-
FCP and Avid
Cow Minds:
I’m considering a dual-use G5 to network to a SAN. Has anyone tried to have a Mac-based Avid Adrenaline on a G5, that can also run FCP separately (without a second video card like the Kona)? So at different times, I could launch and work on Avid Mac, then later close it, and work in a FCP format, different media of course.
Second to that, I have a G5 with Kona 2, and would like to run Avid Xpress for Mac – at separate times- on that system. Officially I’m told Kona will not work with even the Avid file conversion software in the FCP codec library, but so far it has not created any conflicts.
Wouldn’t two Mac-based softwares work separately as long as you did not try to have 2 I/O cards on one Mac?
Joe
-
7 Replies
-
An editor where I work occassionally has Avid Media Composer v11 and FCP 5.0.4 on the same machine. He has all the required Avid hardware, and nothing for FCP. He uses FCP to capture DVCPRO HD footage at full resolution for the graphics guy to work with, as well as other side projects.
BUT…he has these on two different partitions of the main drive. He runs Media Composer v11 on an OS9 partition (as that is what the other 8 Avids are all running) and then has the other partition 10.4 for FCP. He also has a version of Avid that runs on OSX, but that is on a separate boot drive. He is running a dual boot G4 1.25Ghz machine with 5 internal drives.
If I had a machine that I wanted both Avid and FCP on, I would partition the drives so that one was for FCP and one was for Avid. This way the software could be configured so that it works optimally for Avid (which is VERY picky about OS version) and one configured to work best with FCP.
And if you had the AJA I/O which connects via firewire, you can always disconnect that when you launch the Avid software. But that is an SD card only.
Shane
Alokut Productions
http://www.lfhd.net -
Thanks, that’s good news. If we get an Avid it will be for OSX as we don’t have to match to any old versions.
And I guess, conversely, the FCP G5 with Kona, will not have a problem with Avid MC or Xpress (software only)?
Joe
-
You’ll still want to boot off two different versions of the OS. Like he said, Avid is picky about OS Version. For example the latest version of Avid might only support 10.3.9 and QT 6 while the latest version of Final Cut may REQUIRE 10.4.x and REQUIRE QT 7.x. That’s why so many places have Avid standalone systems. Generally you can’t just download any software updates or OS updates or QT updates until Avid approves them, OR updates it’s software to work with the new versions. And that can be many many months after the updates are out. Usually Apple has gone on to a new update by then.
-
Thanks for the OS warning. If I have 10.4 is it costly to get a 10.3 OS version? And currently I’m running my FCP on top of Server X software. That should still work for Avid, right?
Joe
-
You need to talk to the Avid folks and ask what the requirements of the Avid system you are buying are.
And I am unsure if the Kona will interfere. Again, another question for Avid.
Shane
Alokut Productions
http://www.lfhd.net -
Thanks,
Avid will not tell you, they don’t test these things, they just say, ‘it’s not a confirmed use’. So the other response in this thread shows that someone has been doing it for a while with no problems.
And Kona says that even having the Avid codec in FCP is a conflict and should be deleted, but we have had no problem. I was looking for what works in the field even though not approved by either.
Joe
-
Shane, small apology, I replied hastily and did not realize that the second email came from you after the previous response you showed on someone using both with slightly different OS versions.
But you know how Avid and others never say other software is compatible (even though files are different of course.
Joe
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up