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Opinion about Mac Pro for photo/video/audio stuff
I am looking to upgrade from my old dual-core iMac 24′ to the new Mac Pro and was thinking of the following specs.
Mac Pro
– 6-core 3.33 GHz processor
– 12 GB of RAM
– Intel X25-M SSD 80 GB boot drive, 1 TB Data drive, 2x WD RE3 1 TB in RAID 0
– ATI Radeon 5770As I don’t do broadcast work, I’m not planning on getting a reference video monitor just yet, so I was thinking of the HP LP2475w computer monitors (calibrated of course).
As I shoot mostly on the Canon XH A1 and 5D Mark II, I do not need a capture card just yet, because the tape footage goes straight to the Mac via FireWire 800 and to ProRes immediatly.
For audio monitoring, I’m leaning towards the Genelec 6010a with the 5040 subwoofer and the Apogee Duet interface.
To make editing a bit easier, I’m also getting the Wacom Intuos4 tablet.
I will back up everything to external eSATA or FireWire drives.
Is this a good setup for the diverse stuff I do (video editing, audio voiceovers, photo editing, …) ?
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17 Replies
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You only need ONE of the Dreamcolor monitors…they are pretty expensive. People use them in place of broadcast monitors. For regular computer monitors, look at Dell 22″…each one runs around $300.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Don’t get a subwoofer. You should have a pair of good speaker for accurate monitoring.
Chris Tompkins
Video Atlanta -
You can save your money on the 80GB SSD drive as well.
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Hi Shane,
Which Dell model do you recommend?
OSX 10.5.7; MAC Book PRO (EARLY 2008); Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30, Sony vx2000/PD170, Canon xl2; Pana, Sony, and Canon consumer cams; FCP certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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And which speakers do you recommend?
Thanks,
Nace -
I was actually looking at the non-Dreamcolor HP LP2475w, which runs for about 550$, whereas the LP2480zx Dreamcolor runs for 2400$.
Will the LP2475w have what it takes to be a good reference monitor replacement for editing or should I really look towards the higher-end Dreamcolor? Will the difference even be worth the extra 2000$?Thanks,
Nace -
$550 for a monitor is a tad much lately. A good 22″ Dell will do well. What model? Just go to the Dell Professional section of the dell site and look at the 22″ models. I have two 24″ models and they are too big. 2408. Wishing for two 22″ers now.
[Nace Zavrl] “Will the LP2475w have what it takes to be a good reference monitor replacement for editing or should I really look towards the higher-end Dreamcolor?”
NO…that will be a good computer display. The extra $2000 is what makes the Dreamcolor work so well…
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thanks for the clarification Shane,
So what kind of setup do you propose, 2x Dell 22” and the Dreamcolor? I doubt my budget would allow for the Dreamcolor, but thanks anyways.
Nace,
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Well, My experience with the Dreamcolor is nil. I don’t know how well it would do without a capture card feeding it a signal. You’d have to run two graphics cards to get a signal to three monitors, and two cards can mess up a few things in FCP, definately in Motion and Color. They have components that rely on the graphics card, and two will confuse it.
Jeremy Garchow uses one…wait for him to respond.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
for audio monitors – i swear by the PMC DB1SA models.
I have put them in direct comparison with several other well known brands and i found these to be the most accurate sounding monitor for the price.
adam
Adam Taylor
Video Editor/Audio Mixer/ Compositor/Motion GFX/Barista
Character Options Ltd
Oldham, UKhttp://www.sculptedbliss.co.uk
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