Mac Pro

[Rich Rubasch]

All of our Macs have three additional internal drives. We stripe two of them as a Raid 0 and digitize footage there. The other internal is for the project files. The fourth is the System drive. We also have an external four drive RAID that can be assigned to any of our Mac workstations via four SATA cables. Whichever Mac you plug them into gets the RAID locally.

All raw footage from tapeless systems is automatically backed up to a different backup drive for archive.

We also edit HD footage (mostly DVCProHD) over a gigabit ethernet network daily.

Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media

Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production and Post
Owner/President/Editor/Designer/Animator

[Themis Gyparis]

Guys, I can’t thank you enough for the responses and the info. Sure, as you pointed out, the switch to a different platform requires time to learn the new stuff. But just to be clear, when I was talking about productivity dropping, I was exclusively referring to the capabilities of one software compared to the other and how easily they are carried out. For example, say I want to make a PiP effect. I’m sure this is done differently. The question is whether it’s faster and easier in FCP. Keeping in mind that FCP runs on OS X rather than XP or Vista, I’m sure I won’t miss much, but I needed to know from people with actual experience on it.

Themis Gyparis
Happy Trimmmer Production and Post Production Studio

[Shane Ross]

[Themis Gyparis] ” when I was talking about productivity dropping, I was exclusively referring to the capabilities of one software compared to the other and how easily they are carried out. “

FYI, different software and hardware have different capabilities. What is a simple thing in Avid might not he in FCP, what is absolutely real time in Vegas or Premiere isn’t in FCP or Avid. What FCP can accomplish with a tip o’ the hat, Vegas cannot. There are lots of give and takes, strengths and weaknesses. So what you need to so is figure out what you need to accomplish, what you need your software/hardware to excel in and then buy the NLE that best suits that need. Because I have seen too many editors bitch and moan that FCP isn’t as RT as Vegas when it came to dropping in any format. Or Avid users complaining about the project sharing capabilities of FCP, or FCP editors complaining that they can’t open and move their raw media on an Avid on the finder level.

[Themis Gyparis] “For example, say I want to make a PiP effect. I’m sure this is done differently. The question is whether it’s faster and easier in FCP”

Than…what? It is easily done, and you can play back without rendering, but before you output the final, you will need to render. And it won’t look as good until it is fully rendered, but playing it back is simple enough. But this is ENTIRELY based on what type of footage you are editing, how fast the media drives are (how many streams of video they support)…processor speed…all the factors.

[Themis Gyparis] “eeping in mind that FCP runs on OS X rather than XP or Vista”

Moot point. OS doesn’t matter.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Peter Corbett]

[walter biscardi] “Expect your productivity to drop by 25% or more when you’re first starting out in FCP. Unless you go out and get yourself a bunch of training right now.”

I reckon my productivity on day one of switching to mac has dropped 95%, but I am enjoying the challenge in a masochistic kind of way…

Peter Corbett
Powerhouse Productions
http://www.php.com.au