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AVID Cross Platform work environment
I’ve been primarily a FCP editor for the last decade. Although, I’ve recently been utilizing Adobe Premiere Pro for some shorter projects and have used AVID Media Composer in the past. With the whole FCPX/Mac Pro “news” I’ve been thinking it’s best to focus on my AVID and Premiere skills. I’d also like to take advantage of the discounted switch prices (& already have for CS5.5). In addition, my office also needs to upgrade one of the work stations (we’ve got two Mac Pros right now – one very old). I’m hesitant to invest anymore money into Apple for my professional needs and am looking into purchasing a nice PC.
The question: If I’ve got one PC and one Mac Pro system running both Adobe CS5.5 and Media Composer 6 (same versions) can they reasonable co-exist in a collaborative work environment? Will I simply be able to open up an AVID or Premiere project created in one room and open it in the other? We have an EVO – fiber shared storage system (Studio Network Solutions) that should be able to accommodate both operating systems.
I know there’s a lot involved in my question I just don’t know anyone personally trying to combine these different software applications and operating systems. Obviously, I’d like to diversify our shop and my skills as much as possible and I’m wondering if any of you have prior experience or can point me to some resources.
Thank you in advance for the help.
T.J. Imbrigiotta
Envision Communications, Inc.
Washington DC
https://envisioncommunicationsinc.comMac Pro
2 x 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12GB RAM
Blackmagic DeckLink HD Extreme 3D – Video
ATI Radeon HD 4870 – GPX
Mac OS 10.6.8
Adobe CS5.5
FCP7
FCPX -
5 Replies
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I have successfully taken Avid projects between mac and pc based systems many time, both using ISIS and software that allows reading of cross platform drives. I cant vouch for premiere, but really the only hurdle I’m aware of with Avid is drive access. Have you successfully connected Avid to your stoarage solution before?
Andrew McKee
Editor/Colourist
Avid Certified Instructor – MC5.5
Apple Certified Trainer – FCP7
Pixelwizard.net -
Glad to hear you have experience collaboratively working cross platform. I don’t currently have any AVID software in the shop so I have not had the opportunity to (attempt to) attach it to our storage system. I’m planning on downloading the 30 day free trial and doing some tests.
T.J. Imbrigiotta
Envision Communications, Inc.
Washington DC
https://envisioncommunicationsinc.comMac Pro
2 x 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12GB RAM
Blackmagic DeckLink HD Extreme 3D – Video
ATI Radeon HD 4870 – GPX
Mac OS 10.6.8
Adobe CS5.5
FCP7
FCPX -
Check out this post by Walter Biscardi for a tip on getting Avid to see network storage that isn’t an ISIS.
https://library.creativecow.net/biscardi_walter/Avid-Media-Composer-6/1
Andy
Andrew McKee
Editor/Colourist
Avid Certified Instructor – MC5.5
Apple Certified Trainer – FCP7
Pixelwizard.net -
I would say that Avid is “half” there, in terms of truly being cross compatible. The real quirk for Avid is this: your mac version can only consolidate to mac formatted drives. Your PC version will only be able to consolidate on PC formatted drives. Doesn’t matter if you install 3rd party driver to allow your mac to read/write NTFS (or vise versa) – Avid will still crash on performing a consolidate.
Example: I work at a PC-based Avid facility. I do a lot of work from home on my mac. I have a portable NTFS drive that I shuttle between work and home. I have tuxera NTFS installed on my mac, allowing me to read/write to NTFS. However…List of quirks:
– The media (MXF files) can sit comfortably on the NTFS drive, but the project and bins cannot. They must be run from an OSX drive.
– consolidating must be done to the OSX drive, then copied to the NTFS disk. Same goes for importing media.Make sense? And before someone chimes in with the exFAT formatted drives (which are supposed to work both on mac and windows) — No, avid doesn’t consolidate to exFAT either.
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You can’t consolidate to NTFS, but i have no problems with my project files all living on an NTFS drive.
I’ve been moving to and from pc and mac for years. From old versions to new versions, doesn’t seem to matter. My current project is RED based. I transcoded the media to DNX36 for offline, and copied the project to an NTFS drive, and made duplicates of all the media to put on my Mac at home, as well as one of the PC’s at work. I keep using the same NTFS project drive on both boxes, but read the media itself off of the individual boxes.
We have a shared storage system at work, but haven’t had a lot of luck with it and Avid, just final cut. I know there have been some advances along that line in the last couple years though…for those that don’t want to buy from Avid.Glenn
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