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Edit Suite Configurations
I’m specing out 3 edit suites in a FCP setup (currently have a PC based Avid Express 5 system). These suites will be used by 3 media producers for promo production and element creation for our broadcast network. For shared storage, I’m thinking about using Apple’s XServe Raid (7TB) , and quite possibly a XServe running XSan.
We are for sure building this for SD use, but I’ve been told to consider making it HD ready.
My questions…
Is there anyone using such a setup that could point me in the right direction?
Does anyone have another suggestion for an alternate route.
In total, trying to build under a budget of $60K CDN (approx $52.5K US) That will include computers, servers, monitors, additional cards, storage and applications (FCP, AE, PS, Ill, etc.)
Thanks,
– Rob -
3 Replies
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I don’t have a SAN, but you can look at my profile to see how I’ve set up two edit suites here. Well within your budget not counting the VTRs.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.comDirector, “The Rough Cut”
https://www.theroughcutmovie.comNow Posting “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network
“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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I did some research on SANs & I ended up going with Terrablock https://www.facilistech.com . It has more bandwidth (faster), less administration, less money & a snap to setup as compared to the XSAN or anything else on the same level.
The only thing that you give up is that 2 people cannot work on the same project at the exact same time. One person has to back out of the project & give it to the other for finishing.
Also, the person who developed the Terrablock was one of the original designers of Avid’s Unity.
I HIGHLY recommend.
-dMR
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Hi Rob,
We use a setup much like you are describing (6 FCP stations, XServes running XSAN, shared XRaid storage), and we also moved from Avid. One of the reasons we moved to FCP was to gain the ability to do HD along with SD for a good price.
My biggest recommendation to you would be to find a good (read EXPERIENCED) reseller/installer. HD has a lot more “technical details” that have to be set up just right than SD does. That said, once set up we have been able to work with HD in much the same manner that we work with SD.
We also dedicate one entire storage pool to HD and one to SD, which gives us the bandwidth we need to work without problems.
Our capture card of choice is the AJA Kona 2, with an AJA IO for analog (SD) ins and outs. I would highly recommend this hardware – everything works as advertised and the tech support is very good.
Others on this forum use Huge Systems disk arrays for storage and seem to like them. They would cost less than the XRaids. Whatever storage you choose, the faster the connection between workstation and storage the better. Fiber channel connections are what I would do.Hope this helps,
tjs
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