My verdict on Final Cut Pro for the iPad - WHY?!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Who's tried Final Cut Pro on the iPad, then? Thoughts?

[@jimcabezola3051]

Makes you wonder if Apple were even LISTENING to serious editors like you! Perhaps Apple’s design team are their own echo chambre…

[@finndogfilms]

I'm not a pro editor but I think this is a good start. I can understand your issues, especially not editing on an external device. I believe in the subscription model. I think it will fuel further development of Final Cut. I started in the computer business in the 1990's and you always paid for software updates. That fueled development of new features. Is that why the Mac version hasn't/t kept up with things?

[@charlesm.9858]

Do you have a how to use video on the max mini? I’m new on editing. Great Video the more I kept watch! Very very informative video!!

[@andyh.8074]

🎉 Luckily, they now updated FCP to support editing on external storage devices!

[@LucidRecords]

Thank god I saw this comment cause I just assumed this was something they did straight off the bat😂

[@omadlom]

Lumafusion for iPad is fantastic; I would use that over FCP for the time being. Plus it’s a lot cheaper

[@rock-n-party9241]

And a one time payment also

[@ginamina28]

I love LumaFusion but recall when they announced Multi Cam over 3 years ago, when the M1 came out. I was so disappointed with the super long wait. They released it with an additional one time payment of $20, which I was ok with, and then about a month later, this comes out. I do feel they have a better Multi Cam Switcher and editing is easier. Being a FCP fan, I’m willing to support the subscription mode, if it improves, so time will tell for me. I will find ways to continue to use both.

[@aaronmelson2887]

Same

[@puresoulg]

Does Lumafusion has the external drive limitations as well?

[@JeremyLeech]

Davinci Resolve for the iPad is where it’s at.

[@Osprey6m]

Agree the external hard drive limitation is a show stopper. Considering some compatible devices have a memory ceiling of 256gb

[@TylerShore]

Is this still the case a year later? Tried searching around and didn't find a quick answer

[@SiEffen]

it's bizarre they've cut those features out, most of that is possible in Lumafusion, so it's not a matter of can't be done!

[@PrestonGladd]

Explaining LUTS is easy, its simply a Look Up Table, it takes the colors your camera see's and records, then looks up a table created to replace/modify those colors, applies those color corrections to the footage in Final Cut Pro, with the goal of making the colors in your edit appear the way the LUT creator think the average human eye see's the color, or creates a specific look/feel i.e. light, dark, warm, cold, etc.

[@cylack]

I don’t understand why Apple doesn’t bring in focus groups of users like you to get feedback before they release products. Seems like it would be very useful to do this.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I'm sure they do a lot of market testing and research. They can't please everyone, unfortunately, but there are a couple of very odd choices in this version.

[@pauldeshield]

@@MarkEllisReviews they left out so many pro features that it feels like a toy or lite version of FCPX. I used it for a project and I was so limited that I asked why am I doing this to myself. It’s like “look at me, Final Cut on an iPad” but is it really? 🤷🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️

[@sharingmatters]

The same with a calculator on an iPad. Apple is so stubborn. I think they like to say no to clients. It makes their life easier.

[@sharingmatters]

There maybe one more reason. They want you to buy both - an iPad and a Mac.

[@HistoryNut-1701]

External drive support for editing is coming in an update. This current release is just a version one.

[@stephenvalente3296]

Should have been there in the first version really, but if they’re fixing it then all well and good. Could have lost some potential users by then though to other products. Own goal time again from Apple.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Do you know that for sure?

[@HistoryNut-1701]

@@MarkEllisReviews I believe this was stated by Christopher Lawley on his channel during his initial review of the app. I believe he is in the know with what is going on.

[@jamesdominiak]

If you are coming from and mainly use desktop video editors then FCP for iPad will be limiting. FCP for Mac initially came with lots of complaints before it got to where it is now. So expect FCP for iPad to be the same. Apple clearly took their time building this version from scratch and I look forward to seeing regular updates and features to be added. I would like external storage support to edit from and better colour grading tools but love other features like live drawing. Looking forward to plugins coming soon. I have wanted to use FCP for ages but no way wanted to shell out £300 for it and find the subscription model suits me fine. Brings it to a larger audience. There are so many great video editors for people of all needs and abilities on the iPad and Mac. Luna fusion is incredible and resolve is just as powerful as its desktop Version by all accounts.

[@marcteleki2801]

Totally agree with you. Looking for the external drive support will be great. Thanks for the great content

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thank you!

[@ginamina28]

OMG, I totally agree with you! Thank you for your review. I was super excited about it, but ran into so many of the same frustrations you pointed out. I thought the ‘learning curve’ would be easier. Importing 4K footage, instead of leaving it on an SSD, no custom luts, audio editing is minimal, the audio latency, etc. My personal frustration is that when editing in Multi Cam, you cannot detach audio! It splits it, and I find ‘gaps’ that I see and hear! Color grading to even out clips is time consuming and difficult (log V2 shot on iPhones with Filmic Pro), which is super easy on the Mac. I do agree with your points about the good stuff, so I say ‘good start’ to it, and will continue to support it. Love the pencil with it (especially the titles), and keyboard short cuts were the same. I usually use my Apple mouse on my Mac, but am ok using the trackpad on the Magic Keyboard, but will try my Apple Mouse to see if it’s easier. One thing I liked were in the titles, but I would like more choices. I love to make my own in Procreate on the iPad, or Motion on the Mac. I do find LumaFusion to be a better Multi Cam editor, but cannot really transfer to Mac and FCP. I just find LumaFusion titles to be too simplistic and end up making my own elsewhere. Seems like I will continue to use it as an ‘on the go’ editor, for social media, but will see what Apple comes up with in updates before yearly subscription.

[@philthehatfilms]

Good review and echo's my experience this week using it. Frustrating!!! Also no video stabilisation and the export file has limited options. ProRes is massive and clients don't want that and what is the compression with the H.264 codec?

[@Tuga_News]

Best honest review. Big thank you from Portugal

[@KevinTspirit]

Thank you for always good content, I always learn something new on your channel. All these years with Apple devices, and never once thought to edit a video, but now I'm interested.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thanks, Kevin!

[@PhillipRPeck]

I think Apple have really optimized the interface for holding the device with two hands and using your thumbs and fingers as much as possible. I think this is why it feels much more cumbersome to use it with the keyboard and trackpad. Unfortunately, I find it very tiresome ergonomically to hold the iPad in my lap and hunch over it for any extended period of time. I don't know, I'm willing to give it some more time, but I wonder, once the novelty wears off, if this will be an app that lots of people adopt in any significant way

[@joerama]

Great observations. I suspect that lack of external SSD was less of a “decision” than simply an expedience to get FCP for iPad out into the wild (on the heels of DVR for iPad, and in concert with Logic Pro for iPad). Fingers crossed SSD support appears sooner than later. Also, don’t forget your 6th item you need: full round-trip with MacOS FCP! I do hope the subscription model is good for FCP as it’ll help the team stand on its own two feet (as a potential profit center) going forward.

[@Chris-p4u]

Been waiting desperately for your opinion on FCP on the iPad. Thank you very much for this video :) I think your points are absolutely valid and I hope Apple will quickly release updates to fix them. But still: So glad to finally see Apple officially bringing its Pro Apps to iPad. :)

[@watchcommander2012]

I think your comment that this looks like a new from the ground up version of FCP is accurate and why things are missing or not quite right at moment. Apple is waiting on all the live real world feedback so it can do an update/bug fix etc It was never going to be right/perfect first time around software development just doesn’t work like that. Another great video Mark.

[@LS-nf8vo]

If apple needs to wait for feedback on FCP after all these years then that’s pure madness. They’re not new to the game & since the hardware is their own, surely it is obvious as to what is required. Davinci Resolve was introduced to the ipad with a decent beta offering for Apple’s hardware, makes no sense. Apple just does what it wants with the confidence that people will just swallow it!

[@keenesaulcrescini8687]

So happy that the video editing piece is still working (to some degree) for you :) Brilliant review as always, Mark :)

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thanks!

[@newYorkStories]

"incredible alien" - Mark Ellis -- This is all I needed to hear

[@drtoddhardin]

Mark, here is another thing. I haven't seen anyone explain how to sync external audio with video in a project. It is incredibly easy on the Mac and I might be overlooking something, but, syncing audio and video on the iPad does not seem intuitive.

[@USMCBugleBoy]

Hi Mark. Love your videos, and I appreciate that you find valid complaints rather than simply rave. I have never used Final Cut Pro on any device, and yet I have a strange take on your external drive issue, so bear with me. When the Apple Watch first debuted, it suffered from a slow processor due to battery concerns. To address this, the Apple Watch was “tethered” to the iPhone. Apple Watch apps required companion apps on the iPhone to do the bulk of the computing, such that the Apple Watch largely functioned as a secondary display rather than an independent device. It took a few years for the Apple Watch to get sufficient hardware and thus native 3rd party apps. iPadOS is still young as an OS (and as a society we are still figuring out how to create and master two-handed touch-based controls). And since Final Cut Pro for iPad is a first generation product, it could very well be some simple unseen hardware constraint reason that Apple chose to copy files instead of reference them. It could also be for nefarious political reasons like “make it harder on purpose”… But if it’s a hardware constraint, Apple is likely already working on a hardware and software fix, i.e., the next iPad Pro.

[@DreamWevr]

I like it but it need some updates and have you ever used lumafusion

[@Al-ImprovEd2022]

Nice job. I wish someone would show the finished video after using the background delete feature. Everyone says it’s great but they don’t play the completed clip to show how well it works. Does it work with fast action for example?

[@DesertSunsetsSunrises]

Thank you for the honest review. I too was super excited when they announced FCP for IPad. I am still new to FCP and really enjoy learning how to use it. I was disappointed like yourself about not being able to use an external drive to work from. I pay for 2 TB plan for iCloud and can only imagine that will fill up fast. I will wait for a second edition FCP iPad and hopefully they will allow external drives. For now I will stick with FCP on the Mac.

[@gowithgoldstraw]

Downloaded it (and Logic - different story) but after a day's playing with it, I decided to stick with Davinci. Sure, it's not quite complete on the iPad yet but there is enough functionality to get most things done. This was probably strongly influenced by the fact that I have already invested in Davinci quite heavily, both in terms of experience and investing in both the Studio version and the Speed Editor (which also works with the iPad). And of course, it works with external drives from the get-go.

[@SheWhoRemainz]

Omgoodness… I was just wondering if it worked with my Speed Editor. Never knew they even made Davinci for IPad ..I just downloaded and I’m in love!!!

[@joelelhadj6993]

Apparently there’s a hack to use the full version( every tab) of davinci on an ipad as well

[@ristofly5720]

What in I’m interested in seeing in one of your videos is how smoothly the iPad version of Logic Pro works with: 1. interacting with iPad Final Cut Pro. I’m hoping that since Final Cut Pro is weak in its audio side that it can be integrated with Logic Pro. 2. I have a full recording studio on my M2 iPad now where I use Cubasis 3, it will be interesting to see how Logic Pro stacks up to it when using AudioBus 3, the BAIS apps, along with all of the effects apps. Not to mention Sample Tank & Synth Master. 3. The other thing which will be interesting is if Logic Pro integrates with my existing synth apps, and existing live recording A to D equipment. Mark, I really have enjoyed both your videos, and as I’m sure you know that taking the time to see if another app (which is subscription only) is worth the time to even try out. I started my 1st midi studio in 1985 with the Macintosh and Performer version 1, been there done that, more times than I can remember. Getting a quick view of what to expect in everyday work is really helpful in determining if spending the time to try something else is worth doing. Thank you for the work you’re doing. For now I’m sticking with LumaFusion.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thanks for the kind words! I'm afraid there's no integration at all with Logic and Final Cut Pro (on either platform, to be honest!). But I agree that would make sense at some stage!

[@fletcherbrown728]

I’ve been using since release but just can’t seem to finish anything in it. In addition to your spot on request for changes. I would also add being able to do a voiceover directly. What a pain to go outside and do a short voiceover, edit it , bring it inside then have to repeat the process for any additional edits. Also need simple speed ramps Want run a drone clip at 3X? It will either be very jarring or you have to split your footage up into three or four sections adding small increments of speed to each one. Way too time-consuming and can’t be easily adjusted.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Love the idea of direct voiceover recording.

[@budgetkeyboardist]

Great video. I use FCP on my MBP. When I see FPC on iPad, and it's like "and then you add the magic keyboard which has a trackpad", all I can think of is "that looks a lot like a MacBook with a touch screen and a more limited OS." Touch screens are handy for things like pushing on screen buttons, but fingers on a screen are too bulky for fine work, and I'm not convinced that a stylus is superior to using a trackpad/mouse with a cursor. You have to pick up the stylus and hold it over a specific point on the screen. On a mouse, my hand is resting and I'm not having to hold something up. A stylus is great for writing/drawing, but most of my FCP use isn't that. Is a tablet with a keyboard/trackpad really that much more portable than a 13 inch MacBook Air? Most people I know who own iPads use them because they dislike computers and they'd rather browse the web on an iPad. Despite all that, I love the fact that Apple is trying all this stuff. People asked for it, and here it is. If they fix the issues, it'll be almost as good as the Mac OS version. But with a stylus. I may be missing something. Time will tell. Super interesting stuff, if nothing else.

[@drorlevy2916]

Great review, you touched very relevant topis for pro video editors :) Thanks!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Happy to be of assistance!

[@TonyTroie]

If it's anything like garage band or Logic Pro, there is a gesture for cutting which is quicker than "touch-cut" just drag down and it cuts

[@PerfectionHangover]

Are you not able to cmd + b to use the blade tool and cut clips on the keyboard?

[@charlesm.9858]

It sucks that it I can’t get it on my iPad Pro!! I think I have the 2018 but ahh And I got the 1T and it was expensive and I don’t want to buy another 😞 I could just get it for my Mac mini. Do you have a video on how to use the Final Cut Pro ?

[@altomatic]

That live drawing feature is wild!!!! I will try it just on that alone. I think I can ignore some issues for now 😂

[@smartin4052]

When I went to add music from iTunes to my video edit and couldn’t I was mind blown lol, had to screen record from KZbin then extract audio and add into the video that way.

[@JavierMazuelas]

Hey, thanks for your video. I´m still asking myself if you´ve tried to record video with the M1 iPad and edit it within the FCP app. Can you? or it only is possible with the M2 version. Thanks in advance!

[@michaelbacon55]

Thanks for saving me a lot of pain. I too was excited to hear about FCP on iPad. Raced to download it, and oh, I have to pay again? Well if it’s good that’s ok. Each of your points were exactly what I didn’t want to hear. Particularly trimming that tiny bit of video with my fat fingers. Then the downloading the full files was the killer for me. There was a couple of nice features but not enough to jump in. I was hoping it was going to able to work with the Mac and not be a completely stand alone system. Thanks again Mark.

[@sharingmatters]

I agree with all of the 5 points. I can live with all of these for sometime for just basic edit and then moving to a Mac. I am just not sure I want to do it with a mouse or a pencil. It will probably take much longer thank on a mac.

[@timmy2guns00]

Can you please help me with a off topic question? I am REALLY interested in the new IPad Pro 2023 in the 12.9. However, other than size what will the difference between the IPad Ultra and the next IPad Pro 12.9? Thank you and I apologize for asking something off topic of today’s great video.

[@ScottJamesIrvine]

Can you drag it into the Files app instead of straight into Final Cut?

[@MyAmericanMorning]

Very helpful video. I don't do much video anything right now, primarily use iMovie. But I'm planning to purchase new iPad when the next generation comes out, and then possibly give Final Cut Pro on the iPad a try. For the novice, will the iPad version be easier to learn?

[@fox_flow4443]

I very enjoy your videos and I totally agree. Not even the most basic cutting tools work well. By the way, could you tell me what case this is on your iPad or where I can buy it? I really want my iPad to be protected when I have it in the magic keyboard.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

It’s made by Pitaka. Link is in the description 👍

[@fox_flow4443]

@@MarkEllisReviews thank you 😊

[@visioneer32]

I love It , I think it is the same as when Apple first introduced FCPX, a lot of people bagged it is the 1st few weeks, I however could see the enormous potential that it has and bt the time the released Ver: 10.3 had what most pros needed, for me it was worth the money just for the "Match Colour "feature, 1 thing that I have noticed that I would like to see in a future up date would be the a ability to separate Audio from Video at this time you can only expand the Audio but can not detach it...

[@hynekd]

@Mark Ellis Reviews I don’t use Final Cut or Logic so please excuse what may be an odd question. If you use and like the programs on a Mac why would you want to switch to an iPad? It seems possible that this introduction is more about new users of the programs than it is for current users of the programs on the Mac. Totally understand the frustration even if I don’t totally understand the problem.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I think the answer's pretty simple - why not? 😉 Apple has put all of that power into the iPad, and it's a brilliantly portable device.

[@musictheory4u153]

I had hoped for Motion on the iPad as well.

[@MacSoundSolutions]

Does it work offline? Without a internet connection? Logic Pro for iPad needs a internet connection to run, that is a deal breaker for me. The whole point is portability with iPad, not bringing able to use it when off the grid is ridiculous.

[@rexcellencemagee6729]

Yes , I tried the free trial and had the same issues as you. I’m strictly Davinci Resolve now on the IPad. I’ll tell you this though, I wouldn’t be as excited about it and using logic without the Behringer Touch! I’m telling you for a mere $199 it makes all the difference in world on all synths,, Daws and video editing! Ty fo the video!

[@Flatability]

Thank you so much for this review. I was toying with the idea of FCP and investing in an iPad, but I’ve decided not to buy an iPad at all. I’m currently using iMovie, on a couple of elderly iMacs in different locations, and just travelling with a portable hard drive. But I’m starting to think that the fastest, and most convenient, option, might be to just shoot, edit, and upload, just using my iPhone, using LumaFusion. Thanks for sharing.

[@JohnnyVichi]

question : is it at least better than capcut , if you rarely edit ? ( just edit for instagram)

[@NethirOsman]

Whats that case you have on your ipad, looks amazing? the carry part specificly? is it cosmetic, or can you actually carry it like that

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Yup, very functional. It’s made by Pitaka - link in description 👍

[@mglaszlo]

Is it possible to work from iCloud as an alternative to an external drive?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Nope. And you really wouldn’t want to rely on cloud storage for video work.

[@DerekZimmer]

Awesome video! Love the detail you go into! Also, iPad has worse thermals than Mac so may be creating more challenges for software team.

[@KitLaughlin]

It's the new direction, brother. Remember Aperture? Many pro. photographers were very disappointed by that move. History repeats.

[@AbeJimenez]

It seems just like with anything new, we have to adapt to change. It does feel foreign because it’s a different hardware

[@JeffLandsman]

1st off - love your channel! 2nd - I am a professional video editor for the past 25 years and built my business, Phase6 Productions, on Final Cut starting 7 years ago (even though I also use Avid and Premiere 5% of the time.) I have cut tv commercials, sizzle reels, and social media for clients like Bacardi, United Airlines, and Oprah. This is, by far, the most disappointing software Apple has released in a long time (and I am an Apple lover!) In addition to your excellent points, the overall point of view from Apple was to build a new version dedicated to creators - not industry professionals. Clearly they ran the stats and figured out the most industry professionals use Adobe and now DaVinci, with TV and Film editors still using AVID. Professional creators are likely the largest user base. So Apple decided to abandon all markets and rebuild the app for this market, which totally makes good business sense (I am just sad about it.) Because Apple is showing us that they have essentially abandoned the market I am in, I am moving my whole business to DaVinci (which has done the opposite.) Wishing you well and THANK YOU for the SUPERB content!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thanks for your kind words and input.

[@itsallinhow]

so where's davinci resolve from April now sitting in your way of doing? and davinci is a single purchase rather than subscription?

[@KeatB]

Would external drive support and simultaneous wired headphone support work ok?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Yup.

[@musictheory4u153]

It seems like Logic Pro is more one-to-one compared to the Mac version. And I think you can continue a Mac project on the iPad and vice versa.

[@andikunar7183]

Great video, thanks! While I don't do FinalCut, I had the same knock-out experience with Adobe Lightroom, when I initially tried it. Videos are large, but 40+ Megapixel RAW-files, and 1000s of them are a similar hassle when having to copy them from external drives. Adobe's "use the cloud" thinking is not really an alternative for me. So to me, this "having to copy everything from external drives to the iPad" looks more to be a current iPadOS thing - maybe it's external drive connection reliability isn't stable enough. Also, if you always have an external drive connected, you then need an USB-hub, so that you can also keep your audio/headphones physically connected. P.S.: maybe us external drive users are a dying breed who have missed the train. And everybody already uses cloud storage instead of external drives ...

[@AmeenRidwan]

Can the iPad air do most of these?

[@wouterpetersen4715]

I use it not to work ahead when I’m on the go, not to replace the Mac version.

[@hugoknapp]

This reminds me of when apple first released FCPX for the mac. It seemed like a joke coming from FCP 7/FCP Express. Same sort of crazy issues but thankfully they fixed them in the end. Hope the same happens for FCP iPad!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I’m pretty sure it will

[@jimtipton8888]

From an outside perspective the desire of creatives to change the iPad into something functional for their needs has amused me. I'm a professional (sales) and I've used the iPad effectively in that environment for years. Not without some frustration, although Apple seems to be slowly fixing some of the largest frustrations. I also my spend fun time doing photography and video. I would never replace a Mac with a iPad for any kind of advanced editing like Final Cut Pro or Affinity Suite. If I need mobile for those programs, I would lean MacBook Air. You lose a tactile screen, but you gain a full operating system with complete functionality. To me no brainer. At least till the iPad gets there.

[@eric3007]

​@@dieselbaby lol you probably didn't expect a 20 year video/producer/creative director professional to respond to this, but you're VERY wrong. No professional creative uses an ipad pro for their main professional workstation, aside from using it on shoots (onsite) or traveling where you need to get a quick edit done. It has its uses for sure, but not replacing a full-on desktop workstation/studio. You can absolutely "do pretty much anything" on them... but compared to a desktop workflow/workstation its just not there if you want to be efficient (which is number one in the production world). Especially if you're editing 4-8k files or complex 3D motion graphics using actual professional software like After Effects or Houdini. I tried editing 4k vids in resolve for ipad pro M1, and within minutes I went back to my desktop mac pro.

[@mrjamesmay3548]

I’m repeating myself but I really don’t understand making the iPad Pro into a laptop of sorts. I have one and I rarely use and stupidly bought into all the extras which has now made it more expensive than a MacBook Pro. The Magic Keyboard alone makes it super heavy which is a bummer for travelers

[@jamesdominiak]

It is not a laptop. Just a different way of working with add ons if you want. Worked fine for alot of people. If this didn’t work for someone there are plenty of other options to choose from.

[@mrjamesmay3548]

@@jamesdominiak I get that but I think I have the regret of the cost of it all. iPad Pro 12.9 cellular 2TB, Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil and you can get a MacBook Air that will perform as well for all those tasks at half the cost. Don’t get me wrong it’s an amazing device and you can do most things on it but I find it’s a little convoluted at times. I got mine mainly for my photos and it’s great but just overkill. I wish i put the budget towards replacing my 2015 MacBook Pro. Perhaps the new iPads when they all start running the M1 chips will be better value for money

[@melmagallon6233]

Yeah, the lack of working on remote storage is an absolute deal breaker for me, especially since I got a 128gb version. The fact that Apple didn’t include something that’s been existing for over a decade is ridiculous.

[@mrwintoe]

I bought a 1 tb m2 iPad with 16 gig ram. Downloaded Final Cut Pro and Divinci Resolve. Both crashed continually. Mark is right...this is too fiddly to use. I found preferring Lumafusion. I returned the iPad to Apple. Buy a Macbook air for half the cash.

[@jaspalkallar5993]

Great video and very honest ✅ I'd say review in 6 months and 12 months intervals - hopefully regular updates are coming. Until then FCP Pro for iPad Pro is only really suitable for Til Tok (short) videos unless you have 1 TB+ iPad Pro's.

[@andrewdhome]

Lack of support for the MX Master is down to Logitech software, isn’t it?

[@jamesdominiak]

Logitech laziness especially as they advertise such mice for ios

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Who knows?!

[@JeffPom]

You are the first I’ve seen to complain about editing on the iPad with tough versus on the Mac. Most have said it’s different, but amazing. And a unique experience. I feel like you’ll get things you’re looking for as they move along, but then the Mac version will have new things, and you’ll want those. It’s clear after watching this that you don’t want “pro apps” on an iPad. You want a full on Mac iPad.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I'd possibly agree with you, Jeff... until I tried Logic Pro on the iPad. Stay tuned.

[@TransplantHelper]

I stopped my trial after a couple of days and canceled my annual payment. FIRST CUT PRO would be a better name.

[@Roguetrainer]

I think we just have to accept that iPads are not “pro” devices, unless you are an artist / graphic designer. Once you realise that, and ignore the nonsense from Apple then you can just buy the cheapest iPad around and use it for media consumption and some basic tasks like notes, emails etc.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Disagree I'm afraid, Jim. This is an example of poor feature choices on Apple's behalf. Logic Pro (as you'll find out soon) reveals how pro the iPad _can_ be.

[@Roguetrainer]

@@MarkEllisReviews I will certainly watch that video (I pretty much watch all your videos). Because Logic for iPad fell at the first hurdle for me as there is no midi learn option for external devices.

[@IanTed]

Until it supports direct import from a SSD its no use to me, using iPad Air with 64GB absolutely essential.

[@hynekd]

The iPad Pro being “pro” has nothing to do with Final Cut and Logic. Believe it or not there are many professionals pushing the hardware on the iPad Pro to its limits who don’t use either program. It is nonsensical to believe that a device being pro has anything to do with a single program.

[@DensDigitalDen]

Very good video! Completely agree with the shortcomings. I'm really not sure what is going on at Apple, but basic things are not being considered when they are making decisions regarding their applications.

[@mysterymanifesto]

The two points that were dealbreakers for you will be the same for me, my videos are huge, my ipad storage is not, and not being able to go from ipad to mac and back again. Hopefully Apple will address this in the future.

[@BobFlavinVideo]

Dead in the water because of the competition from Lumacurve, CapCut and loads more. I use FCP on max every day but I’m slowly moving to iPad and FCP rental means I’m not bothered.

[@GabrielGasp]

Basically what you (and everyone else) want is an iPad MacOS, and that’s exactly what Apple will never gives us. If they just gave us a dual boot (iPadOS for touch and MacOS for mouse and keyboard), iPad would be an awesome machine.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Asking for external SSD support in Final Cut Pro isn’t asking for a macOS version of the iPad, mate. As I said numerous times in this video, I accept this is a different platform and it excites me. Genuinely surprises me how many people fail to watch this stuff properly.

[@ridni2388]

Completely agreed: the absence of external editing makes it useless...

[@Omar_Moreno1202]

512gb M2 ipad pro. Exporting sub 1080p takes about 2 hours for a 20 min clip original shot in 4k. Theres nothing I can do to make it export any faster, it seems.

[@cjc363636]

Grumpy justified. Hopefully Apple will resolve/update these issues, especially not directly accessing external drive files. That said, the jog wheel is just cool.

[@darrenjosephgregory]

The external SSD issue maybe something fundamental to the ipad. My son video edits (I am old and only really interested in still images!) and has used Lumafusion which I gather is very well reviewed, prior to Final Cut, but has the same problem that you cannot edit files on an external SSD.

[@fletcherbrown728]

The more recent version of LumaFusion supports external drive editing and it works flawlessly. I keep a folders for the project with folders for drone, iPhone, DJI Action and audio for source and keep LumaFusion project and output movies in folders. Surely Apple will get around to that

[@darrenjosephgregory]

@@fletcherbrown728 Hi Fletcher, I'll let my son know and see how he gets on.

[@tysonpestner]

Subscription model is a no go for me. I have FCP on my MacBook, I’ve had the program since 2014 and over three machines. Made a one time payment and that’s exactly how I like it. I absolutely detest a subscription based model, I don’t particularly care how cheap it is per month, I think they are ultimately a net negative for the consumer and are a nuisance. I appreciate your review of the app, but I am heavily disappointed to not be able to just make a one time purchase and be done with it, and as such, if I have any video editing to be done on my iPad, will be looking elsewhere.

[@hooliganscalemodels5743]

I truly think they made the external hard drive not available because they are going to release apple externals in the future. It’s a brilliant move, they know we buy the products with the smallest hard drives cause of how expensive they are to upgrade. Then boom here’s an option…

[@macman29]

Apple will probably say you have to buy some device to use your external HD. Probably cost $100 for some small thing.

[@CurtisWarnasch]

I bought an 8tb Macbook Pro.

[@Keyboardnut99]

I found the same with logic too fiddly against the mac version was looking forward to it but its not for me , love the iPad but will always work on the mac the iPad has too many limitations professionally at the moment , unless you wish to paint or draw, just my opinion

[@jamessullenriot]

Seeing the bit where you write on the screen and its part of the video makes me even more bothered that you can't roundtrip back to the iPad. I could see a use where you want to edit on your Mac and then add some of the final touches like writing on the iPad. I imagine things like this will be fixed over time ... hopefully

[@xerxes3718]

The fact I can't keep files on my external hard drive is just a no-go. Once it's implemented, FCP iOS will be dope. When you have tones and tones of footage, even the bigger iPad in terms of Gigabit internal storage is just not sufficient for a pro shooter. Then, once a project is finished, sometimes you need to get back to it after a while, but it's gone because you need to make room for a new one. Nonsense. Hello?! Apple?

[@jcsfx710]

4:24 if you want to make your iPad into a laptop why not just use the laptop? that's not what fcp is on the iPad... is to be used with your fingers... is like eating chicken nuggets with fork and knife... 8:16 it was made for people who do vlogging, they video record on their phone, save it to the cloud, download from cloud and edit the video in the train, their car, hotel room, etc...9:04 you can't round trip for the simple fact that you have plugins on fcpx that you can't have on the iPad...

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Which is why I said, twice, that I accept this is a completely different way of working and I’m willing to learn the ropes!

[@Warlock_UK]

I definitely can't see the point of it... as a second screen, sure, but it seems fiddly. Which is annoying given that it has the same processor as an actual Mac these days. Weird it can't just *be* a Mac. Same with Logic - once you connect an interface for connecting instruments it's... just awkward. And then renting the software instead of having it as a one-time addon purchase to existing Logic licenses... It just feels annoying, people using Logic most likely have a Mac. The only use case I can see is if you're taking stuff on the road and only have a desktop...

[@austinlindsay]

Yea, until Apple lets users store their media where they choose I won’t switch to FCP on iPad. Thanks for the info.

[@adokapo]

They need to make iPad OS litle better. They basicly all but admited that iPad is useless on its own. They sell you keyboard stand and bunch of adapters. Now they even start to sell mac software just to make it usable. They either put that touchscreen on Mac and make it work somehow or put Mac os and some more ports on ipad.

[@allanfreeman6131]

I like FCP on the iPad Pro, don’t use the Mac version, seems more intuitive than Luma Fusion.

[@Tazmanian_Ninja]

07:49 Answer? Because it helps Apple sell higher spec'ed iPad configurations, with more storage 😏

[@ItsBrandonAllred]

Man when procreate Dreams drops and you can edit unlimited video and audio tracks with zero RAM preview time we'll truly be eating good as ipad owners

[@johntechwriter]

Question orf the month: Why would anyone want to run a pro-level video editing application on a tablet? A tablet that doesn't even support studio headphones? A tablet with a screen far too small for the original app's UX? An app that you can run on what it was designed for: a fast PC, as represented by the Mac Studio ($2k) and 27" Studio Retina 5K display ($1.5k)? While the new Mac Studio with 27" display is an entry-level professional-level workstation for the bargain price of $3,500, the iPad Pro12.9" reasonably configured comes to, for a tablet, a vastly inflated price of $2,700. I've used Final Cut Pro long enough to say with certainty there's no goddam way I'm going to spend 6 hours or more per day looking at the teeny elements on an iPad's display. Not gonna happen. And not being able to plug in a set of studio quality headphones? That's a dealbreaker right there. The Studio's low-end display has more than twice the surface area of the Pro! And let's not even get started on secondary storage. Horses for courses. While the Studio is a solid, entry level workhorse for content creators, the iPad is primarily a playback device, which is okay for watching content created on the Studio, but it's never going to be the other way around -- at least, not with content created by people who do it for a living and havne't got time to screw around.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I do this for a living and if Final Cut Pro on the iPad matched the Mac version (which, I think, one day it will), I’d use it regularly due to the ultimate portability. You need to broaden your horizons a bit, mate.

[@B0BHW]

Hmm... let's hope the right person leading the right team at Apple actually views your latest episode! I'll wait for Final Cut Pro on the iPad Pro until I see your next "Can you believe it? Apple listened!" KZbin clip!!!

[@middlh]

basically confirms what everyone knows, No one actually needs an IPAD, and who would buy one to manage a creative business if you have a Mac.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

That's a hell of a sweeping statement. No one? Come on, mate.

[@pauldeshield]

I will call it *Final Cut lite* until it has external storage support. I’m convinced they want us to buy the larger storage options. But Apple, I already have what I have; make it work!

[@hynekd]

If that’s what you believe then feel free to call it whatever you want. That is ludicrous.

[@pauldeshield]

@@hynekd it feels fully featured to you? You can’t even copy and paste across projects. It doesn’t have a simple color wheel for grading. It is missing so many features present on the Mac but it requires the same processor that is in the Mac.

[@newYorkStories]

I would love to use an Apple app that's better than iMovie on the iPad - yes I can import that into FCPX on the Mac, but I feel I have to do that, because iMovie on the iPad sucks. So, if FCP in the iPad would let me stay on the iPad for my humble projects, I would even get a new M2 iPad that runs FCP. My current (ancient) iPad Pro doesn't

[@philcrawford325]

What was Apple's objective when designing FCP for the iPad? That is, for whom was it designed? It seems it was designed for people who want to complete their projects from start to finish entirely on the tablet, without transferring between it and a Mac. If that were Apple's objective, they've nailed it. Considering the negatives about this app, I think the subscription is a bargain only for those who want all their video editing contained in the tablet. I'm not sure who they are; maybe semi-pros or those who would get enough use of the app editing home videos to warrant the recurring subscription. This is what Apple does, though: they release something brilliant but omit something that seems fundamental. Apple doesn't do that by mistake. There must be some reason that Apple hasn't included transferability of FCP files from Mac to iPad; because it would have been a decision, not an oversight. The decision might be mercantile rather than user-considerate: perhaps they're holding back on the feature for the next iteration of the iPad Pro, so that people who want the feature so much will buy the next tablet. Maybe the reason videos can't be edited direct from an external SSD is that the process would be too demanding, using too much power or draining battery too quickly or overheating the external drive. The decision not to enable this would be frustrating but understandable. It can be done with LumaFusion on the iPad, though, so, again, Apple has made a decision not to do something that can be done and would help users. If Apple told us why they left out this or that obvious function or feature from the their latest device or app, we might have an easier time accepting it.

[@Thewaterspirit57]

I was excited that we got Final cut pro on the ipad.... but the thing being a subscription is stupid :/ its the equivalent of PS plus or Xbox gold yearly, but... FOR EDITING!?!? There was already an editing software (that I forget the name of) on ipad, which they couldn't do much else, since Apple didn't allow the encoding and decoding hardware for the thing :/ This should just be a free app, with limited features, then you can pay a certain ammount for more stuff, which equals to more or less the same as the one on Mac, or you can get the App for less on ipad if you already have the Mac version on your account. I don't care what anyone says about the subscription service, this thing will cost more than its worth down the line. Users on Adobe's crappy subscription service already feel that, since those apps still bring nothing good that other ONE TIME PAYMENT apps have given to us already. Sony Vegas pro is still around and lets you pay for the App once, which does a great job anyway, and Final cut pro is still on MacOS for that one time payment :/ this isn't worth it

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Why is editing less valuable than gaming?

[@Thewaterspirit57]

@@MarkEllisReviews Literally missed the point. Important software like this shouldn’t be a subscription service. That’s why procreate on iPad and Clip studio paint on PC are some of the best apps, same with Sony Vegas. MacOS Final cut does better than the iPad version tenfold

[@MarkEllisReviews]

@@Thewaterspirit57 virtually every piece of important software I use for my business is subscription. It’s the model these days, I’m afraid.

[@Thewaterspirit57]

@@MarkEllisReviews Yet those same ones have alternate applications that are NOT subscriptions, and just one time payments. You’re intentionally contributing to a horrible payment method for these apps despite their being others that are FAR better than those, with optional subscriptions like cloud saving, and that’s it. I don’t need to pay a fixed amount for software I own every year, just once for a perpetual license to use that software till literally the day I die, or when the app can’t be updated anymore.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I understand why some people are cheesed off by this, but it works beautifully for my business. No big up front cap expenditure and manageable, predictable monthly payments which can be measured easily against profit. I'm a big fan of this era.