Re: Horses for Courses - Avid vs. FCP

I should have put more detail in the post possibly, it originally included a link to my website where I've detailed my thoughts a little more - but that link is no longer there.

Basically if you're an editor who is familiar with both Avid and FCP, and can choose either for a given job, what qualities of each system would help you chose what to use on that job.

The network editing strengths of Unity are a big one for many users I believe, FCP can technically do the same, but the discipline required to manage that process well is intimidating (that said I'd love to know more detail on the system you're using Mark).

Similarly the integration with Color could be a big plus on jobs that are going to require complex colour correction.

What I've wanted to do for a long time is actually try and setup some head-to-head test between the two to get a somewhat more objective idea of strengths and weaknesses. A number of specific job scenarios, well-appointed suites, competent editors... Put each through it's paces and try to figure out where it excels and where it struggles. It is difficult in a area full of marketing hype to really know what works really well in any given situation.

But I've wanted to do that for the past couple of years and haven't managed to so far, so I'm not seeking personal experiences.

Here's an question that I'd be interested in some answers to...
In what features or functions does FCP perform worse than Avid?

From my experience, I find rendering slower, and have had less realtime performance in FCP than I'd expect in Avid.

Similarly I find many of the simple geometry (scaling/moving) functions in Avid to be clunky and lacking in finese.

I'd rate Avid's media management as it's number one feature of FCP.

What about you guys, more familiar with FCP?