Review: CrumplePop ToneGrade color correction plug-in 
By Steve Douglas
Last Update: 01 February 2012 07:42 AM
Author: Steve Douglas
It was inevitable that third-party software companies would begin to update their plug-ins for Apple’s new Final Cut Pro X as soon as they could. Some already have, but with limited success, as adjustable parameters in previous sets are not always found in the Final Cut Pro X versions, and I have found that some are not as stable as they may have been in legacy versions of Final Cut Pro.
While CrumplePop has updated their split screen plug-in previously reviewed here and actually made improvements to it in that, for the Final Cut Pro X update, you can add color corrected clips to the many split screen options which will retain the color correction, this review will focus on CrumplePop’s completely new plug-in, ToneGrade for Final Cut Pro X.
There are some similarities to other plug-in packages on the market, but CrumplePop’s ToneGrade comes in at a fraction of the price of their competitors, is completely stable with Final Cut Pro X and offers many advantages in its simplicity of use, the diverse footage types it can be applied to, and how much it can improve your imaging results.
While I wouldn’t quite call ToneGrade a color grading application like Red Giant’s Magic Bullet Looks or a touch up app like Digital Anarchy’s Beauty Box, I would say that ToneGrade can provide you with the tools you need to make the subtle changes to your images color tone that can smooth out the wrinkles in skin or simply make your image pop just the little bit it needs to stand out.
In a nutshell, ToneGrade uses an image processing technique which simulates the properties of high dynamic range photography, quickly allowing you to dial in the small amounts of tone mapping to your image while expanding the details in both your highlights and shadows. Unlike full color grading applications which often soften or smear fine details, I found ToneGrade to be able to grade the image of my clips while retaining or even punching up the small details stylizing it for a greater dramatic appearance.
In Final Cut Pro X, ToneGrade, once installed, can be found in your effects browser under ‘Basics’. Scroll down to the bottom of your folder and ToneGrade will be there waiting for you to apply it as you would any effect in Final Cut X. Making sure your video inspector is open and set to Video, drag ToneGrade on to your clip. You will then see a short list of ToneGrade adjustable parameters for you to use. There are not too many so as to confuse or overwhelm you, but just what you need to accomplish the task at hand. We’ve all seen some effects parameters that really don’t accomplish a whole lot for the image. However, each one of the parameters provided in Tone Grade actually can make a huge difference.
The first parameter, Depth, adjust the mid-tones and highlights. I found that, in its own way, it separates certain details from others creating just what it says, depth. At the same time it crushes shadows a bit, but you can use the depth slider or ToneGrade’s own Exposure slider to bring the blacks back up and balance out the image to your liking.
The Fine Detail slider does an excellent job on bringing up the smaller details like hair or, should you want it, the cragginess in an individual’s skin.
The Coarse Detail parameter is similar, but focuses more on the larger outline details. From my testing, this was the only parameter that should be used parsimoniously as bringing it up too much made the image look rough and somewhat cartoonish. Then again, any parameter adjustment to any plug-in should not be done to the extreme for a well graded and color corrected image.
The Shadow Depth setting further helps to avoid crushing the blacks too much maintaining details even in the darker areas of the image and worked quite nicely.
The Saturation parameter works as any saturate/desaturate tool might work.
ToneGrade can be used to simply smooth out the wrinkles and blemishes to a face as well as sharpen details. The Skin Smoothing slider does just that; it helps smooth skin appearance out without creating a cartoon effect. Use it in small amounts to maintain realism.
Both the Color Cool/Warm and Cool/Warm Intensity sliders adjust the overall tone of the image without effecting the image details. Drag the slider to the left for a cooler effect and to the right for a warmer look.
Usually I avoid using sliders as I don’t find them to be as precise as I like and wind up typing my settings in. Not sure why, but the sliders for ToneGrade were very easy to move about in Final Cut Pro X.
I found that just applying ToneGrade to a clip improved the image with its default settings. Below I applied ToneGrade to a clip of a Sand Tiger Shark on the wreck of the Spar in N. Carolina.
Third party creation of plug-ins strictly developed for Final Cut Pro X was inevitable, and CrumplePop has produced the first plug-in devised only for Final Cut Pro X.
They are to be congratulated on doing a great job of it. Some real thought and effort have obviously gone into bringing this plug-in to the Final Cut Pro X community. On another note, I am known for frequently commenting on a company’s website and its user friendliness. As I have noted before, CrumplePop has always maintained excellently produced video tutorials for any of their plug-ins. The three separate video tutorial for ToneGrade were all well done and easily accessible. CrumplePop even has a couple of other plug-ins I didn’t know existed called ‘Paul Irmiter: Dacar set for light looks, and an interesting set of ‘Noir Moderne’ dramatic lighting effects. If their quality is as good as ToneGrade, I will have to check them out myself; soon.
CrumplePop’s ToneGrade plug-in for Final Cut Pro X was provided to the reviewer free of charge for the purpose of an objective review. In no way, is the reviewer obligated to provide either a positive or negative review. It is available to purchase from CrumplePop for $75.00.
Steve Douglas is a certified Apple Pro for Final Cut Pro 7 and underwater videographer. A winner of the 1999 Pacific Coast Underwater Film Competition, 2003 IVIE competition, 2004 Los Angeles Underwater Photographic competition, and the prestigious 2005 International Beneath the Sea Film Competition, where he also won the Stan Waterman Award for Excellence in Underwater Videography and 'Diver of the Year', Steve was a safety diver on the feature film "The Deep Blue Sea", contributed footage to the Seaworld Park's Atlantis production, and productions for National Geographic and the History channels. Steve was a feature writer for Asian Diver Magazine and is one of the founding organizers of the San Diego UnderSea Film Exhibition. He is available for both private and group seminars for Final Cut Pro and leads underwater filming expeditions and African safaris with upcoming excursions to the Cocos Islands, Costa Rica, and Hawaii. Feel free to contact him if you are interested in joining Steve on any of these exciting trips.
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Comment(s):Giles,
Firstly, would any self respecting Brit use a tea bag? May be PG Tips?
Many people say do not assemble your rig in A/C; it will condensate. Well yes, it will. On the outside that is. I do this all the time with no problems. But, I do not dive in very cold waters. I do keep my rig covered with a wet towel to lessen the formation of salt crystals between dives and heating up the housing would increase the pressure on the inside. The housings at not designed for increased internal pressure.
Posted by Deep6 on 08/06 at 10:57 AMTotally, cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air, so close the housing in the coldest / driest possible place. Then as you say keep it out of the sun, covered if possible. Also don’t have the camera on when not needed as they generate their own heat.
Posted by jonny shaw on 08/06 at 01:18 PMdon’t laugh.... (or screw your faces up in disgust at such a cheap trick!)
uncooked rice is one of the best desiccants on a boat. I’ve often helped some poor victim of in-housing condensation stick some uncooked rice into an emptied teabag, roll it up and stick it in the housing for GREAT results!
(no I’ve never needed to personally test this technique but everyone who I’ve suggested it to has always had positive results...)
Posted by WaterWorks on 08/06 at 07:46 PM@ WaterWorks
Makes sense to me! Uncooked rice in the salt shakers at the local post-dive watering hole does the same thing. Good tip!
Here in the Florida Keys, humidity is a big issue. I find I like to assemble my housing in the early morning, outside, just a few hours before a dive. Find a table, a clean towel (or sheet) for protection and a cup of coffee. Of course I don’t take the housing back into the climate controlled house after that, but I do take care to ensure it is well protected from the heat.Posted by LuckyInk on 08/07 at 09:20 AMTeabags are great! Just think..enough condensate and you’d have a marvelous drink after the dive...hehe. BTW, I have actually baked dessicant inside a toaster over for 3 minutes to “recharge” the little expensive packets. I’ve also stuffed teabags in (although you need to careful that the bag is sealed well)
Posted by ce4jesus on 08/07 at 01:12 PMDiving in Northern California, never had great luck with commercially available desiccant packs; decreased but did not totally eliminate port fogging on my S&S;D70 housing. Best advice was to keep camera out of direct sunlight. If the housing must ride outside, keep a light colored towel covering to stop heating.
Also agree that should not open housing in warm/moist environments. On day trips usually only try to open the camera housing at home where humidity is generally low.Posted by mchalup on 08/07 at 03:36 PMairco does the trick for me also…
Posted by jejochen on 08/09 at 11:27 PMAs you close it, a quick squirt of compressed air from the cylinder will eliminate all fogging, it’s pure dry and clean..and blows the housing dry too.
Keep out of the sun is a no brainer too.
Posted by nudibranch on 12/15 at 12:27 PMFirst, make sure you fasten your underwater camera housing in an air-conditioned room/car or purge the air inside your housing with the air from your diving cylinder. Both these methods will reduce the amount of moisture in the housing.
Also try Leak Insure Absorbent Sachets, not Silica Gel, they react faster, and can also absorb water from leaks.Source(s):
http://www.leakinsure.co.ukPosted by johnno on 07/02 at 02:35 AM
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