-
Again? Best slot in Mac for Kona LHe…
Hi, all. We’ve been editing right along with our slot2 configured LHe’s for a few years now. But, I just took possession of the brand spankin’ new RED Rocket card that absolutely requires the 16x card in my 2 x 2.8 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon Mac Pro with 10 GB Ram running 10.5.7.
So…I went to AJA’s site and they “recommend” slot 2 for the LHe, but 2 or 3 for the Kona 3 card. Well, I recommend I see video that is in sync. I tried the LHe in slot 3 and seem to be SOL. Has anyone else gotten any other slot to work in this or a similar machine?
I’m thinking I’m going to have to either get a Kona 3 card now OR just buy a new machine and dedicate it to the RED realtime coloring/transcoding without the Kona on there…but this would be a financial pain, too (SAN software, etc).
Man, I love change, except when it takes mine from my pocket.
Thoughts?
-
12 Replies
-
It depends on the vintage of your MAC Pro. The early MAC Pro’s had an expansion slot utility that allowed you to change the speeds. The new ones don’t – they are fixed at x16, x16, x4, x4. Let me assure you that I have NEVER put a Kona 3 into slot 2 – I ALWAYS use SLOT 3, and it always works, but in the older machines I make sure that its a x4 slot. If you are in an older machine and slot 2 is the x16 slot, this means that one of the slots will be a x1 slot, and you are screwed, because your disk drive host card needs to be a x4 slot as well (just like the Kona 3).
With new MACs, you would put the RedRocket in 2, Kona3 in 3, and drive host adaptor in 4.
Apple would rather be dead than come out with a 4 – 6 slot computer.
Bob Zelin
-
Thanks, Bob. Unfortunately, that is what I thought. It’s a new Mac and the Rocket needs the 16x. My card is actually an LHe, so I guess I’ll have to make a purchase of some sort. This really sucks, as I do not need the Kona 3, but apparently it will work in Slot 3 but the LHe won’t. Argh…
Thanks.
Kevin
-
The AJA Kona 3, and the AJA Kona LHe both work in x4 slots. You DO NOT need to use slot 2 for any AJA product. Put your damn Red Rocket into slot 2, put your Kona into slot 3, and you will be fine.
Bob Zelin
-
You sure?
https://www.aja.com/support/kona/kona-system-configuration.php
This says the Kona 3 works fine in Slot 3, but recommends the LHe in Slot 2. I already tried this and slot 3 is giving me serious delays and out of sync video compared to playback on my Cinema Display/FCP.
Could it be, possibly, somehow that you’re not totally correct? 🙂
Kevin
-
I have never ever put a LHe in slot 2. If you are in a x4 slot (slot 3), and you have CONFIRMED that it is not running at x1, you will have no problems. If you are having problems, yank out your other cards, reconfirm that you are running at x4 on slot 3, and digitize to your local internal hard drive (just as a quickie test).
I assure you that this works, and has ALWAYS worked. Am I sure – yes I am sure. And if I am wrong, then I have a LOT of clients with the Kona LHe in the wrong slot, and all of them are to blind to complain about their systems not working properly.
Bob Zelin
-
Bob, how can I “confirm” it’s running at 4x and not 1x? I thought Apple got rid of the slot utility that allowed you to see & change this.
Thanks. I hope it works…I may try tonight.
KW
-
open the Expansion slot utility. If it won’t open, it means that you have a “newer” MAC Pro, and slot 3 and slot 4 are both x4. If it DOES open, it means you have an “original” early MAC Pro, and you manually change the number of lanes with this utility.
Do you know where the Expansion slot utility is ?
Bob Zelin
-
Yes, I know right where it is: not on my computer.
It is a newer Intel so it does not have that. I guess that’s why I was asking how you can change or view what speed slot it is.
If it is 4x, do you still stand by your opinion it should be working? I haven’t tried what you said yet, but it immediately played footage out of sync. I feel like I ran across that another time when I had a card in the wrong slot on a comparable machine.
I’m just hoping I don’t need to buy another card. The RED Rocket already set me back $5k…
Thanks!
-
pull out ALL cards – the Red Rocket, and the disk drive card. Just run your Kona 3. Do simple tests (use DV25 or something) on your internal hard drive. The Kona 3 should absolutely work in slot 3. I do this ALL THE TIME with no a/v sync errors. I don’t know what your footage is, but if you are coming from tape, you better have an AJA GEN10 black gen locking your VTR and your Kona 3.
Bob zelin
-
Bob, again, again, again: I don’t have a Kona 3. I have an LHe. That is the problem. From what I’ve seen on the AJA doc, they say the Kona 3 is fine in slot 3 but recommend slot 2 for LHe.
The question is not if the Kona 3 works in slot 3. This we KNOW. The question is has anyone had luck with an LHe in Slot 3, because it is not working in mine currently at all.
If there is a way to adjust slots speed/power, I don’t know of it since this is a new Intel without the utility we spoke of earlier.
Thanks for trying!
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up