-
Cheapest setup to run FCP for college project work
Can anyone recommend the least expensive setup I can buy for a college student producing HD content? I suppose it depends on what he is trying to do, and I can’t answer that question intelligently so please make the assumption that he would like to be able to edit and produce at a level to produce a portfolio that might get him a job where he can get his hands on the more powerful and specialized rigs.
Ironically, I believe you can find more info on the web on how to replace spark plugs for a 68 Impala than you can find on running FCP on a Mac Mini or some other low-end box. I’ve searched for hours and found lots of “it should work…” and “I have a friend who…” posts but no first hand information.
** update **
I should add that he will be using Final Cut Studio 3 which has Final Cut Pro 7, DVD Studio Pro 4, Motion 4, Soundtrack Pro 3, Color 1.5, Compressor 3.5. -
8 Replies
-
Hi Nicholas,
To keep with your car theme, you’re kind of asking, “I need to buy a cheap car that I can use for racing?”
Cheap and racing don’t really go together, neither do FCP and cheap.(unfortunately)
Fortunately you don’t have a lot of choices to go through, Laptops, MacMini, iMac and MacPro’s. I would stay away from the Mini’s they are a little underpowered for HD editing.
I’ve edited HD on Laptops, iMacs and MacPros just fine. So the cheapest of those would be a iMac or MacPro Laptop-since they are the same price to start with. I’d be happy with either of those for editing.
I didn’t know if you were thinking a used Mac? If so, you should at least get a Intel based machine using the same rules. Get a Firewire 800 HardDrive and you’re ready to edit.
FWIW,
Todd at UCSB
Television Production -
Todd’s right. I started editing using a used MacBookPro and Final Cut Express. I don’t recommend express. And you will not be able to use Express for HD. I would say a MacbookPro should be as “low end” as you go if you want a machine that will handle HD footage well.
-
Thanks a great deal. I see on Apple’s website that the $1,199 iMac specs
(3.06GHz Intel Core i3, ATI Radeon HD 4670 256MB GDDR3 SDRAM)
appear far better than the $1,199 MacBook Pro specs
(2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics).
But if we were to go with a laptop then would the MacBook Pro be essential? I ask because as described at https://www.ofzenandcomputing.com/zanswers/2780 the MacBook and MacBook Pro appear to have very similar specs but so far only the MacBook Pro has gotten your endorsement.
-
Cheap investment will cause you expensive issues.
Just Use that college discount on the Laptop, you will be happy about that later.This will force you to edit more, if you get a mac mini, yes. It will run, not always smooth.
You still need to get a decent monitor, if you get a decent laptop that will spare you on render time also.
Imac’s have become a lot cheaper and better value, but then again you will be stuck in one place.
Unless you buy the ilugger bag for it.This is not a cheap sport, if you want to go cheap, get a PC and run Premier Pro.
*Production*Post-Production*
Apple Certified Instructor (Final Cut Pro 7)
“Semper Fi USMC” -
Tony, don’t be a fanboy and take cheap swings. Macs and PCs equipped to run video use same processors and cards. And cost about same. Premiere is not. Cheaper or lower powers option, in fact it’s showing it’s age better than FCP
The simple rule is buy the best machine you can. Do RAM and drive upgrades yourself. Always get a warranty
Oh, and don’t make Mac PC or Adobe Apple Avid jokes as they have lost most of the humor.
True pros use the tools they have and multiple products from several manufactures to get the job at hand done.
Richard M. Harrington, PMP
Author: From Still to Motion, Video Made on a Mac, Photoshop for Video, Understanding Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Studio On the Spot and Motion Graphics with Adobe Creative Suite 5 Studio Techniques
-
[Josh Thompson] ” I don’t recommend express. And you will not be able to use Express for HD. “
I edit AVCHD footage (as AIC) on my 2009 iMac in Final Cut Express 4 just fine. With everything (OS, app and media) on the same hard drive, I can stack four concurrent streams of HD and not see a stutter. FCP would be a preferable app though.On the work iMac (similar to home iMac), I run Motion 3, though it bogs down fairly quickly running the more complex HD tutorial footage from Mr Spencer et al.
The main downside of an iMac is it’s like the education version of software: no upgrade path. Still, we can claim the home one as a tax deduction, amortised at 40% p.a. so a new one every three years is OK by me. (please note: for taxation purposes, all references to “me” using the home iMac actually means “my wife”.)
-
The cheapest solution I would recommend would be the 24″ iMac, (if that still exists) or better yet, the 27″ iMac. That’s well powered for the entire Studio Suite.
Then pick up an external FW 800 Media array with at least 4 drives in it. WeibeTech RTX series is sweet because you can swap out the internal drives easily. Buy the box, then just go down to Best Buy or Fry’s or whatever electronics store is in your are to pick up four 1TB or 2TB drives. You can also purchase the box fully populated with the drives.
https://www.wiebetech.com/products/RTX400.php
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” Winner, Best Documentary, LA Reel Film Festival.
-
Thanks for your input, everyone. I bought from the Apple store a refurbished iMac 21.5-inch 3.06GHz Intel Core i3 processor w the ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics and bought from Crucial 4GB kit (2GBx2) to bring it to 8 GB total (2GBx4). I’m going to go for a FireWire800 hard drive next, if it proves necessary.
Again, thanks everyone.
Footnote: I successfully avoided not 1, not 2, but 3 distinct Craigslist scammers claiming they can deliver this configuration for $600.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up