FCP not using Full CPU

[BrenMyster]

hey guys

I'm doing some rendering on my new 3.33 with FCP, it's all running very nice but when I render videos out my CPU usage is only running a 10-15% (istatPro)

Any idea why it's not using the most of the CPU?

[sboerup]

because it's not programmed to use all cores . . . sadly

[CaptainChunk]

Get used to it. FCP isn't very multi-thread aware.

The real advantage of having multiple cores with Final Cut Studio is when using Compressor for encoding. With a proper QMaster virtual cluster set up, it can bring your CPU cores down to their knees if you want it to.

I wouldn't render straight out of an FCP timeline or even send a timeline straight to Compressor. Set up a virtual cluster (http://www.devia.be/news/article/setting-up-a-virtual-cluster-to-speed-up-compressor/) in QMaster first. Export the video from the timeline as a self-contained QT movie and then drop that file into Compressor. When you submit the batch, choose the name of the cluster you created in QMaster and you'll observe quite a difference in encode times.

[HumpYourWayUp]

Lots of operations are also heavily HDD dependant so that might also bottleneck...