Should I wait for Final Cut Pro 8/Studio 4?

Or just buy Final Cut Studio 3 and then upgrade when it's finally launched? I've been mulling this one over since I took delivery of my new MacPro, and coincidently stumbled upon the rumours surrounding the possible-is it?-isn't it? now much-buzzed-about Final Cut Pro 8. From the (very) few accounts I've read (actually I think it's the same account - Larry Jordan's - that's all over the interweb) from those elite who have now seen a pre-launch version, it sounds mighty interesting. But that's about as far as it goes. The fact that they're all under an NDA (fair enough) means that the rest of us punters will have to wait and see.

Final Cut, but not as we know it...

Here's my Final Cut Pro 8 wish list though - 64-Bit integration would certainly help to speed things like rendering up (and I think it's a given - see this from 9to5mac.com). A new UI would be nice too - I can't believe we've been working with the same interface for over ten years! One thought on that subject: I seriously hope they don't bollox it up like they did iMovie '11 - apparently it's the same team working on the revamp. I don't know whether anyone else has played around with iMovie '11, but I found it a nightmare when trying to work in it with my son. He uses iMovie HD to edit his drumming and skateboarding videos on his Mac and as I just got the new version we thought we'd give it a try. I wish we hadn't. It was a complete non-starter as far as existing users go. Maybe it would be OK if you weren't used to the earlier versions, but the interface and functionality (or lack of) of iMovie '11 made no sense whatsoever.

Anyway, back to the wish list: I also fancy something like the 'Spaces' feature of Snow Leopard. So, say you're working on importing material, in FCP7 you'd use Log & Capture, well how about a simple "Log & Capture" 'space' that keeps the rest of the desktop clear for you to get on with other stuff? There could be separate 'spaces' for Colour Correction, Audio and so on. Talking of audio, FCP7's audio features leave a fair bit to be desired and that's one area where I really hope they put in some work. Not that I'm a non-fan of Soundtrack, but it would be great to be able to do some of the basic things - such as simple noise reduction - without leaving FCP.

The Final Cut Studio we know and love...ish...mostly

Soundtrack could be more integrated - I always get the feeling that it's the posh cousin who doesn't really want to get involved and only ever joins in out of a sense of familial duty. I'm a BIG fan of Motion, so I hope they don't do anything silly with that. Color's fine too - I'm only just getting to grips with that, so leave well alone please! DVDSP? How relevant is it still, with BluRay on the rise? I guess it is, but for how long, I don't know. Compressor? Well that could do with a few tweaks as well. A little more integration and a more friendly interface would be good for starters.

So should I wait for Final Cut Pro 8/Studio 4? - naah, I mean - if I buy Final Cut Studio 3, and they do bollox up the new version, at least I've still got a suite of programs that do the job the way I like it. Until it gets superseded by Adobe Premiere 10 or whatever...heaven forbid!

This response to Larry's blog from Greg Clark at Intelligent Assistance is funny and well worth a watch.