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Not dual monitor, but triple monitor edit set up in FCP question?
Not dual monitor, but triple monitor edit set up in FCP?
I have an Apple Mac Pro Two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon machine that has the standard NVIDEA GeForce 7300 GT (single-link DVI/Dual-Link DVI) graphics card that it came with.
I have an edit set up with the latest Final Cut Studio 2.
I currently have one 23″ Apple Cinema display for my FCP interface, then a Dell 24″ LCD computer monitor coming out of the second DVI port that I use as a grading monitor. I calibrated this monitor with bars from FCP and it works perfectly.
So, that’s my two DVI ports from the graphics card used up.
Now, I want to buy an ATI Radeon X1900 XT graphics card for two reasons.
First, it is recommended for use with the application Color.
Second, (this is where I need you guys to tell me if this will work) I want to buy another Apple 23″ cinema display so I can have a dual-monitor set up so I have lots of screen space split over the two Apple displays dedicated to just Final Cut Pro, but I still need to retain my Dell monitor that I use for grading.
Question: if I put in the ATI card into one of the spare slots I’ll have the ATI, as well as the NVIDIA. Can I put two Apple 23″ displays into the ATI, and then put the Dell display into the old NVIDIA and have the set up described above?
I currently have System Prefs set up for Mirroring so the second Dell monitor gets the timeline played out to it and it fills the screen, but I’m a bit confused about how the mirroring thing would work if I add another graphics card and have three screens in total; one for grading and 2 for dual-display of FCP.
Hope that makes sense.
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9 Replies
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[Nigel Cooper] “then a Dell 24″ LCD computer monitor coming out of the second DVI port that I use as a grading monitor. I calibrated this monitor with bars from FCP and it works perfectly.”
Without a capture card (Decklink HD Extreme + HD LINK) or Matrox MXO? Uhh…how do you connect it? DVI only? How do you get your image onto it? Digital Cinema Preview? That is NOT a full quality image my friend. How do you calibrate? Without a device like the ones I mentioned, this setup is NOT proper for any sort of color grading.
Take a look at the Matrox (man, am I pushing them or what?) Dualhead2go:
https://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/dh2go/home.php
It splits one DVI into two. I currently have a review unit but lack the time to look at it yet. But I was planning to use this to split one DVI port for my two workspace monitors, then use the other DVI port connected to an MXO, then to the Apple 23″ (or Dell) for color grading.
Again, without a MXO or Decklink device, your computer monitor is NOT right for color grading.
Shane
Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net -
Shane I don’t need a lecture on what monitors are okay for grading. Trust me, my set up is perfect for grading. I sent colour bars from Final Cut Pro to the Dell via DVI and calibrated it to perfection. I tried a set up costing 10 times that and it was no better.
Fact is, there is too much bloody snobbery surrounding grading monitors and set ups. I’ve seen/tried
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Shane I don’t need a lecture on what monitors are okay for grading. Trust me, my set up is perfect for grading. I sent colour bars from Final Cut Pro to the Dell via DVI and calibrated it to perfection. I tried a set up costing 10 times that and it was no better.
Fact is, there is too much bloody snobbery surrounding grading monitors and set ups. I’ve seen/tried
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[Nigel Cooper] “My set up is perfect for grading my friend.”
Nigel,
No my freind, it really is not. It might be perfect for you my friend because you my freind don’t know any better or because you my freind are willing to compromise. But, its certainly not perfect my friend.
Furthermore, your patronizing tone toward a forum leader, or anyone else here for that matter who is only trying to help you, will get you flamed more often than it will get your original question answered. Its just human nature…
David
“No job is worth doing more than once…”
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Post-production Supervisor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles -
[Nigel Cooper] “I currently have one 23″ Apple Cinema display for my FCP interface, then a Dell 24″ LCD computer monitor coming out of the second DVI port that I use as a grading monitor. I calibrated this monitor with bars from FCP and it works perfectly.”
First off, I’m with Shane. Not a recommended setup to use a Dell 24″ LCD for grading. We own two of them and would never use them for grading. You want a video card such as a Kona to feed a true broadcast monitor. Look at eCinema or Panasonic if you don’t want to spend much money. That’s not snobbery, that’s just good advice.
[Nigel Cooper] ”
Question: if I put in the ATI card into one of the spare slots I’ll have the ATI, as well as the NVIDIA. Can I put two Apple 23″ displays into the ATI, and then put the Dell display into the old NVIDIA and have the set up described above?”The ATI is a double wide card so it will take up two slots. That leaves you with one more open slot. Is that enough room for your needs? Do you have external storage connected via a Slot? Do you need a video capture card for video I/O?
If the nVidia is a single lane card, you’ll have to move that and put the ATI into the double wide slot.
In theory you can run four monitors off the Mac. I don’t know anyone who has tried. It’s probably one of those things you’ll just have to try and see if it works.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html
Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi
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[Nigel Cooper] “Fact is, there is too much bloody snobbery surrounding grading monitors and set ups”
I get looked down upon for even mentioning the MXO most of the time, as it still uses a computer LCD. But the simple truth is, that if you are using Digital Cinema Preview, you are getting a low quality image. And without the gamma correction that the MXO provides to make the ACD (or Dell) match the color gamma of a broadcast monitor, you are not getting a true gradeable image.
How you set this monitor up without bars, without a blue only switch, and without the proper controls is beyond me. The MXO offers this, as does the Decklink HD LINK. Those are the only devices that can really assist in turning a computer display into a colour grading monitor.
Sorry, but for video, the only way to get a true enough image to color to you need devices like capture cards, or decks or cameras to route thru to a monitor that allows proper setup.
[Nigel Cooper] “I’ve seen/tried
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“In theory you can run four monitors off the Mac.”
… and if you order it online from Apple, they will supply a neck brace, too.
Engraving is free. -
Thanks Walter; great advice as usual!
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Walter, keeping to a budget, but retaining quality. What make/model card would you suggest and what monitor make/model?
Thanks.
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