Final Cut Pro X on my MacBook?

[Ifti]

I'm considering moving from iMovie11 to Final Cut Pro X.
iMovie 11 is the only editing application I've really used in the past, so looking at the similarities with Final Cut Pro X, I think it may be a worthy upgrade.

However, I only have a MacBook Pro - specs are below on my sig.
I tend to use a 1TB external HDD connected via FireWire800 as my scratch disk, and to store all of my video, hence try to keep my internal SSD just for the application itself.
So with iMovie, for example, all of my clips and events are imported and then stored on the external drive itself. iMovie points straight to these and uses these from my external drive.

1. I'm assuming Final Cut Pro X can use an external scratch disk?? Does it store all of the events and clips etc just like iMovie does, or does it simply create links to the actual video without moving it whatsoever?

2. Will my MacBook be good enough to run the application and use it to edit videos etc fine?? Most of my work is between 10mins to an hour long.

 

[Badrottie]

I'm considering moving from iMovie11 to Final Cut Pro X.
iMovie 11 is the only editing application I've really used in the past, so looking at the similarities with Final Cut Pro X, I think it may be a worthy upgrade.

However, I only have a MacBook Pro - specs are below on my sig.
I tend to use a 1TB external HDD connected via FireWire800 as my scratch disk, and to store all of my video, hence try to keep my internal SSD just for the application itself.
So with iMovie, for example, all of my clips and events are imported and then stored on the external drive itself. iMovie points straight to these and uses these from my external drive.

1. I'm assuming Final Cut Pro X can use an external scratch disk?? Does it store all of the events and clips etc just like iMovie does, or does it simply create links to the actual video without moving it whatsoever?

2. Will my MacBook be good enough to run the application and use it to edit videos etc fine?? Most of my work is between 10mins to an hour long.

Whoa!! Your MBP is so super fine for FCPX!! I can't help with you about external HDD, sorry.

 

[Ifti]

Cool, so I shouldn't have any slowdown issues etc?

 

[namethisfile]

i think your 2010 13" mbp should be able to handle fcp x fairly well. the C2D meets the tech requirements and the geforce 320m will leverage open cl and it looks like you have enough ram, as well. so, base on that, i am guessing that your mbp will run fcp x fairly well. how well will probably depend on your workflow, the size of your project, the complexity of your timeline, the kind of video files you are editing with, etc....

never worked with ssd and i am not sure how reco it is to use your ssd for a scratch disk. but, it is a require for video editing that you edit on either an external or separate hdd because video editing will write on the disk heavily and the wear and tear of video editing is the reason that this the reco route. so, a separate hdd and since you are on a laptop, the only option is an external firewire hdd. firewire and not usb because i think firewire supports transfer and streaming of large amount of data like video better than usb....

and oh, yeah... make sure the hdd is at least 7200 rpm. another video editing require...

fcp x is like imovie in that it uses events to manage and organize media... wherever the media lives is where fcp x shows on the events lists...

yeah links...

----------

Cool, so I shouldn't have any slowdown issues etc?

there is only one way to find out...

it is a $300 question but it is also $300 better than imovie '11... in my opinion... but if you don't need that extra $300 worth of features then imovie, is also powerful enough. but "powerful enough" is subjective....

also, you will always have fcp x once you buy it and will be as good as it is now down the road and maybe even better once you upgrade your laptop....

 

[Ifti]

Yes I have FireWire800 external drives to use. I tend to use these for iMovie to store its projects and events etc. I just wanted to know if I could do the same with FCPX - store the events and projects on my external FireWire drive and use that as the scratch disk etc as well, so that I only use my internal SSD for running the application itself.

As for projects - its manly for creating YouTube videos, so not too long or complex I guess. I just want something that's more flexible and adds more effects and ways to display text and so on, since iMovie is more limited in that way.
There may be the odd DVD created of my kids, which may be an hour or so long, but that's the most it would be used for on this system.

 

[namethisfile]

yes i have firewire800 external drives to use. I tend to use these for imovie to store its projects and events etc. I just wanted to know if i could do the same with fcpx - store the events and projects on my external firewire drive and use that as the scratch disk etc as well, so that i only use my internal ssd for running the application itself.

As for projects - its manly for creating youtube videos, so not too long or complex i guess. I just want something that's more flexible and adds more effects and ways to display text and so on, since imovie is more limited in that way.
There may be the odd dvd created of my kids, which may be an hour or so long, but that's the most it would be used for on this system.

yep!

 

[Ifti]

Brill, thanks.

 

[FSMBP]

Cool, so I shouldn't have any slowdown issues etc?

You can use external scratch disks in FCP X. Your workflow shouldn't have any slowdowns as compared to anything else. I'm sure it would be faster running everything on your SSD but I believe the constant read/write will not be best for your SSD (along with other reasons).