Audio Presets don't migrate from earlier versions to v10.6.6

[latenitefilms]

Apple Feedback Assistant ID: FB12208094

I recently reported on Twitter:

It seems that if you've created Audio Effects Presets, they don't migrate nicely between 10.6.5 and 10.6.6.

For example, I have a Space for Dialogue.effectsPreset that contains a "Channel EQ" effect. This works fine in v10.6.5, but is totally broken in v10.6.6:

This is what it looks like on v10.6.5 on the same machine:

Even if I create a new "Preset" in Final Cut Pro v10.6.5, if I select it in Final Cut Pro v10.6.6 it's still broken:

This is the Space for Dialogue.aupreset from Final Cut Pro v10.6.5:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>data</key>
    <data>
    3AAAAAEAAAAvAAAAR0FNRVRTUFDsAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKBBAACAQI/CNT8AAIA/AACS
    QgAAwEAUrgc/AACAPwAAUkMAAAA/mZkZPwAAgD8AgKJDAABowQAAIEAAAIA/AIA2RAAA
    0MCamVlAAACAPwBAHEUAAAAAmZkZPwAAgD8AYJ9FAABAQAAAgD8AAAAAAECcRgAAAECP
    wjU/AAAAAAAAAAAzM0NBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAAAAAAAACBBAACAPwAAgD8AAAAA
    AACAPwAAAAB4OFBMCAAAAA==
    </data>
    <key>manufacturer</key>
    <integer>1162690887</integer>
    <key>name</key>
    <string>Untitled</string>
    <key>subtype</key>
    <integer>236</integer>
    <key>type</key>
    <integer>1635083896</integer>
    <key>version</key>
    <integer>0</integer>
</dict>
</plist>

If I re-create the same thing in Final Cut Pro v10.6.6 I get:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>data</key>
    <data>
    7AAAAAEAAAAzAAAAR0FNRVRTUFDsAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKBBAACAQI/CNT8AAIA/AACS
    QgAAwEAUrgc/AACAPwAAUkMAAAA/mZkZPwAAgD8AAKNDAABowQAAIEAAAIA/AIA2RAAA
    0MCamVlAAACAPwBAHEUAAAAAmZkZPwAAgD8AYJ9FAABAQAAAgD8AAAAAAECcRgAAAECP
    wjU/AAAAAAAAAAAzM0NBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAAAAAAAACBBAACAPwAAgD8AAAAA
    AACAPwAAAAAAAIA/AABwQgAAAAAAAHBCeDhQTAgAAAA=
    </data>
    <key>manufacturer</key>
    <integer>1162690887</integer>
    <key>name</key>
    <string>Untitled</string>
    <key>subtype</key>
    <integer>236</integer>
    <key>type</key>
    <integer>1635083896</integer>
    <key>version</key>
    <integer>0</integer>
</dict>
</plist>

Weirdly, it seems most of the metadata is identical, expect for the main data blob:

If I create a brand new Effects Preset in Final Cut Pro v10.6.6, the differences in the .effectsPreset files are a lot more.

It seems the only workaround/fix is to re-create all your Effects Presets. Doh!

FWIW - These are all Soundtrack Pro EDEL Effects.

Here's a list of them as found in CommandPost's code:

-- BUILT_IN_EDEL_EFFECTS -> table
-- Constant
-- Table of Built-in Soundtrack Pro EDEL Effects.
local BUILT_IN_EDEL_EFFECTS = {
    ["Distortion"] = {
        "Bitcrusher",
        "Clip Distortion",
        "Distortion",
        "Distortion II",
        "Overdrive",
        "Phase Distortion",
        "Ringshifter",
    },
    ["Echo"] = {
        "Delay Designer",
        "Modulation Delay",
        "Stereo Delay",
        "Tape Delay",
    },
    ["EQ"] = {
        "AutoFilter",
        "Channel EQ", -- This isn't actually listed as a Logic plugin in FCPX, but it is.
        "Fat EQ",
        "Linear Phase EQ",
    },
    ["Levels"] = {
        "Adaptive Limiter",
        "Compressor",
        "Enveloper",
        "Expander",
        "Gain",
        "Limiter",
        "Multichannel Gain",
        "Multipressor",
        "Noise Gate",
        "Spectral Gate",
        "Surround Compressor",
    },
    ["Modulation"] = {
        "Chorus",
        "Ensemble",
        "Flanger",
        "Phaser",
        "Scanner Vibrato",
        "Tremolo"
    },
    ["Spaces"] = {
        "PlatinumVerb",
        "Space Designer",
    },
    ["Specialized"] = {
        "Correlation Meter",
        "Denoiser",
        "Direction Mixer",
        "Exciter",
        "MultiMeter",
        "Stereo Spread",
        "SubBass",
        "Test Oscillator",
    },
    ["Voice"] = {
        "DeEsser",
        "Pitch Correction",
        "Pitch Shifter",
        "Vocal Transformer",
    },
}

It seems Apple has updated them to simplify them (making them compatible with Final Cut Pro for iPad), but has broken backwards compatibility.

Chris Fenwick replied:

I can confirm. All my “audio boost” effect presets (+3, +6, +9, +12db Gain) now actually turn the gain 94.x dB DOWN

Bummer.

Adam Schoales reported on Mastodon:

This morning, after upgrading to #FCP 10.6.6 I noticed a bunch of my audio stopped working. I dug into it and a bunch of my audio plugins are now appended with 2 at the end. Not all, but some.

Was this intentional, or a bug? Because it broke a bunch of stuff…

Florian Duffe replied on Discordc:

it replaces some with a newer "v2" version, which only has 1 slider and lacks the ability to open the Audio Effect.

DeEsser 2 is the only one that still can open the effect panel.

Marc Bach suggests:

If you go to apply a preset in 10.6.6 it’s simplified to a single slider.

If you update a library with the old preset applied, you still have access to the individual plugins of the preset.

Workaround, save your own presets on 10.6.5 or create a library in 10.6.5, apply presets to clips and update the library to 10.6.6.

We could make a list of them and share the presets.

[latenitefilms]

Marc Bach writes:

I see the parameters are not being read correctly and they flatten out, that’s why there’s no audio. I also see that setting the parameters manually and saving a new preset in 10.6.6 has the same outcome.

Observing the new replacement presets from 10.6.6 have the same effects inside as the old ones but are not activated to show the separate plugin controls. I saved presets in 10.6.5 to use in 10.6.6 but they have the same error reading the parameters. Also if you modify the parameters and then clicking on the timeline resets the them to they original misread values.

[Stooovie]

I have a Limiter preset that does get carried over into 10.6.6 somewhat but Gain is now set at -19 and CANNOT BE CHANGED. It always resets back.