The Mystic Of Pro Tools And Final Cut Pro...

[Polanski]

Hi
I'm not a Mac lover. I have always worked on PC because I started working with 3D applications like 3D studio version 1 for DOS and then 3DS Max, Softimage etc. Those applications were never released for Mac as far as I'm concerned.
I have always worked on NLE's on PC starting with the already dead Speed Razor and now I use Edius. As audio matter I have used wavelab and now I'm starting to use Audition.
I know there's a lot of people out there that would die for Final Cut and Pro Tools. I would really want to know if I'm missing one of the wonder of the world, well maybe, I don't know and that's why I would like to ask:
What can I do in Final Cut that I cannot do in Edius and what can I do in Pro Tools that I cannot do in Audition?
I have a friend of mine that works on Final Cut and I've been with him while working and I don't see the real wonder inside Final Cut. I know it's a matter of preference and what you feel confortable with, but tools are different in one way or another, but what makes a final product great in the end it's not the tools, but the talent of the users.
I also know that there's not better or worse applications. They are different.
In the end, I would like some input from Final Cut and Pro Tools users. Maybe I don't know what I'm missing.

Thanks

 

[tigeba]

Pro Tools has many many features that are not going to be found in Audition. There are even more distinctions between Pro Tools LE and HD. PT has been cross platform for many years and is well supported on Windows and OSX. Ultimately the skill of the mixer is the most important component.

I have never used an NLE other than FCP, so I can't really comment on the differences. Once you get it working, some of the more advanced features of FCP like distributed rendering via compressor, and some of the integration with the other FCS programs and Shake is pretty cool.

 

[Noiz2]

Probably the biggest differences would have to do with "professional" features, and plugin availability. I put professional in quotes because they aren't nec. better features just ones that folks working in a professional environment tend to need. For instance session/ project compatibility, can you play well with others. Are high end tools available for the app. Is there a way to auto conform, auto load production tracks, sync ADR etc. A lot if not all of these features are of limited to no use if your working on your own in the box and don't ever need to work with others or output to a mix stage.
FCP is lacking in some of these areas also but there are third party tools that can make FCP as "professional" as a high end Avid system. PT Le is also lacking some of the features but it can be augmented or you can just go all the way up to a HD system.

If you want or need to stay on PC, PT has been dual platform for close to ten years and from what I hear the current PC version is very stable. FCP is not an option unless you buy a new Intel Mac and dual boot it. But Avid is dual platform and the light version of Avid (Express DV I think) runs better on the PC (last time I looked at it).
And the last and probably most important reason to move to PT, FCP, Avid would be if you want to work professionally in the biz. THese are the standards and if you don't know them it's going to be hard getting work. If you in sound post in the US and you don't know PT you will have a VERY hard time even getting work. THere are a few other platforms in regular use but all tolled they are probably less than 10% of the market AND there are plenty of folks who know those systems from when they were more common (poss exception might be Nuendo, sort of new on the block and gets a tiny market share in the US but a bit more in the EU and is dual platform I believe). Both Avid, PT and FCP keep the same key commands up and down the product line so using the low end "personal" versions is still good training for the "pro" versions.

Other wise it doesn't make much difference.

BTW there are a number of "pro"/ semi pro post apps on the PC (more than Mac). You might want to look at SAW as an alternative. I used to use it before I moved to PT and liked it a lot.