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Baby’s first RAID array?
Hey guys,
Can I beg some advice from a novice perspective. I would like to waste an absolute bare minimum of your time.
Shortest explanation: I invested in a high-end IMac last year, and was still choking in edit. That’s when I realized I needed to invest some serious attention in how I was managing media and on what kind of hardware. I’ve been shopping around for a couple of days, trying to glean information, but I’m still struggling. I’ve been googling and researching but I’m drinking from a fire hose, I feel, and really need to fix my work flow before I lose any more time. Just don’t wanna waste money on the wrong product.
Any knowledge here is appreciated.
Computer: iMac with a 4.3 ghz processor. 40 gigs ram. SSD. I’ve been storing my media on basic WD 3tb portable drives. It’s choking on just editing and grading 4k drone footage.
1. What’s the best way to fix the choke points in my media management on a $500 budget? Is there a Raid 5 Array I can build, or should I just buy something like this LaCie Rugged RAID 4TB, Thunderbolt drive? If I don’t have the cash to build out a full RAID 5, should I just invest the money in a G-technology Raid-0 set, and then just make daily backups to my old basic WD MyBook drives?
2. Can anyone offer me a few words on proper storage for maximum speed?
Particularly, if I use a RAID-0, does my footage, Apps, and Project file all go on the RAID zero? Or does the application stay on the Primary SSD, then the footage and the project file stay at home on the RAID?I’m finding a LOT of information online, but I haven’t had an explanation yet that helped me solidify my understanding.
Thanks for any help,
Kasey -
14 Replies
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transcode your drone footage from that MP4 crap to a normal codec, like ProRes. I bet your choking goes away.
Bob Zelin
Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com -
Thanks bob,
I should’ve elaborated that I’m about to be working with an external recorder shooting pro-res for commercial work. I’m trying to go ahead and get a jump on my storage solutions and understand the logic behind “store media files on the SDD and keep your project files over here” before I run into issues down the road, so I’m trying to build some understanding.
Thanks!
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what editing software are you using –
FCP X, Premiere, AVID, Resolve ?
For Premiere, you keep your Media Cache on a separate SSD (or the boot drive) and make sure that you clear out your Media Cache on a regular basis.You have not specified anything about your current drive. How does it connect – Thunderbolt 2, Thunderbolt 3 or USB. USB is too slow.
Bob Zelin
Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com -
Hey Bob,
I’ve used FCPX for years. I’ve been using After Effects for a couple of months now so I’ve been eye balling making the jump over to premiere for the dynamic link with the adobe suite.
The hard drives Ive been using are USB-3. Obviously I need to make a change.
So when you refer to keeping the media cache on the boot drive for Premiere, I should be storing both my boot files AND my footage on a fast external, and then leaving my projects on a different drive? I’m guessing I don’t want to be caching a huge amount of footage on my actual internal SSD, so I’m reading that as saying to move my boot AND media cache to a fast external hard drive.
Thanks for the time bob.
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All I am saying is that please don’t get stuck with “I spend xxx dollars on this stupid RAID array, and I am still getting stuttering video !”.
Run AJA System Test or Blackmagic Speed Tests (both downloads from the App store – free) and tell me what the speed of your USB 3 drives are. That will help me determine what is going on.
Bob Zelin
Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com -
Hi Kasey,
first of all – you have to set up your workflow. Most of the compressed stuff, cameras are working with is a non working editing codec.That’s what Bob said with mpeg4 crap. Bob is right. You have to bring all material to a decent standard.
In our case we work with ProRes422 if we work with FCP or ProRes422HQ if we edit with DaVinci (We’ve all 4k UHD material).
Your workflow might be different, if you edit with Avid.
Second thing is: We editors need a Raid System for editing in real time, especially working with 4k.
You’ve experienced this with your machinery.
What are your system specs? (Thunderbolt2,3, FC etc.)
How big are your projects? (2-4, 5-10, over 10TB per project)
How many projects at the same time?
What is your budget? (you’ve mentioned 5.000 bucks)
How much redundancy? (Raid5, Raid6)cheers
Rainer
factstory
Rainer Wirth
phone_0049-177-2156086
Mac pro 8core
Adobe,FCP,Avid
several raid systems -
Hi Ranier –
he mentioned 500 bucks, not $5000 bucks. If he has no budget, he needs to test what he has right now, before spending the little money he has available to him.Bob
Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com -
Oh sorry,
500 bucks is very little.
The promise pegasus 4bay starts at 1000 bucks.
Lacie or G technologie 2 bay raid with raid 0, or better 1, 8TB are around 500 bucks (Thunderbolt 2 or 3)cheers
Rainer
factstory
Rainer Wirth
phone_0049-177-2156086
Mac pro 8core
Adobe,FCP,Avid
several raid systems -
Hey guys,
Thanks for the time and attention. Bob I took your advice and I think my results are definitely illuminating.
2002 MB a second writing to my onboard disk.
80 when reading/writing to my external hard drives.Gleaning what I can from your advice so far, it sounds like I need to go spend some money on a firebolt compatible drive with faster disk spin speeds.
Boy oh boy have I been doing this wrong.
Thanks for sparing some time on me guys. -
Does something like this sound reasonable?
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/TB2IVT04.0S/Again, forgive me. I’m building my knowledge base here.
This says it runs up to 700+- MB read write.
I’m guessing that’s plenty for editing. But when the computer says it’s writing 2000 to the on-board disk, is there a sane scenario would I ever need a pipeline that let me write 2000mbs to a RAID or other external solution?Thanks team
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