Mac Pro Quad Core experiences?

[Eric Peterson]

The computer specs are great. It’s the fastest and most processors you can buy from Apple. Are you asking about problems with FCS2? Can’t say, it is not out yet. FCP has 800,000 registered users so I guess it works pretty well. You need to tell us more about the format you are working in, how you want to store it and your final delivery format. Are you going to use Motion? Pleaase give more details and we will give you a better answer.

[Jerry Hofmann]

It should rock. And even could be overkill for your needs. Quad machine might feel much the same until you start compressing and running more than one app at a time processing in each/all… read about the dual quad at https://www.barefeats.com for an honest test of everytinng BUT FCP… however I’d guess that the same results would be seen.

FCS 2 isn’t even out yet so no one that knows will answer this quiestion.

I’d step up the display card to the x1900 for 300 bucks or so – Motion will benefit from this.

Jerry

Apple Certified Trainer

Author: “Jerry Hofmann on Final Cut Pro 4” Click here

Dual 2 gig G5, AJA Kona SD, AJA Kona 2, Huge Systems Array UL3D

[Rachel194]

Thanks,

I’m still waiting to find out what format they are shooting. I’m consulting for a friend and she was concerned about the technical issues with the new machine.

Is there any benefit to getting a quad core at this time? Is the dual core sufficient for FCP?
Rachel

[Walter Biscardi]

[Rachel194] “Is there any benefit to getting a quad core at this time? Is the dual core sufficient for FCP?”

We still edit high definition with our G5 Dual 2.0 from time to time. A MacBook Pro is sufficient for FCP.

Any of the current Macs will run FCP just fine. Our two primary machines are a Mac Pro Quad 3.0 and a G5 Quad 2.5, they both run perfectly fine with FCP. Octocores are not necessary to do anything with FCP, they just render faster.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Ben Holmes]

[Rachel194] “I’m consulting for a friend and she was concerned about the technical issues with the new machine.”

The Quad core just contains a newer Intel chip, nothing else is altered in these machines, and whilst not every application will make use of all the cores all the time, you do not have to worry about any early adopter concerns – if anything, you’re buying a Rev B Mac Pro, as undoubtedly many smaller components on the Mac Pros will have been upgraded/replaced since the launch. The Intel chips have also been out for a while (around 5-6 months) so it’s not exactly cutting-edge tech. Not one article or test done on the Quad cores suggests any problems with running under OS X or FCS.

I would only suggest (if no one else has – and usally does when this question gets asked once a week) that you upgrade the graphics card to the X1900. It’s a much more powerful card, for not a lot more money, and will certainly improve the performance of Motion and other GPU intensive applications – and we are led to believe that under OSX 10.5 more operations will be GPU dependent using Core graphics and animations.

If you can afford it, and you use HD video codecs, the Quad core will give you the longest lasting and most future proof Mac on the market. If you want to save some money, the Dual Core machines are still powerful and excellent systems, capable of running SD and HD video easily, albeit with longer render times. The choice is yours…

Ben

Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd

EVS & FCP specialists for live broadcast.

OB Server 1 HD – Mobile FCP editing done right.

[Mark Maness]

And a good capture card would be a great idea also…

The reason I say this is because at the moment you’re not sure what the project is going to be shot on. Why not go ahead and get something like an AJA Kona 3 and have all of your bases covered anytime anybody asks for anything.

_______________________________

Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com