macbook external HD for FCP Express 4

[Zane Barker]

Fire wire is the ONLY way to go for a Macbook. USB works in bursts of data and therefore will cause problems when you try and use files needing high constant data rates like video.

Don’t let technology get in the way of your creativity!

[John Gyldstrand]

Zane if you need a great low cost firewire solution give me a call 714-374-4944 or e-mail me at johng@maxxdigital.com.

[Zane Barker]

I don’t know why you are offering that to me, I am not the one who posted the question about the drives.

I said it was the only way to go for a macbook because there are no other option s that are better. I prefer esata as it keeps my camera/deck on a completely separate bus from the hard drive. Keeping them on separate busses prevents SO MANY potential problems.

Don’t let technology get in the way of your creativity!

[Steven J. gilbert]

Zane,

Is there going to be a problem that the macbook has only one firewire drive? Your thoughts?

Steve

[Zane Barker]

[Steven J. Gilbert] “Is there going to be a problem that the macbook has only one firewire drive?”

If you mean FireWire ports YES. ALL Apple computers come with only one FireWire bus, even though they may have multiple “ports” there is still only one “Bus”. Think of it as a pipe, that is only so wide, the “pipe” or “bus” will only allow only so much through at a time. That is why is is HIGHLY recommended to keep your media drives on a separate bus then your camera/deck. With a Macbook Pro or a MacPro you have the ability to add an additional FireWire Card and thus a additional FireWire Bus, although there are also far better options then adding a additional FireWire Bus, like using eSata which is much faster then FireWire.

Several years back I was forced to do all my editing from a PowerBook using only FireWire hard drives on the one internal FireWire bus (my boss could not understand how getting a PCMCIA FireWire Card would be help). Typically capture went ok however at times I did get dropped frames. The bigger problems happened when laying back to tape for a master, because of the editing and effects added, it ment there was a bit more attempting to go thought the the Bus or Pipe at the same time, causing dripped frames. I would often have to make several attempts at mastering to tape before I got a clean master. Talk about a wast of time.

Don’t let technology get in the way of your creativity!

[Steven J. gilbert]

Zane,

Thanks for the reply! Unfortunately I read the words MacBook PRO and MacPRO. The little laptop I got was a MacBook with only one firewire port. Can a DA be used to have multiple ports on the same bus? Or do I just deal with the system drive and add a partition? This is not my main system, just an alternative with low end programs (FCExpress, PSElements). Thanks.

Steve

[Walter Biscardi]

A single FW port should cause no issues at all with DV editing. You simply connect your FW drive to the laptop and your camera or VTR to the drive.

I used to do this all the time when I edited with a laptop on location, even DVCPro HD was no problem.

As for a drive, get yourself a good quality FW400 unit. You can contact the folks at MaxxDigital for some thoughts or look for a LaCie, WiebeTech or G-Tech drive.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

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[Steve Owen]

If I understand correctly; If I am using a FW800 drive to store media files captured from my HDV camcorder connected via FW400, the whole bus slows to FW400.(powerbook G4)

Is this also the case with daisy chaining the camera thru the FW800 drive?

If I use an eSATA drive connected via a card bus my transfer will not be slowed. Or possibly a FW card bus for the camera?

Thanks
SteveO