Free Purchase Final Cut Pro For Mac
Posted on by Last week, Apple announced upgrades to the venerable Mac mini. And this upgrade turned a diminutive system into a powerhouse. So much so that I’m getting a ton of email about whether we can use the Mac mini for video editing. The short answer is: Yes. NOTE: on using the Mac mini for video editing with Final Cut Pro X. This provides real-world performance data. Like all computers, you get the best possible performance by buying a fully-tricked out, top of the line system.
Free Purchase Final Cut Pro For Mac Pro
Download Final Cut Pro X for free. Final Cut Pro X was made available for purchase and download on the Mac App Store on June 21, 2011 along with new versions of Motion and Compressor. $89.99 $ 89 99. FREE Shipping on eligible orders. More Buying Choices. $40.99 (2 open box & new offers) 3 out of 5 stars 6. XSKN Final Cut Pro X 10 Keyboard Cover Skin for Touch Bar Models MacBook Pro 13 (A1706) and MacBook Pro 15 (A1707), Shortcut Design Silicone Keyboard Protector.
And, like all computers, that may require more money than you have to spend. So the purpose of this article is to help you prioritize balancing cost vs. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION (All images courtesy of Apple.) Based on my research, the new Mac mini is a solid machine for video editing, with the ability to configure the system with up to 64GB of RAM, a 6-core Intel i7 desktop-class processor, and a 10Gigabit Ethernet port. The I/O available on the new Mac mini allows users to connect a number of devices through its 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports, 2 USB-A ports, HDMI 2.0 port, and analog audio output jack. With these ports, you can connect a 5K display plus a separate 4K display, or up to three 4K displays. NOTE: The system offers Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, this means that you’ll need to purchase an adapter to connect any Thunderbolt 2 devices.
Source Technologies universal printer drivers are now available for download here in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions for your convenience. Source technologies st9512 driver for mac. ST Secure MICR Printer User’s Guide 9 2006, Source Technologies December 2006 All Rights Reserved Data Elements Date The date is a required data element for a check. Source technologies st9530 Resource Storage, Micr Menu Use the menu button on the front of your printer to toggle through the menu options. The password value is source technologies st9530 to no more than 8 alphanumeric case sensitive characters.
These adapters are readily available from a number of vendors, including Apple, for about $50. Links. Mac mini Overview:. Mac mini Tech Specs: The system also natively supports:. Up to three 4K displays: Two displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt 3 plus one display with 4096-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0. – OR –. Up to two displays: One display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt 3 plus one display with 4096-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0 LARRY’S PRIORITIES When it comes to optimizing a computer system for video editing, when you can’t purchase the top of the line, here are my spending priorities:.
GPU. RAM. Storage speed and capacity.
CPU speed Increasingly, both Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro CC are leveraging the GPU for effects, rendering and export. However, the Mac mini does not give us an internal choice for GPU. When it comes to optimizing a computer system for video compression, my priorities shift:. CPU speed.
RAM. Storage speed and capacity. GPU While some video transcoding and compressing codecs are multi-threaded (which means they take advantage of multiple cores in a CPU), many others are not. These single-threaded codecs take advantage of pure CPU speed more than the GPU. THOUGHTS ON THE GPU Here’s the key point behind deciding which GPU to get.
A graphics processing unit is optimized for pixel manipulations: texturing, rendering, color grading, exporting anything that involves manipulating the colors of pixels. All you are getting when you purchase a “higher-grade” GPU is more speed. Not better quality, just speed. If you are a student, a hobbyist, or someone with indeterminate deadlines, there’s no compelling reason to get a faster GPU; the faster speed doesn’t justify the cost. If you are someone living with constant deadlines, who does a lot of effects and color grading, and needs projects exported “yesterday or sooner,” then a faster GPU makes sense. One of the big limitations of the original Mac mini was its reliance on an Intel Iris graphics card. This was woefully underpowered for any serious graphics work, such as video editing.
That changed with the latest release. All configurations of the new Mac mini use the Intel UHD Graphics 630 card.
For editors who are working primarily in HD with limited motion graphics and effects, or who have deadlines that are flexible, the Intel UHD Graphics 630 will work well. For users who need faster performance, for example, working at higher resolutions such as 4K, with RAW video, or with more complex graphics and effects, the Blackmagic eGPU or newly announced Blackmagic eGPU Pro are great options for these types of graphics-intensive tasks. The updated eGPU Pro includes a Radeon RX Vega 56 graphics card with 8GB of high bandwidth memory. The card offers similar performance to the graphics card in iMac Pro. Links. Here’s a link for more information on the Blackmagic Design eGPU:. Here’s an Apple KnowledgeBase article on how to setup FCP X in macOS Mojave for an external eGPU: My recommendation is to go with the internal GPU, until you find yourself spending too much time waiting.
A slower GPU does NOT mean you can’t edit, it simply means that tasks like rendering and exporting may take a little longer. If you need more speed, add an external GPU as your budget allows. THOUGHTS ON RAM The Mac mini ships with a minimum of 8 GB of RAM, which can be user-upgraded to 16, 32, or 64 GB.
The good news here is that you can upgrade the RAM at any time, without needing to make a decision at the time of purchase. 8 GB of RAM is fine for HD editing in both Final Cut and Premiere. 4K and above frame sizes benefit from 16 GB of RAM. I have not found a compelling reason to install more than 32 GB of RAM. While the extra RAM won’t hurt, you won’t see as big a performance boost as you will by going from 8 to 32 GB of RAM. (As a note, all my iMac systems have 32 GB of RAM.) While you can buy RAM from Apple and have it factory-installed, you can save hundreds of dollars by buying RAM from reputable third-party companies like. My recommendation is to purchase the minimum 8 GB configuration, then upgrade to at least 16 GB from a third-party source as you need more. If your workflow feels fast enough, you have enough RAM.
If you are spending too much time waiting – add more. THOUGHTS ON THE CPU Apple makes it hard to compare CPUs because one is an i3, another is an i5 and the third is an i7. In looking for an understanding of the differences, I found this recent PC Magazine article: “If you want a plain and simple answer, then generally speaking, Core i7s are better than Core i5s, which are in turn better than Core i3s. Nope, Core i7 does not have seven cores nor does Core i3 have three cores. The numbers are simply indicative of their relative processing powers. “The more cores there are, the more tasks (known as threads) can be served at the same time. The lowest number of cores can be found in Core i3 CPUs, i.e., which have only two cores.
Currently, all Core i3s are dual-core processors.” i5 CPUs are quad core, but “they don’t support Hyper-Threading which is the ability of a single core to serve multiple threads. “This is one of the many reasons why Core i7 processors are the creme de la creme. Not only are they quad cores, they also support Hyper-Threading. Thus, a total of eight threads can run on them at the same time. “The upshot is that if you do a lot of things at the same time on your PC, then it might be worth forking out a bit more for an i5 or i7. However, if you use your PC to check emails, do some banking, read the news, and download a bit of music, you might be equally served by the cheaper i3.” Here’s the link to the full article: My recommendation is to upgrade to the 6-core i7.
Video editing, especially at larger frame sizes, requires a beefy processor. Also, it’s important to mention that these are all Intel 8th-generation 65W desktop-class processors — not mobile processors meant for notebook computers. THOUGHTS ON STORAGE The Mac mini comes with up to 2 TB of internal SSD which, according to reports, is blindingly fast.
The problem is that in today’s media environment, 2 TB is not enough storage. I regularly shoot projects that take multiple terabytes of storage. So, even if I invested in a 2 TB SSD, I’d still need to buy external storage.
Remember, also, as your frame sizes increase or you move to HDR or high-bit-depth media, a single spinning hard drive won’t be enough. You’ll either need to purchase a RAID or another SSD. Frankly, for a full suite of editing apps, plus the macOS, you really only need 100 GB of storage. So if you are on a tight budget, a 256 GB SSD will be enough.
Personally, I like having a bit more space for exports and working files. My recommendation is the 512 GB SSD and reserve it for the macOS, applications and general workspace. Then, store all your and projects on externally connected media using Thunderbolt 3; preferably a RAID. THOUGHTS ON INTERCONNECTION For the first time since the iMac Pro, the new Mac mini includes the option to install 10 Gb Ethernet port. This option is especially useful for users who keep media on shared storage or for configurations that require high-bandwidth networking today or in the future. For comparison, a 1 Gb Ethernet connection can transfer data up to 128 MB/second.
A 10 Gb Ethernet connection can transfer data up to 1.25 GB/second; ten times faster. However, there are several “gotchas” here, because to take full advantage of this high-speed connection you will also need:.
Servers that attach to the switch using 10 Gb Ethernet or faster. A data switch capable of processing data at 10 Gb speeds. Cat 6 or 6e cabling between the switch and your computer. I fully applaud Apple for adding this connection – it is valuable and needed! However, unless the rest of your network also supports 10 Gb Ethernet – or will be upgraded to do so – adding this option won’t make any difference in your data transfer speeds. HERE’S MY RECOMMENDED CONFIGURATION This screen shot illustrates what I recommend.
Regardless of which Mac mini you start with, you’ll end up at the same configuration for the same price: $1,499 (US). Also, remember that the Mac mini is just the computer, you’ll also need to purchase a monitor, keyboard and mouse. I’ve already put myself on the list for a new Mac mini to replace my old 2012 Mac mini and, yes, I’m getting the one I spec’d here.
I’ll let you know what I learn when it arrives. Great write up! You clearly and concisely answered all of my concerns about whether I should seriously consider the new Mac Mini as a contender for editing. I’m currently editing in FCPX on an early 2015 13″ rMBP. It gets the job done while allowing me to be mobile when necessary. However, I do feel like I would benefit from a more powerful dedicated editing machine.
Already have a Dell P2715Q and don’t want to fork out for an iMac. Your recommended configuration appears to fit the bill quite nicely.
Hi Larry I bought a mac mini and then installed 32 GB RAM I also have a 2TB SSD and the 6 core. My thoughts are as follow Sometimes the memory used in final cut goes over 16 GB. I agree 32 GB may be an overkill but there are occasion where it uses more though never seen it go over 17 GB. As for the CPU I fully agree max out it speeds up encoding. The disk you can do with 1 TB for sure.
I use the internal HD for libraries and proxy keeping original on an external SSD. I have also bought and returned a blackmagic eGPU for the following reasons: 1. I did not see any material benefits in rendering or playback when I edit I can optimise playback for performance which is good enough 2. Encoding seems not to matter the GPU in FCP if you look at the activity monitor the gpu is used very little 3. I could not see material benefits in stabilisation, analysis or anything else In summary if Apple would increase the VRAM on the CPU above 1.5 GB which is the cap I think the mini would work perfectly. I would think 2 GB for 16 GB and 4 for 32 GB would be easily managed All in all this is an extremely powerful machine!
If you’re using a previous version of the Final Cut Pro trial, you’ll be able to use this version free for an additional 30 days. Final Cut Pro X requires a Mac with macOS 10.13.6 or later, 4GB of RAM (8GB recommended for 4K editing, 3D titles, and 360° video editing), OpenCL-capable GPU graphics card or Intel HD Graphics 3000 or later, 256MB of VRAM (1GB recommended for 4K editing, 3D titles, and 360° video editing), 3.8GB of available disk space. For details, see. Visit the page for tutorials to help you get started quickly.