 2.

FireWire still hasn't achieved mass adoption among PC users. Apple is its primary proponent so if Apple lets it go, it will most likely die (as a consumer format at least). It's good to see it remain on the professional side - where I think it will stay for some time - but it's a little more inconvenient to now need an adapter to use FireWire 400 equipment. This is inconvenient because there seems to be considerably more 400 equipment out there than 800.

The most troubling thing for me isn't the demise of FireWire, it's the lack of a suitable replacement from Apple. eSATA would be great for hard drives but Apple seems to be shunning it for reasons unknown.

Blu-ray is a "bag of hurt" says Steve Jobs

This was something I missed on Tuesday as I didn't see the actual keynote address, only what Apple posted on their web site.

According to Engadget, Steve Jobs is blaming licensing issues for the current lack of Blu-ray on the Mac.



It's good to finally hear something from Apple on this subject. I guess, much like when Apple introduced DVD burners, they are waiting for larger consumer adoption and significant falls in the price of media before committing. Unfortunately that's not so helpful for Pro App users.

New laptops and Cinema Displays

Apple today released complete redesigns of their laptop line and, unexpectedly, they are offering a new Cinema Display. The new designs are in the black and aluminum style of the new iMac.

Cinema Displays
* 24" screen
* Price: $899
* ONLY the new design is available in black and silver. The old designs (20", 23" and 30") are still available on the store but we don't know for how long.
* LED backlight (easier on both the eye and the environment at the same time)
* Built-in iSight camera, mic and speakers
* Internal MagSafe power adapter that allows you to charge a MacBook
* Built-in USB ports, NO Firewire
* Connects via MiniDVI
* Max resolution 1920x1080
* Glossy glass screen
* Contrast ratio 1000:1 (massive increase from 400:1)
* 14 ms response time (same as previous gen)

My thoughts - Seems to be aimed at consumers due to the lack of FireWire, relatively low resolution (the old 23" offered 1920x1200), glossy screen, Mini DVI connector and the fact that every single photograph shows a MacBook tethered to it. Looks nice for watching HD iTunes movies on though.

And it gets bonus points for a huge increase in contrast ratio. I wouldn't advise it for color-critical work though.

Read more...

MacBook
* One-piece aluminum cases (this is the "brick" everyone was referring to)
* The original white plastic MacBook remains but lowered to $999
* GeForce 9400M graphics chipset (256 MB shared memory) delivers a significant boost in graphics performance over the previous Intel on-board graphics
* Ultra-thin LED display
* All-glass multi-touch trackpad
* 5 hours of "wireless productivity"
* USB-only, NO Firewire

Low-end model ($1299):
* 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo
* 3MB L2 cache
* 2GB of RAM (expandable to 4 GB)
* 160GB HD (or upgrade to 320 GB HD or 128 GB SSD)
* 8x Superdrive
* 2x USB

High-end model ($1599):
* 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo
* 3MB L2 cache, 2GB of RAM (expandable to 4 GB)
* 250GB HD (or 320 GB HD or 128 GB SSD)
* 8x Superdrive
* 2x USB

My thoughts - The graphical upgrades are much-appreciated but there is no FireWire which makes it of limited professional use. Also, there is no indication as to whether or not these machines can boot into Target Disk Mode (which makes the machine behave like an external hard disk which is great for backing up data if the machine fails).

Read more...

MacBook Air
* Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics chipset
* Identical form factor to previous model
* SSD doubled in size from 64 to 128 GB
* Faster CPU

Low-end model ($1799):
* 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 6 MB L2 Cache
* 2 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 Memory
* 120 GB SATA hard drive

High-end model ($2499):
* 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 6 MB L2 Cache
* 2 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 Memory
* 128 GB solid state drive

My thoughts - Could be good if a lightweight machine is important. Speed is now less of an issue than with the previous model but still a significant factor. No FireWire so storage options are limited.

Read more...

MacBook Pro
All the features of the MacBook above, as well as:
* 256 MB GeForce 9600M GT graphics in addition to the GeForce 9400
* Only 15" models available

Low-end model ($1999):
* 15.4" LED-backlit display
* 2.4 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo (3MB L2 cache)
* 2GB DDR3 RAM
* 250 GB 5400 RPM hard drive (or 250 GB 7200 RPM or 320GB 7200 RPM or 128GB solid-state drive)
* Slot-loading Super Drive
* FireWire 800 replaces FireWire 400

High-end model ($2400):
* 15.4" LED-backlit display
* 2.53 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo (6MB of L2 cache) (with 2.8 GHz upgrade option)
* 4GB DDR3 RAM
* 320 GB 5400 RPM hard drive (or 250 GB 7200 RPM or 320GB 7200 RPM or 128GB solid-state drive)
* Slot-loading Super Drive

My thoughts - Out of all of the new products unveiled today, this is the only one geared at professional users. It's faster (2.8 up from 2.6) and has faster memory and front side bus. It also has a 128 GB solid-state disk as an option, which will give a further speed boost. It's not a must-buy for previous MacBook Pro owners as the main selling point is the visual redesign, but it's good if you're in the market for a new machine.

It's worth noting that this machine does not have FireWire 400 ports so you will need a FireWire 800 to 400 adapter in order to use FireWire 400 equipment with it.

Read more...

Conclusion
It is interesting to note how Apple seems to be separating its professional lines from its consumer lines. The new graphics chips in the MacBooks make them much better for Final Cut Studio but the lack of FireWire now cripples them in that regard. I think this is deliberate.

There's nothing here to make pro users sit up and take notice but if you're in the market for a new MacBook Pro, you'll benefit from the speed bump and the (hopefully) more rugged design due to the new one-piece construction of the base.

Blu-ray unfortunately wasn't a feature in these new machines but then again, OS X 10.5.6 wasn't released either and there's no way they could introduce Blu-ray drives without OS support. But it does complicate the issue because if Apple were to, for example, release OS X 10.5.6 in two weeks with Blu-ray support in the OS, their laptop line would probably not be updated for another 3-4 months, whereas they could have just waited if Blu-ray support was just around the corner. I'm sure Apple must be working on this somewhere in their facility but when it will materialize remains to be seen. The next big event is Macworld in January so fingers crossed it will appear then.

Edit: One thing I didn't realize at first is that Apple is ONLY offering the MacBook Pro in a glossy screen configuration - the matte option previously offered is no longer present. The thing about glossy screens is that when calibrated properly, they are fully capable of reproducing accurate colors in a perfect environment. The gloss on the screen tends to reflect the environment which makes it virtually useless for professional work in most environments. I'm sure a third-party will create a matte screen cover for the MacBook Pro but for a machine supposedly targeted at professionals, they really shouldn't have to. This is disappointing.

Final Cut Pro Audio Filter Guide Part 1

In my conversations with other editors it became clear that for a lot of them (myself included), audio was a major area of weakness. They could handle editing, color correction, graphics, etc, but only knew a few ways of improving bad audio. This inspired me to create this guide to show people exactly what Final Cut Pro offers out of the box.

Filters in FCP are split into two categories - Apple Audio Units (AU) which ship with the operating system and are available to any application, and FCP-specific ones. Today I'll be giving details on the Audio Units with the FCP-specific ones coming in Part 2.

AUBandpass

The bandpass filter allows a certain range of frequencies to pass through and rejects any frequencies that are outside of that range. So if you have a person talking with rumbling traffic and high-pitched TV static in the background, you could use the bandpass filter to isolate the center frequencies of the person's voice.

AUDynamicsProcessor

This filter allows you to adjust the dynamic range of the audio (the difference between the loudest and softest sounds). Compression lowers the volume when it exceeds a certain threshold (making loud sounds quieter and therefore decreasing dynamic range). Expansion lowers the volume when it is lower than the threshold (thus making quiet sounds quieter and therefore increasing dynamic range).

Using a compressor and expander at the same time allows you to avoid overly-loud peaks while still maintaining dynamic range. The compressor will reduce the louder portions of the audio in proportion to their distance from the threshold (i.e. louder sounds will be reduced by a much larger amount), helping to even out amplitude variations. The expander will then take the quieter sounds and reduce their volume (again, proportionally), thus evening out the amplitude variation of the quieter sounds and increasing the dynamic range.

Imagine some music where you have loud crashing drums, a relatively quiet triangle and a trumpet somewhere in between. The drums are far too loud so you apply a compressor to bring them down. The drums are now a lot quieter but you've noticed that the subtlety of the triangle has been lost - it is now far too prominent. So you apply an expander to lower the volume of the triangle to an acceptable level. The AUDynamicsProcessor allows you to do this with one filter instead of two, which is a much more efficient use of system resources.

Attack time refers to the amount of time it takes for the compressor to implement a change in volume and release time is the time taken to reduce the compressor back to its original level afterwards.

There's a bit of debate over what "headroom" actually means as it's not a standard term. To the best of my knowledge, it refers to the number of dB the signal is permitted to exceed the threshold of the compressor/limiter.

The Dynamics Processor is a great way of compressing and/or expanding your audio to make sure that it fits within the audible range of your listening equipment.

AUDelay

This repeats parts of your audio. Dry/wet mix controls whether or not the repeated sounds overlap each other. 100% dry means no overlapping and 100% wet means full overlapping. Delay time is the delay before the repeat starts. Feedback controls the number of repetitions. Lowpass cutoff frequency stops certain low sounds from passing through the filter.

This filter is normally used for atmospheric effects. For more environmentally realistic results (at the cost of performance), I recommend the Reverberation filter that comes with Final Cut Pro.

AUDistortion (Leopard only)

This is a very comprehensive distortion filter offering a lot of control. I can't give much advice on the various parameters as I don't actually know what they mean and there's no documentation available. I would suggest adjusting by ear (it is probably worthwhile lowering the render quality while adjusting, and then raising it again once you're happy with the results).

AUFilter

I use this one a lot. It allows you to take 5 bands (5 ranges of frequencies) and adjust the gain up or down for each one. If a person's voice is muffled, increasing the gain on the higher frequencies can often improve this. I also sometimes use it to add bass to make a person's voice sound richer.

The bandwidth slider allows you to adjust the size of each frequency range, with the frequency sliders referring to the center of the range.

AUGraphicEQ

(image truncated for space reasons)

This is similar to the AUFilter above but the size of the frequency ranges cannot be adjusted and you can have up to 31 bands instead of just 5. This site provides a guide to common frequency ranges.

I've used this a couple of times to boost bass in a person's voice but I generally prefer AUFilter for this. It's good for removing or reducing a specific frequency range.

AUHighShelfFilter

This cuts off frequencies above the cutoff frequency, allowing lower sounds to pass through. The gain slider controls the amount that the frequencies passing through will be boosted.

Good for reducing high-frequency noise.

AUHipass

This reduces lower frequencies and allows higher ones to pass through. Resonance controls the intensification of the higher frequencies that pass through.

Good for removing low rumbling sounds such as traffic or for reducing very deep voices (I have had to do this at times).

AULowpass

Reduces (attenuates) higher frequencies and lets lower ones through, controlled by the cutoff frequency. Resonance controls the intensification of the frequencies that pass through.

Good for removing high-pitched noise.

AULowShelfFilter

Reduces frequencies lower than the cutoff frequency and lets higher ones pass through. This is similar to the AUHighPass filter above but this offers the ability to adjust the gain instead of resonance.

Good for removing low hums.

AUMultibandCompressor

This allows you to compress multiple bands (frequency ranges) individually for more control than a traditional compressor.

Pre-gain boosts the signal before it is processed which is useful if the signal is too low to be processed adequately by the compressor, and post-gain reduces the gain back to a normal level afterwards.

Crossovers 1, 2 and 3 define the point at which the previous band ends and the next one begins. Threshold refers to the amplitude level at which the compressor kicks in. Headroom, as stated above, probably gives you extra leeway above the threshold. Eq allows you to boost or lower each band.

Possible uses for the Multi Band Compressor include lowering the dynamic range of bass sounds without interfering with higher frequency sounds. This is different from the High Shelf Filter which indiscriminately cuts all bass below a certain frequency.

AUNetSend

AUNetSend is one of the most interesting filters in that it's not actually a filter. It does absolutely nothing to affect the way your audio sounds but what it does do is allow you to send audio across a network.

You need to have an application that implements audio generators. Audio editing applications such as Logic implement these. Alternatively, there is a tool called AU Lab in /Developer/Applications/Audio if you have the developer tools installed. Soundtrack Pro does not support this. Add an AUNetReceive generator to the track in your audio application, add an AUNetSend filter to your FCP audio clip and hit play in FCP. You should see "AUNetSend" pop up in the AUNetReceive configuration dialog. Select it and your track should be receiving the audio from Final Cut Pro. Note that it only appears while the timeline is playing in FCP.

In my testing, the Status parameter appeared to do absolutely nothing.

AUParametricEQ

This allows you to boost or lower the amplitude of a signal within a certain range. This is useful if for example you have a high-pitched buzzing noise in the background and you only want to eliminate that particular frequency and keep your higher sounds intact.

AUPeakLimiter

The Peak Limiter differs from a compressor in that a compressor reduces the volume of an entire track when a frequency reaches a certain level whereas the Peak Limiter reduces just that frequency. This is particularly useful if there is background noise on the track that would produce a noticeable fluctuation if the entire track were to receive a volume adjustment.

Attack and release time, as mentioned above, control the amount of time it takes for the filter to implement a change in amplitude, with longer times allowing a smoother transition. Pre-gain allows you to boost the volume before it reaches the filter in order to change the number of frequencies being affected. The limiting amount allows you to limit the amount that the filter will reduce the amplitude.

AUPitch

Adjusts the pitch of your audio, obviously. There are a LOT of controls though, and I have to admit that I don't have a clue what a Glb Trigger Thresh or a Loud Aggr K is. Effect blend blends the pitch-shifted audio with the original and is sometimes necessary to make voices sound natural. It is worth mentioning that I've gotten perfectly acceptable results by adjusting the first two parameters and not bothering with any of the others. I'd imagine that most people wouldn't have to adjust more than these.

I tried a Google search on some of these parameters but they only turned up forum threads where people were asking what on Earth they meant and no-one was able to solve their problem. If anyone does know, I'd be interested to hear from them.

This can be useful for making a male actor's voice more masculine (yes, I have had to do this!).

AURogerBeep (Leopard only)

This emulates the "roger beep" sound when someone lets go of the button on a walkie talkie. It will automatically play the sound when the audio level drops below a certain threshold for a certain amount of time (as if the person stopped speaking).

In gate threshold and in gate time refer to the time that the threshold amplitude must be maintained before the sound kicks in. Out gate threshold and out gate time refer to the amount of time that the threshold must be maintained before it ends the roger beep (adjust this if there is background noise). Roger level is the volume of the roger beep, and I think sensitivity and roger type are self-explanatory.

This is an effects filter with quite a narrow purpose so it's not something that gets used very often.

AUSampleDelay

Similar to AUDelay except that the delay time is set as a number of audio samples instead of a number of seconds.

Important:

Two of the above filters are Leopard only. If you use those filters and then transfer your project to a Tiger machine, you will receive an error message and will be unable to use those filters within the project.

Part 2 covers the filters built into FCP.

Pro Applications Update 2008-03

Don't know how I missed this. On Thursday, Apple released Pro Applications Update 2008-03 that patches both Compressor and Qmaster to 3.0.4.

Only one fix is included in the release notes but it's a big one:



I'm sure you know the drill by now - don't update in the middle of a project, only update if it's entirely necessary and make sure everything is backed up before you do.

This update is concerning to me for two reasons. Firstly, it requires OS X 10.5.5, completely locking Tiger users out. Presumably 2008-04 will require 2008-03 so will all patches require 10.5.5 from now on? Was 2008-02 the last Tiger-compatible patch for Final Cut Studio? There has been no official word from Apple on this.

Secondly, when you go to the download page it only lists 2008-03 as an option, with 2008-02 nowhere to be seen. How are you supposed to download Final Cut Pro 6.0.4? There's always Software Update but that's not really practical if you have a lot of machines. Apple seriously needs to rethink the way it offer patches to FCS users.