So you just bought an external SSD, you’re super excited to hear about how much faster you’ll be able to edit your footage and how much longer your laptop might last. But for some reason it’s not working. I’ve ran into multiple errors and went through tabs and tabs of research (so much, that my computer slowed down lol). So, I summarized all that information into a 6 step process that has seemed to help minimize the number of errors so far.
What is An External Drive?
Samsung Has a Newer SSD the T7
Read more about the updated process here.
- 9.5x faster than a hard disk drive
- Reads up to 1,050 MB/s
- Writes up to 1,000 MB/s
- Super Compatibile (USB C, USB A)
Why are you even using an external drive?
So first off why the heck are we using an SSD? Why is it external? and is it even necessary?
Well, the best place to start is to answer what are we even using?
The Setup
So Rachel and I are both using 13″ 2018 MacBook Pros. Extremely excited to start using this to edit, we noticed a major difference from our really, really old setup (2011 MacBook Pro). Our computers were getting full really fast, and even after we cleared them out it still seemed super slow. So while I’m not like an expert or anything of all things electronic. I find them super interesting and if we base everything on how you’re supposed to build an editing rig, the MacBook Pro would be missing an important feature. So let’s get into it.
You Need a Scratch Disk
So for those that are too lazy to read. The main thing we’re missing is a scratch disk. When working with heavy data based things (graphic design, video editing, etc.) the turnaround of drive space is rather volatile, meaning the lifespan of your drives would be shortened (you’re using it more than the normal person so it makes sense).
So according to Reddit the thing we need to remember is to:
“NEVER put your footage on the same drive as your Operating System!!!”
TL;DR
You need your working files to be on a drive SEPARATE from your OS otherwise your computer will be… ded x_x
We only have USB-C Ports...
If you’re a PC user you might be scratching your head at why we don’t just replace some drives or what not. But we’re MacBook users which means we’re confined by the space and things Apple gives us. No swapping drives and only USB-C connections.
So as a result we need a USB-C drive and that’s what the External Samsung T5 is good for. It has a direct USB-C cable so you don’t need a USB hub as a convertor. But if you have someone that needs the old USB plug it still has that option. Also that means it doesn’t take up too many ports *thank goodness!*.
I hate dongles...
Same. Having anything hang off or outta the laptop is extremely annoying. But since we sided with Apple we don’t have a choice. So while not being the most elegant solution something my friends and I have done is actually just stick velcro onto our laptops. It’s actually been really helpful and allows you to move your work stations without worrying about your disks too much.
How to Edit on an External Drive
TL;DR
You just copy and paste the project file.
However due to possible errors and just wanting to prevent media from caching incorrectly. Below is how to setup your scratch disk.
Step 1: Create a folder on your SSD [Optional]
This isn’t a necessity but I like to keep my stuff in a specific system/hierarchy so that in the future it’ll be easier to find. I usually name folders like this: YYYY-MM-DD_PlaceEventName
Step 2: Save your Library in your New Folder on your External SSD
Before you just start a new project in one of your old libraries/events make sure that you are creating a new library that is located on your SSD. This is how you’ll take advantage of those extra fast hard drive speeds. Follow your naming conventions and then press save. Mine is: PlaceEventName
Step 3: Redirect your Library’s Storage Locations
This is that extra step that usually mitigates the error that I mention. I thought that just creating a library would be enough which it is sometimes but you want to make sure to reroute your backups onto your SSD as well. To do that I like to make sure that all the settings are set to ‘save in library’, you wont have that option for backups so that’s why I like to create that folder name so you can point it to that location and remember to press save. Example: /ExternalSSD/YYYY-MM-DD_PlaceEventName
Step 4: Import your Footage to the New Library on Your SSD
To make sure those steps didn’t go to waste, make sure that you’re importing your footage into the right library. What I like to do is to actually close Final Cut Pro X and open the library that you just created from the finder window to make sure that you saved everything correctly. Then this is where I begin to import my footage. Example: /ExternalSSD/YYYY-MM-DD_PlaceEventName/PlaceEventName.fcpbundle
Step 5: Create a New Project in Your SSD
Now that your library on your SSD is ready, just simply create a new project and you’re ready to start the editing process! Just make sure that your event and library are located on your SSD and use whatever naming conventions work best for you. Mine: ProjectName
Some Issues You Might see
Awhile ago we got a message from Mia. And she was wondering how we’d be able to work on existing projects on the SSD
If you have some existing projects on your computer, the easiest thing to do is just to simply drag and drop the file onto your SSD!
How To Drag and Drop an Existing Project onto your SSD
Go to your project file [It’s usually located: Macbook Pro –> Movies –> ProjectFile.fcpbundle (It’s the fcpx file that usually looks has the 4 stars)]
Drag and drop that into your SSD and you should be able to edit right off from there!
Troubleshooting that silly error. Unable to export video (to YouTube)
We kept getting this weird error saying that it couldn’t export the video out of FCPX. I haven’t figure out why it does this but I’m assuming that redirecting backups should help but if that doesn’t work and you still somehow get the error that your files are being routed from an external drive this is what you gotta do.
Error Step 1: Select all your footage that has an error (tiny camera on the bottom left)
Error Step 2: Right-click and Re-upload… Wait
I know it sounds way too easy to be true but that’s all you need! Good luck. and let me know if you need any help 😀We recently purchased the Samsung T5 External SSD but oddly enough using it as a scratch disk wasn’t as straight forward as we thought it would be. Sure maybe you gave it a shot and figured by saving you library would work. But figuring out how to change the backup location was that extra key step. Here’s how to do it!
So you just bought an external SSD, you’re super excited to hear about how much faster you’ll be able to edit your footage and how much longer your laptop might last. But for some reason, it’s not as simple as you thought it would be. After running into a couple of errors (which we’ll troubleshoot later), a series of trial and error and multiple tabs that my computer slowed down. I summarized all that into the 6 step process that I wish was out there, to begin with.
How To Edit on an External SSD
Step 1: Create a folder on your SSD [Optional]
This isn’t a necessity but I like to keep my stuff in a specific system/hierarchy so that in the future it’ll be easier to find. I usually name folders like this: YYYY-MM-DD_PlaceEventName
Step 2: Save your Library in your New Folder on your External SSD
Before you just start a new project in one of your old libraries/events make sure that you are creating a new library that is located on your SSD. This is how you’ll take advantage of those extra fast hard drive speeds. Follow your naming conventions and then press save. Mine is: PlaceEventName
Step 3: Redirect your Library’s Storage Locations
This is that extra step that usually mitigates the error that I mention. I thought that just creating a library would be enough which it is sometimes but you want to make sure to reroute your backups onto your SSD as well. To do that I like to make sure that all the settings are set to ‘save in library’, you wont have that option for backups so that’s why I like to create that folder name so you can point it to that location and remember to press save. Example: /ExternalSSD/YYYY-MM-DD_PlaceEventName
Step 4: Import your Footage to the New Library on Your SSD
To make sure those steps didn’t go to waste, make sure that you’re importing your footage into the right library. What I like to do is to actually close Final Cut Pro X and open the library that you just created from the finder window to make sure that you saved everything correctly. Then this is where I begin to import my footage. Example: /ExternalSSD/YYYY-MM-DD_PlaceEventName/PlaceEventName.fcpbundle
Step 5: Create a New Project in Your SSD
Now that your library on your SSD is ready, just simply create a new project and you’re ready to start the editing process! Just make sure that your event and library are located on your SSD and use whatever naming conventions work best for you. Mine: ProjectName
Troubleshooting that silly error. Unable to export video (to YouTube)
We kept getting this weird error saying that it couldn’t export the video out of FCPX. I haven’t figure out why it does this but I’m assuming that redirecting backups should help but if that doesn’t work and you still somehow get the error that your files are being routed from an external drive this is what you gotta do.
Error Step 1: Select all your footage that has an error (tiny camera on the bottom left)
Error Step 2: Right-click and Re-upload… Wait
I know it sounds way too easy to be true but that’s all you need! Good luck. and let me know if you need any help 😀
We recently purchased the Samsung T5 External SSD but oddly enough using it as a scratch disk wasn’t as straight forward as we thought it would be. Sure maybe you gave it a shot and figured by saving you library would work. But figuring out how to change the backup location was that extra key step. Here’s how to do it!So you just bought an external SSD, you’re super excited to hear about how much faster you’ll be able to edit your footage and how much longer your laptop might last. But for some reason, it’s not as simple as you thought it would be. After running into a couple of errors (which we’ll troubleshoot later), a series of trial and error and multiple tabs that my computer slowed down. I summarized all that into the 6 step process that I wish was out there, to begin with.
How To Edit on an External SSD
Step 1: Create a folder on your SSD [Optional]
This isn’t a necessity but I like to keep my stuff in a specific system/hierarchy so that in the future it’ll be easier to find. I usually name folders like this: YYYY-MM-DD_PlaceEventName
Step 2: Save your Library in your New Folder on your External SSD
Before you just start a new project in one of your old libraries/events make sure that you are creating a new library that is located on your SSD. This is how you’ll take advantage of those extra fast hard drive speeds. Follow your naming conventions and then press save. Mine is: PlaceEventName
Step 3: Redirect your Library’s Storage Locations
This is that extra step that usually mitigates the error that I mention. I thought that just creating a library would be enough which it is sometimes but you want to make sure to reroute your backups onto your SSD as well. To do that I like to make sure that all the settings are set to ‘save in library’, you wont have that option for backups so that’s why I like to create that folder name so you can point it to that location and remember to press save. Example: /ExternalSSD/YYYY-MM-DD_PlaceEventName
Step 4: Import your Footage to the New Library on Your SSD
To make sure those steps didn’t go to waste, make sure that you’re importing your footage into the right library. What I like to do is to actually close Final Cut Pro X and open the library that you just created from the finder window to make sure that you saved everything correctly. Then this is where I begin to import my footage. Example: /ExternalSSD/YYYY-MM-DD_PlaceEventName/PlaceEventName.fcpbundle
Step 5: Create a New Project in Your SSD
Now that your library on your SSD is ready, just simply create a new project and you’re ready to start the editing process! Just make sure that your event and library are located on your SSD and use whatever naming conventions work best for you. Mine: ProjectName
Troubleshooting that silly error. Unable to export video (to YouTube)
We kept getting this weird error saying that it couldn’t export the video out of FCPX. I haven’t figure out why it does this but I’m assuming that redirecting backups should help but if that doesn’t work and you still somehow get the error that your files are being routed from an external drive this is what you gotta do.
Error Step 1: Select all your footage that has an error (tiny camera on the bottom left)
Error Step 2: Right-click and Re-upload… Wait
I know it sounds way too easy to be true but that’s all you need! Good luck. and let me know if you need any help 😀
13 Responses
Is there any way to automate saving the libraries onto the harddrive without the need to do this every time you start a new one?
Unfortunately, I haven’t found a solution for that yet. By default, the libraries are saved to the Home Directory.
What I do instead is just create a blank library with all the settings I want (Media, Motion Content, Cache and Backup) and copy and paste it in the SSD when I start a new project. That way you don’t technically have to create it everytime and you can just keep copy and pasting it for a new file. lol hopefully that makes sense
I love the Samsung T5 SSD!
Hi Dylan. Does it matter if I save my library and my raw video files on the same external drive? Does it effect the the speed at all, and if so which one should I keep on the faster drive. Thank you.
Hey Jason!
So I personally have them all on the same external SSD (Currently using Samsung T7 1TB u can prolly find it for 150CAD/100USD).
I’d recommend keeping everything together on the same external, cause more drive can lead to more bottlenecking. If your raw files are really big take a look into proxies and it should make the workflow faster for like 4K edits n tings.
Hopefully that helps! lmk
Hi Dylan, I edited my first project using a Western 2TB My Passport Ultra Mac USB-C and everything went fairly smooth. Going into my second project, my bigger imported files are dropping frames Video are dropping frames during playback. I made sure to import proxy files. Also I noticed when I import, in my Background Tasks, the Transcoding and Analysis is taken a fairly long time. I do not know what has changed from my first project and the second (I am in the beginning of the second so the project size is much smaller)? Do you think it is the external drive I am using?
TL;DR: Buying an SSD should help out
I think the most bang-for-your-buck one right now is Samsung T7 500GB (https://amzn.to/2Pkr1yq)
—
Hey Ryan!
Congrats on finishing your first project that’s always the hardest one to get started on.
As for your new project, I think I have some ideas but not super confident in my answers. Nonetheless,
Dropped Frames: These can happen on a series of things.
The thing that trips me out is that the first project worked fine so these shouldn’t really be the answer for your second project. You can check activity monitor on your mac while editing to see if the issue can be caused from just having a random program open (I love Google Chrome but sometimes it is a RAM killer and I have to close it if my project is too big)
Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions. And if I can think of any other solutions I’ll let you know. Good luck tho!
– Dylan
Thanks. This is super helpful!
Hello Dylan,
I see this is an old post, but hopefully you’ll still see my comment. First, thank you for the instructions for using an external ssd! I am new to FCPX (and video editing in general) and your reply to Mia has me a bit confused. Your suggestion to her was to simply drag and drop the library file to her ssd. That seems super simple! So then why would one need to do the steps you listed? Is it strictly for starting any new projects directly on the ssd as well? Thereby keeping you from having to start new projects on your computer and then transferring them later to the ssd? I wanna do the external ssd thing and just wanna make sure I’m doing it correctly. Thanks!
Hey Mike!
You’re absolutely right. Sorry for not making it clearer.
Hopefully, this clears things up, but if not let me know and I’ll try again lol.
Hello. I just got a SSD and have some projects on Final Cut Pro I would like to continue to edit but on the SSD and I don’t really have any idea how to do it. Would you be able to help me?
Hey Mia!
Most definitely! If you have some existing project on your computer and you want to edit on your SSD the easiest thing to do is just to simply drag and drop the file onto your SSD!
Go to your project file:
Drag and drop that into your SSD and you should be able to edit right off from there!