Newbie To FCP: Mac Question

Jeremy Ordan

Jeremy Ordan

Major Contributor
I've been editing on Vegas for a while, but since I work for a university I have an opportunity to get a G5 mac for a really low amount ($200) [EDIT: after reading my post that makes no sense... I have a coworker who used to work for another university and their computer lab upgrades their computers every year, so this is a year old G5 from the art institute, all software removed except for OS, but just the tower, still only $200, though).

I haven't used a mac in years (used to have a B&W G3 that was set up to just run Cubase, but I got rid of that a while ago after not using it for about 4 years).

Since I now that this opportunity to transition to a mac, I was wondering what are the suggested specs for this computer that users (rather than the apple website) would recommend for transitioning over to FCP. I don't know if I want to switch because I am really comfortable with Vegas, but at $200 that seems like too good of a deal to pass up.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks so much!

Jeremy
 
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2 gigs of ram and get at least a 9600 video card. The video card will be a big help with the program Motion and many new programs Apple is coming out with.

Also -- put as many large internal drives and you can in that puppy.

Sheesh -- Can I get one too? I'll pay shipping!!!

Oh -- what are the processor speeds? Singles Dualies?

CaptM

Really!! Can I get one?
 
If only using Final Cut Pro: at least 1 GB of RAM (helpful while multitasking), and any decent video card should work fine.

If you have any desire to use Motion or other compositing programs (which, if you are doing film, you will be using): 2 GB would be ideal (and the more RAM the better as always, since Motion eats a ton), and a video card with at LEAST 128mb VRAM, ideally 256mb. As for hard drive space, get what you think you need. Usually over 200GB of space works pretty well, and if you want to you can always add on later.

And yes, FCP rocks. I've used Vegas, Adobe Premiere, Pinnacle, played around with Avid: I like FCP the best. Personal preference, but the main thing is just how well FCP is laid out, and combined with the EXCELLENT multitasking skills of the mac (expose rules), the duo is unstoppable in my opinion. :) enjoy
 
John Rivers said:
And yes, FCP rocks. I've used Vegas, Adobe Premiere, Pinnacle, played around with Avid: I like FCP the best. Personal preference, but the main thing is just how well FCP is laid out, and combined with the EXCELLENT multitasking skills of the mac (expose rules), the duo is unstoppable in my opinion. :) enjoy
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Thank you very much for the replies. I figured the price for the computer was cheap enough to justify the purchase but the software is $$$. I'm going to give it a whirl and see what I can come up with. Seems like a lot of people like FCP, but I'm just worried about everything I'm going to have to throw into this computer.

Because it came from a college computer lab that was running FCP I have a feeling the graphics card should be decent. I have no idea what the harddrive or memory capacity is. I just got the physical tower today (no keyboard or mouse included) so I have to go pick those up today at Comp USA.

One final question: How intense is the learning curve of FCP? Vegas is easy to get going on and complicated to master.

Thanks for the help!

Jeremy
 
At least 1.5 GB's of RAM, good vid card, and hard drive. I have a dual G5 with 1.5 and it runs pretty smoothly when I have mult apps open (Maya, AE, iTunes, etc)

$200 is a steal...I'd take it!

For video card, I have the stock nVidia with 64mb ram and it's good for me.

FCP's learning curve is pretty simple...when I learned, I had never used any other NLE and figured it out really quick...a few weeks max.
 
I use a laptop so all my drives are external, so if you run out of room as per CaptainMench's advice to put a lot of drives inside and need some external, remmber that most macs come with firewire 2 which beats usb2, so look for externals with that.
(I don't think firewire 2 is common on PC's but could be wrong cuz the only PC's I'm ever around are old onesjust for word processing and downloading music and stuff)

You can also get the Academic price on FCP studio suite so it'll be $699 vs. $1299. So you'll have SWEET setup for under a grand (before tax and shipping and all the accessories you forget about) :)
 
Thanks everyone for the replies. I WAS really excited and then, just to update, I just ran out to my car to check out the computer and see if I could get the specs off the computer to see how they would line up and it is a G4 733 mghz. I openned the case and there are two extra HD's in there, couldn't see the size, but it looks like they removed the extra memory.

I gave it back to the girl, but she is having lunch with her old coworkers today, so hopefully she'll get this sorted and get the G5 she said she would. I'm just frustrated because I was starting to get excited.

On the back of the G4 there were the 2 firewire ports, but without firing it up I couldn't get all the other specs on that computer. I'm pissed pissed pissed pissed right now, but hopefully by the end of the day I'll have the G5.
 
oneinfiniteloop said:
Better make her produce a G5 for ya!

I'd be steaming right now!
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, she's doing me a favor and hooking me up with something through one of her connections, but I've already given her the cash for this thing and if I hadn't inspected it then I would have taken home a G4 when I was told I was getting the G5. She keeps telling me not to worry and that she is going to deliver the G5, but I'm still ticked off right now and just want her to deliver what she said she would.

Hopefully by the end of the day I will be setting up a G5 in my house (don't know where I'm going to put it yet).

Here's another question: There is no demo available of FCP is there?
 
Sorry -- no demo. BUT -- if you can get a copy of 4 on ebay the upgrade to 4.5 was free AND you can turn in your discs to Apple and for $100 or 200 more depending on if you got suite or not you can upgrade to v5 Universal SUITE!!! Nice.

Learning curve won't hurt you... learning keyboard commands and the WAY FCP does it might be a weeks worth of work for you, but most of the learning curve comes from people not understanding the CONCEPT of NLE.

You'll be fine... plus we're here to help!

CaptM
 
also I highly recommend G Film effects
only $99 bucks
free updates FOR LIFE
still renders faster than MB (yes even MB2)
and the CEO / software engineer answers your emails directly usually within a day
 
From the little I've seen of Vegas, it is the least like most of the other NLE's in terms of its layout. This is neither good nor bad, it just is. FCP is laid out much more like Avid and Adobe Premier than Vegas. So expect a little time to get used to it.

FCP is nice (after using three different versions of Adobe Premiere, very nice) but it's not Nirvana, either. It has it's own flaws (like clunky media management). But overall I have been more than pleased by its (and the Mac's) stability, which counts for a lot.

As others have posted, 2 gigs ram and a good video card should do you. The G5 towers natively take only two hard drives (unlike the G4 towers, which as you saw could fit more-4 I believe). There are aftermarket kits to cram more drives in the tower, or you could go for external solutions if you need more.

Good luck, you lucky dog!
 
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