Today wraps my multi-part series reviewing the new M2 Mac mini. It is a powerful tool for editors looking for a capable system that won't break the bank. In this review, I suggest three system configurations, depending upon your needs and budget, that are optimized for media.
Along with the Mac mini, Apple also loaned me an Apple Studio Display. While initial reviews of this monitor were not kind, the one sitting on my desk has a gorgeous display and much to recommend it. But, it isn't without a few flaws -- and not the ones you think. Here's my review.
Last week, I upgraded to macOS Ventura 13.3. While the upgrade went fine, a problem developed with FCP. Before the upgrade, Final Cut displayed a warning about incompatible ERA audio plugins from Accusonus. After the upgrade, FCP wouldn't launch. It hung on those plugins.
I fixed the problem by manually searching and removing all files - about two dozen - whose file names started with ERA or Accusonus; most of which were in the System or Library folders. But this was a pain. I also, out of caution, reinstalled FCP from the Mac App Store.
The point of this story is that when Accusonus was acquired by Meta a couple of years ago and took their plugins off the market, I should have uninstalled them then. The uninstaller was readily available on their website and the process would have been fast and trivial. But, I was lazy and didn't. Now, their website doesn't exist and this manual process resulted in several hours of work to remove them before FCP would function again.
This is a reminder that keeping legacy software that no longer works - or is no longer supported - on your system is an easy way to cause problems in the future. If you don't need it, it is wise to uninstall it. If you need it, just be careful.
In the news:
Hedge turned seven this week. CEO and founder Paul Matthijs writes about how Hedge came to be, how they got to today, and where they're going next. It is a quick and fascinating read on beginning and running a software startup.
Miller Tripods announced its new Versa camera plate, which will debut at the 2023 NAB Show. Versa is a universal camera plate that is designed to allow users to switch between tripods from various manufacturers with ease. The Versa is also capable of 105mm sliding range, up to 4.1” of travel, for a variety of broadcast and film applications.
Waves Audio recently announced a move to subscription pricing. After immediate public outcry, they quickly decided to bring back the perpetual plugin license model, side-by-side with the new subscriptions. You will again be able to get plugins as perpetual licenses, just as before. Here are the details.
Foundry published a blog "What's on the horizon for machine learning in 2023?" Machine learning went — and is still going — through all the stages of any trend: skepticism and curiosity, experimentation, and, ultimately, implementation into workflows.
Sound Ideas recently acquired SoundDogs, whose sound effect library included the Soundelux library of unique and versatile sounds that were created for hundreds of Hollywood motion pictures and television series. They are releasing this library as a Master Collection at NAB.
Avid unveiled the next generation of its shared solutions with the new Avid NEXIS | F2 Solid State Drive (SSD) flash storage engine. This significantly accelerates media workflows, empowering post-production teams to create and deliver higher-quality finished content faster than ever before.
Maxon announced updates for their entire product line including Cinema 4D, Redshift, Red Giant, ZBrush, Forger and more. The list of features is far more than will fit in this newsletter. Learn more here.
