What RAID setup is best for FCP 6?

I'm new to high-def editing, having evolved out of Canon XL1s mini-DV work on a G4. Now I'm using FCP 6 in OSX 10.5 on a MacPro 2.8gb 8-core, 10gb RAM, RAID card and four 500gb drives. Footage will be from my Sony PMW-EX1 at full resolution 24p (35mbs). I'll be using a tiny bit of very moderate effects including overcranked shots to be slo-mo.
My question: what would be the best RAID array for me to set up? (Obviously drive 1 will have the apps, so I'm asking: what do I do with drives 2, 3 and 4? Stripe? Raid 5? And should music stay on drive 1?)
Thanks,
Shan

Good question on your part. Thanks. My timeline's going to hover around 90 minutes in length and the video tracks will be around 3 deep. That said, I imagine it might be overkill to set up a RAID but since I'm shooting at a ratio of 20 to 1, my total media storage needs are only about 30 hours. Wouldn't a RAID help ease this edit session? ( <= Not a rhetorical question.)

Similar Messages

What RAID setups work for each setup?

Can anyone point me to a source that can give me detailed information about what RAID setups are best for each situation. Our current situation is that we have:
2x Xserve RAID running on Xsan with two Xserve G5 servers, one for media and the other for Metadata.
We are thinking about using one whole RAID (2x LUN) for Media, and 1 LUN of the other RAID for metadata, and then the second LUN of the second RAID for switchable media (backup on HD's). So what RAID is best for media and what is best for metadata? Is it possible to set a whole RAID with two LUNs as RAID 0 or would it need to be seperate?
If someone has some info about what RAID setups work best I would be happy to hear about it!
We will be connecting 3x FCP machines through fiber, but other workstations will be connected through a deticated ethernet switch with 1Gb connection to the Xsan but 100Mb connection to the Switch.
Best regards,
Orvar Halldorsson
Sagafilm

You can also try the Xsan Tuning Guide. It recommends that the Meta info be striped as raid 1. When you are in RAID admin and click on create array it will tell you which raids are good for speed and which ones are good for protection. Here is the link as well
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Xsan1.1TuningGuide.pdf
There is also an app you can download to test the bandwidth of the volumes.

What RAID Setup do you use for your Macbook Pro Scratch Drive?

Is there any benefit to using an Express-ESata Raid Enclosure vs a single esata drive as the scratch drive?
If so, is there any benefit to using a 4 drive Raid 0 vs a 2 drive raid 0?
What Raid setups are any of you all using with your MacBook Pro's? Is there a significant performance difference between using a E-Sata drive and a FW800 drive. Is RAID the right way to go?
Sorry I'm not making a lot of sense right now, but I've searched through 20 or so pages of the forum and didn't see that anyone had addressed this question yet.

OK, just to give you a frame of reference, I just performed the following tests -
I hooked up my Sony AVCHD camera to my Mac Book Pro 2.4 ghz with 4 GB ram - (pretty close configuration to yours) - and imported a 26 second clip into FCP 7 with the following drive configurations:
Capture to internal Mac Drive, no externals: 26 Second clip takes 44 seconds
Capture to external WD USB2 drive: 26 Second clip takes 44 Seconds
Capture to external CalDigit 2 Sata Drive Array, Raid 0, via Firewire 800: 26 Second clip takes 42 seconds
OK, so now I move the camera over to my Mac Pro 8-Core, 2 x 3.2 Ghz Quad Core Xeon with 14 gigs of ram, and capture *to the same external CalDigit 2 Sata Drive Array,* Raid 0, via Firewire 800: 26 Second clip takes 11 seconds
My conclusion would be the drives and drive throughput is not as consequential as the CPU horsepower in doing the conversion from AVCHD to Pro Res. However, there are many very knowledgeable people who look at these threads, and I would be interested to hear what they have to say.
Hope this helps.
Message was edited by: Meg The Dog to correct typo

What office program is best for macbook air 2013

what office program is best for macbook air 2013

To create some sanity here:
If you are going to share files with family, friends, and coworkers Microsoft Office is the obvious and easy (though expensive) choice.
If you are trying to save money and still remain compatible with friends LibreOffice is free and can read/write Microsoft Office files nearly perfectly.
Another free choice is Apple's iWork suite (you'll have to download it from the App store because it isn't pre-installed) Numbers, Pages, and Keynote. These programs read Microsoft documents mostly accurately but not quite as well as LibreOffice and export to Office compatible documents. But neither LibreOffice nor iWork saves in Microsoft formats by default which means you must remember to export them. That can be a problem.
In terms of ease of use I give iWork a slight edge over the other two. In terms of doing annoying things I don't expect, Office is the hands down winner.

With SO MUCH photo editing software available, what would be the best for me if I am a digital camera newby? I do not need Photoshop CC! I do not want to spend $700 bucks! My camera is a Nikon D90. Please help.

With SO MUCH photo editing software available, what would be the best for me if I am a digital camera newby? I do not need Photoshop CC! I do not want to spend $700 bucks! My camera is a Nikon D90. Please help.

Where did you come up with the $700 figure?
Photography plan - $9.99/month or $119/year - Creative Cloud Photography plan : Adobe Creative Cloud
Single App - $19.99/month
Complete plan - $49.99/month or $599/yr - Creative Cloud free trial & plans : Adobe Creative Cloud
Ah - If you wish to cancel early yeah $74.99 which would total for the year at $899.88. But that final total would be if you canceled in the 12th month but if you plan on keeping it that long might as well go for the annual contract. Then cancel at the end of the term limit if you need to.
If you are not sure what to get, Either Elements as was suggested by Peru Bob or the photography plan.

Quicktime version best for FCP 3

Which version of quicktime is best for FCP 3?

Well, QT 5 was the one that was out when FCP 3 was popular. But I think you can use QT 6.5 with it as well. Since that is the only one still available at the Apple site, that is the one to try to use.
And really you should be either on Mac OS 10.1 or 10.2...
Shane

Could you recommend what to convert .mts to for FCP

I am cutting my first HD project, so apologies for my gaps in knowledge ahead of time...
I am cutting footage that was supplied to me as .mts files (native to the camera). These were given to me on a drive, so I do not have the camera. My question is what do you recommend I convert these file to for cutting in Final Cut Pro 7 (Final Cut Studio 3).
I am using iSkysoft Video Converter. I can do it as .mp4, which makes for smaller files (about 4GB)... I can also do ProRes 422, which makes large files (about 32 GB). When I do a visual a/b look at these, there are very finite difference in the detail, but not enough to matter for this particular project. Therefore, what do people recommend that will cut the best in FCP?
Also, when I import into FCP, do I still go with DV-NTSC for the main setting in FCP Easy Setup? Or? Eventually will be out-putting this for a friend that will burn onto a blu-ray.
Thank you in advance for helping bring me into the modern, Hi-Def world of editing!

ProRes 422. or ProRes LT if that option is available. It's about 2/3 the size of 422. FCP does not work with MP4 files. It might APPEAR to, but issues will arise.
And no, you do NOT use DV/NTSC. That's an SD format, and you are working with HD. Just make a sequence, add a clip to that sequence and click YES when FCP asks if you want it to match the clip settings.

What MacBook Pro is best for playing, say minecraft - TF2

I am saving up for a MacBook Pro, but I really need some help choosing the right one, help? ^^

Well I talked to a Genius, and they said the 13" model would be best for gaming, and I really don't have £1,200 right now, so I think I will stick with the 13" model.

What should Ram settings be for FCP 6 doing a slideshow with JPEGS ?

Hi all,
I am doing a Ken Burns effect slideshow in FCP6 that is using JPEGS only.
I have the 24" intel imac 2.4 gig with 4 gigs of Ram installed.
I am wondering what my ram settings in FCP should be.
there are 4 boxes you can fiddle with the numbers.
first two have sliders and go from 0 to 100%
"memory usage"
and also still cache...
what should I be setting these to?
thanks in advance!
I ask because my system bogs right down with only a few layers and effects in place.
what should my sequence settings be as well when working only with JPEG?
I normally edit in easy DV NTSC....

Thanks guys.
I have found that I cannot resize and get a clean movement here in FCP.
I tried the cutting approach jim and that at least got me through the placement of the pics to the song and then I started the motions. I also checked and then unchecked the shadow once I had it set where I wanted. I like to work through each pic from start to finish so i know exactly where I am at each night when I go to bed and then where I start again the next evening after my day job!
haha
but yes unchecking the shadows and feathered edges definately bought me some more time before render.
I appreciate all the helpful advise here. You guys pour so much knowledge out there for us and mostly without even much thanks to you in return.
One question I would still have now that I have fiddled around with all my settings....
would anyone have the time and the knowledge to help me figure out what the "proper" settings should be for my setup for editing regular sd dv ntsc footage?
or when I click easy setup dv ntsc does it configure my system for optimal settings each time?
ie what should my ram settings be?
thanks in advance.
see sig for setup.

[Solved]What WM would be best for a dedicated console emulator box?

Hey all
So, using a recycled, slightly old small-form-factor computer, I am making a dedicated emulation box. It will run game console emulators for every game system I can think of. But anyways, that is what I intend to use this box for, and only that. I have been setting it up from an Arch Linux base install, aiming to consume the least resources I can (because it is an older box, and I want the best performance with my emulators). I need a recommendation on a Window manager that therefore:
-Does not have ANY sort of taskbars/titlebars/other stuff in the way.
-Consumes the least resources possible
Now, the current winner is just a default X11 shell that is seen when xinit is run. However, the shell does not cover the whole screen. I want the screen to be all one colour. Because I want the look of using this box with my friends to make it look put together.
Any recommendations?
Scott
Last edited by Scotty (2010-12-23 19:02:17)

Meyithi wrote:
I dunno about dwm, it has some bugs with fullscreen apps - funnily enough emulators seem to give it trouble, ScummVM will not run fullscreen on my install for instance.
I'd vote for Openbox, it has no taskbar or anything by default, windows will be initially themed but you can disable window borders and even the right click menu if you wish.
I was thinking openbox at first, because I use it on my main computer and know it pretty well. Thanks.
I was considering dwm, but thanks for the advisory about the fullscreen bugs.
I'll give evilwm a shot too. And give making the x11 shell bigger a shot too.
Thanks for the recommendations, but I have another quick question:
Is there any way to automatically login to the root account on the TTY without the use of X? This machine, once setup, will be only in my house and not connected to the internet, so the dangers of running as root are virtually 0. I want this because, on boot, I will just have to press power, and then without doing anything (aided by a bit of bash) I will be taken to a menu of sorts to select what console and game I want to play.
Scott

What hardware will be sufficient for FCP X? Starting from nothing

I'm going to be picking up a Mac for making commercial shorts in FCP X (720p and HD, 3-5 minutes long generally), and trying to get my head around which of the current offerings would be sufficient for the task. Budget is a concern, so I don't want to automatically just go with the best or most professional-level option. I haven't worked in the Apple environment at all, I'm thinking about converting from PC.
So far I've narrowed it down to these options.. which is pretty broad, so I'd appreciate the community's feedback. If this is in the wrong section, I apologize ahead of time.
1. Mac Mini 2.5 and buy RAM/monitor/keyboard/mouse
- About $1000
- Not sure if it will be powerful enough
- I don't have a monitor/keyboard/mouse because all my monitors are being used in my current setups, so it has to be priced into the cost of the system
2. Mac Mini 2.3 and buy RAM/monitor/keyboard/mouse
- About $1200
3. Macbook Air 13" with RAM upgrade and buy a mouse
- About $1350
- Can be used on the go, which would be pretty awesome
- Will be stuck with a small screen, might have to pick up a second monitor
4. iMac 21.5
- $1300
- I believe it's less powerful than #2 and costs more? Not sure whether this is a good choice.
5. iMac 27
- $1800
- Way above budget, but leaving it on the table in case someone has a really strong recommendation to make.

nouveaunoir wrote:
I'm going to be picking up a Mac for making commercial shorts in FCP X (720p and HD, 3-5 minutes long generally), … Budget is a concern …
I'm the no-budget-guy here, using FCPX for hobbyist productions … the 'pros' will groan loadly, but I'll say it forever: it IS possible to use FCPX on a shoestring budget, e.g. using usb2 (yes, that is a two, no three) drives etc. use FCPX' features wisely, proxies, de-locating Events/Projects, etc.
a few, very subjective comments/my p.o.v.:
• screen-estate is important - you get 20, 22" widescreen tfts for under 150; I like two screens, but color precision is no issue here.
• the new MacMini (I'm using a historic 2.26GHz one) has a LESS than optimal GPU compared to an iMac, another read here
• … but is way-than-fast-enough - and is 'speed' really an issue? you'd pay another grand for 15% faster - reads as: not 5minutes, but 3:30m …
yippieh, time to write a book
• more RAM gives a dramatic boost, max it! (buy at specialized suppliers)
• keep in mind: tons of harddrive space! x2 for backups! but: a backup doesn't have to have thunderbolt, nor has to be a wireless, perfectly integrated TimeCapsule! discipline yourself, connect your cheapo 500GB WesternDigital usb2 every 2nd week to your set-up and copy via Finder, while doing a walk in fresh air
• the WORKdrives should be fast - get a usb3, fw800, tb connected drive for your Events (in work, the old ones >> another drive)
• … and I'm a huge fan of the MagicTrackpad too!

What video format is best for video quality?

Would anyone care to comment on what video format is recommended to achieve the best video quality in Encore when burning to a 25 GB Blu-ray disc? I have the choice of saving my HD video that will be imported into Premier Pro CS4 (and then sent to Encore CS4) in .mp4, .mt2s or .ts and I'm not sure which one will give me the best results. Thanks in advance for the insight!
Ken

does that mean that one is not necessarily "better" than the other?
That is correct.
Now, some feel that with the MP4 H.264 that there are differences between the Apple, the Lead and the MainConcept H.264. Each supplier has a "camp of followers."
Hunt

What video format is best for TV ad ?

Best composition settings

The suggestions above are helpful, but they may not necessarily be correct.
Here's the ONLY way you're going to know for sure: find out the delivery specifications for your project and work backwards from there. You have to contact the ad distributor / broadcaster / advertising agency / editor.... whoever receives your work. Presumably, these people already know what they need from you. You need to find that out.
If you don't do that, you're only wasting your time.

What amplifier would work best for Airport Express?

I have built in a ceiling speakers in all my rooms and all the rooms have their own apple macmini or laptop
All wiring of the speakers come to a central media room, and in this, I want to place 8 airport express to allow each room to be able to play through itunes onto their ceiling speaker. Effectively we could also put all speakers on from one room and create a party mode
The problem is that airport express requires powered speakers and these ceiling speakers are not powered of course. This means I would need to put an amplifier between the airport express and the speaker (I think)
Just wondering if anyone has successfully done this?
I have had a look at multi zone amplifier like
http://www.htd.com/whole-house-audio/mid-level-whole-house-audio/MCA-66-Audio-Co ntroller-Amplifier
Most multi zone amplifiers have their own keypad, but with apple you do not require this as you can control it straight from your mac! So what I want to do is control the INPUT level on the amplifier, and fix the output level on the amplifier, if I am thinking right..... as I thought this would work best ...
then if you put the volume control on the mac to MAX the amplifier would already be preset to max and the ceiling speakers would rock
Any suggestions or .....
Thanks

http://www.macworld.com/article/143258/2009/10/airtuneswholehomeaudio.html
In this Macworld article, they just use multiple Parasound Zamps, which are single zone amps that turn on and off by themselves, depending on when sound is passing through. I'm planning on doing this with my new construction because it looks like a simple setup with no remotes needed save the iPhone, which I always have on me.

I am writing my first book--fiction no graphics. What template works a best for this?

I am writing a fiction book, no graphics. What template works best with this? Is ibooks author the best option?

You can use iBooks Author and chose a Portrait template. Most templates have some images included.. if you dont need them... simly delete then. The same applies to most Landscape templates. Apple created them mostly for text predominent books, but include images to make them look attractive and functional. Any template can be changed to suit your needs.
An alternative is Pages,   you can create your novel and export it as an ePub, which,   when the other requirements to upload books to the iBooks Store are completed - will be totally acceptable to Apple.
There is also Adobes inDesign, which is more expensive and   to most.. more complicated to use.
As its a text only novel, you can also use MS word to produce your manuscript - like wise pages... and later iBooks Author has the optionto import chapters from both applications. Its also possible to do a simple copy and paste into iBoooks Author, chapter by chapter or all at once. iBAs flowing text pages will be created automatically to hold all your text.
I suggest you decide which application to use, and then spend time, even more so if you settle on iBooks Author,   "playing" with the menu's options and functions BEFORE setting out on your project.

What RAID setup is best for FCP 6?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for