Today I’m doing a PluralEyes FCP X review because there is now a new version of the popular PluralEyes software for Final Cut Pro X that might help speed up your editing process, especially for DSLR shooters. Singular Software’s popular synching tool for Final Cut Pro 7 is sure to be a hit with video editors using Apple’s new FCP X, but I’ll break down a couple of the reasons why you may or may not want to buy this plugin. Here are a few pros and cons:

Pros:

• PluralEyes FCP X is more reliable than the built-in sync function in FCP X. At times the built-in sync gets confused.
• PluralEyes FCP X can handle tons of clips and sync them with ease. It is basically impossible to sync more than two clips in FCP X without PluralEyes
• PluralEyes FCP X can sync multiple video clips with the same audio clip. This is something crucial for me and other DSLR shooters. We often shoot with continuous audio on a recorder like a Zoom H4n, but we stop and start the video because cameras like the Canon 5D mark II and even the mark III cannot shoot longer than 12 minutes and 30 minutes respectively. So if I film an interview that has two or three video clips of, say, 10 minutes each and an audio track of 30 minutes, I can only sync one of those video clips to the audio in FCP X. Unless I have PluralEyes. Otherwise I have to sync the other two video clips by hand, or I have to cut the audio during the interview into multiple clips, which just makes things even more complicated and is a bad idea.

 

Cons:

• It does take a few more clicks to sync clips using PluralEyes, whereas with the built-in FCP sync function, you can right click and select “synchronize” and you’re done. PluralEyes takes a minute to process, and to export to PluralEyes from FCP X you have to leave the timeline and view the entire list of projects, which takes a moment as well.
• As usual, I’m going to complain about the price here. If you’re like me and independent, it’s tough to budget for anything more than essential gear. If you are spending $150 on a plugin for use on a piece of software that costs $300 total, then you better get a lot of use out of it. PluralEyes for FCP 7 was a comparable price, but it was a fraction of the total price of FCP 7, and now that FCP X is much, much cheaper, it’s hard to justify spending 50% of the cost of the original software on a plugin.

 

Thanks for looking and I hope this PluralEyes FCP X review was helpful to you …

 

Yanobox provided me with their new color manipulation plug-in for Final Cut Pro X, called Moods. In this post I will review Yanobox Moods and tell you a bit about its pros and cons and why you might want to try it on your next Final Cut Pro X project.

First off, as always, this is an honest Yanobox Moods review for Final Cut Pro X, but I did want to make sure and mention that yes, Yanobox sent the Moods software to me for free. That said, I will still try to be objective in this review. Second, right off the bat, I like Moods because it is simple, easy, and user-friendly. The software does not necessarily go far beyond what is already built into Final Cut Pro X, but it is still useful, intuitive, and comes with some great color-correction/manipulation presets. I tested out Moods in FCP X on my new project, The Tallest Hurdle, which is about the surprisingly common trend of child burn injuries caused by accidents with cooking fires in Nepal.

What’s great about Yanobox Moods is that you can preview a preset by simply moving your mouse over the preset. You will see the visual effect on your selected clip without even having to click. That is slick. There are several options for presets in Yanobox Moods and Final Cut Pro X makes integration with the plug-in a breeze. Click on “Effects” while in FCP X and review the Moods preset options. Select a preset or start from scratch using the array of sliders and wheels that control everything from shadow color tones to gamma, exposure, and more.

What’s not so great about Yanobox Moods is that it seems to draw much more energy from the computer in order to render changes as compared to say, using the built-in color and exposure controls in FCP X. Other than that drawback, I can’t really find a reason not to use Moods, unless you are tight on money. Otherwise, for $50, it’s really not a bad deal at all.

If you liked this Yanobox Moods review for Final Cut Pro X, you want to see more reviews, or just want to disagree, go right ahead! Let me know what you think or send me a question. I will be reviewing another software plug-in for Final Cut Pro X soon – Singular Software PluralEyes for Final Cut Pro X – so stay tuned. Thanks for viewing.

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Here is the Moods tutorial video, which is just an introduction by Yanobox that they put on YouTube for beginners:

 

Singular Software has just released PluralEyes for Final Cut Pro X. PluralEyes was the go-to plugin of choice for video editors syncing audio using Final Cut Pro 7, and now the plugin is available: PluralEyes for Final Cut Pro X. I will be reviewing the new plugin soon.

As DSLR shooters, we have to use external audio recorders because our cameras don’t record audio very well. And as you may know, to sync audio in Final Cut Pro X it is as easy as three clicks – just click the audio track, the video, and right click to select “synchronize clips.” This is great and a feature that was badly needed in Final Cut Pro 7, which is why PluralEyes was so great when it came out. So why would anyone ever need PluralEyes for Final Cut Pro X?? Final Cut Pro X does not seem to be able to figure out how to sync multiple video clips with a single audio track. This is very frustrating, because often I will have one track for audio from an interview, and multiple video clips from the interview. This is because DSLR cameras like the Canon 5D mark II cannot film for longer than 12 minutes or so. You have to briefly stop and start the camera. I’m very much looking forward to testing out this new version of PluralEyes for Final Cut Pro X.

See below for the official press release:

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PLURALEYES FOR FINAL CUT PRO X NOW AVAILABLE

New release lets Final Cut Pro X editors better manage dual-system audio and multi-camera productions; sophisticated automation technology accurately syncs video and audio

Vancouver, British Columbia, January 25, 2012 — Singular Software™, a developer of workflow automation applications for video production, is pleased to announce the availability of PluralEyes® for Apple® Final Cut Pro® X (FCP X). The multi-award winning PluralEyes technology works alongside FCP X to quickly and accurately sync video and audio clips for dual-system audio and multi-camera productions, saving hours of tedious manual syncing during post-production.

“The auto sync function that is built into Final Cut Pro X is a start, but most professional editors will want more. They want to be able to sync many clips at once, see the results right away, and be confident that the sync will work across a broad range of real-world video projects,” says Bruce Sharpe, CEO, Singular Software. “PluralEyes for FCP X is built on the same technology that is used countless times every day to sync weddings, corporate videos, documentaries and a host of other video production types. With a time-tested, proven technology powering the automation, FCP X editors can confidently offload their entire sync task to PluralEyes and be hands off until the sync is complete, regardless of the type of project they are working on.”

PluralEyes for FCP X went through an extensive public beta before its release with thousands of editors putting the software through its paces. Photography Bay reviewed the PluralEyes for FCP X beta release, commenting on its ability to better handle real-world sync projects, “…syncing multiple takes to a single audio clip is a challenge in FCP X, but is something that the new PluralEyes beta shreds through easily.” The full Photography Bay review can be viewed at http://www.photographybay.com/2011/12/15/plural-eyes-now-available-for-fcp-x/

PluralEyes for FCP X Pricing and Upgrades
PluralEyes for FCP X is available today via http://www.singularsoftware.com/buy.html#fcp for 149.00 USD.

Existing PluralEyes for FCP customers can upgrade to PluralEyes for FCP X free of charge at http://www.singularsoftware.com/downloads.html#fcp.

FCP X editors can test-drive the new release by downloading a 30-day trial version from http://www.singularsoftware.com/downloads.html#fcp.