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Here’s my story (It’s sad but true)
My company started with an off-line AVID MC in ’94. Converted to an on-line Meridien based MC in ’99. Hundreds of projects, many happy clients, many hundreds of sequences, etc.
One day in 2005, some green pixels popped up on our main output, (Video RAM Failure) and AVID told us it would cost $12000-ish to replace the affected board(s). So we figured $12000 would buy a pretty hopped up FCP system, and made ‘the big switch’. Many more projects, many happy clients, and so-on. (Anybody still reading?)
We kept the AVID MC around, bought Automatic Duck, and in the last 30 months, I have booted the AVID machine 5 or 6 times, (Still hooked up to a 30 inch rack of equipment) to export lists from old AVID sequences.
Well, today, the old girl decided she was done with this world. After 9 years of faithful service, the computer will boot up, but it doesn’t recognize the PCI expansion chassis (the link to the 30 inch rack of AVID gear). I can launch Media Composer, but get a fatal error : “Card Farm Not Present” and then get dumped unceremoniously back into the System 9 Finder (Woo!Hoo! system 9!)
So, what’s the point of all this? I can still see all of the AVID projects and bins. Is there a way to get at those sequences without launching Media Composer? Anybody have a trick or a program to let me get at 14 years worth of sequences so I can import them into an FCP timeline?
As each day passes, those old edits get less and less relevant, but one day, some big, old client will walk thru our door with a big fat re-edit, and I’ll have squat to start with.
Anyone else walk in these shoes?
-Scott
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6 Replies
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well, want to buy a working set of meridien stuff for mac?
It’s yours for 500 euro + shipping….
(I’ll even trhow in a CPU and Xpress Elite dongle)Bouke
http://www.videoToolShed.com
smart tools for video pro’s -
Since you already have AMD, you just need to borrow or purchase a used software version of Xpress Pro (might not understand any MC-specific effects used) or Media Composer to dump all those sequences out one last time. Save them somewhere safe so you don’t have to go back to the Avid again.
Seriously, you could do this with a laptop loaded with Avid (and you would have to install your AMD software for this one job only). Visit the AMD site and make sure your software version is compatable with the Avid you are purchasing or borrowing.
Short of that, take your projects on a thumb drive to a post house or a Digital Service Station that has the Duck. They will do this for an hourly charge.
Regards,
Joe Womble
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FWIW, our company doesn’t promise to keep customer’s projects forever. I think you should back up the Avid projects onto multiple DVDs, CDs or hard drives. If you ever need them, you can send the Avid projects to an Avid or FCP system to use as necessary. An Avid project is just a folder full of .avb (bin) files and some other stuff, so it does not need to get any more complicated than what I described.
Bill Stephan
Senior Editor/DVD Author
USA Studios
New York City -
After 3 days of twiddling with the cards, I isolated the ATTO LVD card as the bad apple that took the whole PCI bus down. I removed it, and can now run Media Composer. I am going to have to open hundreds of projects, and export the sequences that have any chance of needing to be re-visited into OMFI. Then I’ll break the system apart and try to sell the pieces.
So if anyone is looking for parts… let me know…
-scott
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For what it’s worth, Avid maintains really good version compatability. Xpress Pro 5.7.7 (the latest) will open bins from a Version 7 Film Composer with very few complaints (beyond perhaps a few missing effects).
Personally I’d say that a basic Xpress Pro system would be a totally reasonable investment for this, and other things – Avid, for all it’s faults, is still pretty much unbeaten as a editing suite – I don’t know anyone who can cut faster on FCP than I can in Avid.
An Xpress Pro licence will run on you OS X Mac (assuming it’s not Leopard, although that’s not far off) or, the same licence will run on another PC, or in Windows XP in Bootcamp on the same MacPro. With the dongle you can install it on as many computers as you like.
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Scott:
I think 11 years of service is much more than you can ask to any editing equipment. And with the possibility of being repaired! Unbelievable!! It MUST BE an Avid!!!
Let’s met here in 6, and tell me how is you final cut.
Merry Christmas.
Die Go
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