Alongside the new Macs and iPad minis unveiled on Tuesday, Apple released a significant point release update to its controversial Final Cut Pro X video editing app. Version 10.0.6 lets editors handle multichannel audio files directly in the timeline, while offering improved import and export options along with native compatibility with popular RED digital cinema cameras.
When Apple finally shipped the long-awaited major reworking of the Final Cut Pro nonlinear editor last June, reaction among its most ardent users was mixed, to say the least. The software, rewritten from the ground up around a radically different editing workflow, originally lacked compatibility with a lot of third-party plug-ins, industry-common import and export formats, live broadcast workflows, Apple's own Xsan filesystem, and even the previous version of Final Cut Pro itself.
Many FCP users lambasted the changes, while Apple quickly sought to quell criticism by promising frequent updates. The first came in September 2011, adding support for XML-based import and export. Another major feature update, in January 2012, added support for mulitcamera editing workflows.
The latest update includes a number of improvements that Apple promised were coming this year at the National Association of Broadcasters conference in April. In addition to the RED RAW format support and improved handling of multichannel audio, FCPX 10.0.6 adds a unified import window, redesigned "share" options for exporting timeline selections or whole projects, MXF plug-in support, dual clip viewers (with scope) for shot comparisons, improved compound and "connected" clip controls, and updated XML file handling.
While it's clear that Apple is working to address the (many) complaints of editing professionals, it's hard to say if the changes are enough to stem the migration of many pros to competing products like Avid or Premiere Pro.
FCPX 10.0.6 is a free update to existing users and is available exclusively via the Mac App Store.
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