Optimum configuration for iMac i7 setup with Final cut X and external drives

[Craig Seeman]

We probably won’t know for sure until we see how those H.264 files are handled but there are some things one should be looking for. Given the 64bit nature of things you may want to be open to getting more RAM since FCPX should be able to use it if you find any performance issues with your current amount.

BTW is this a new Thunderbolt iMac?

One question will be how HDV from tape will be imported since there’s been some debate about how tape will be supported.

If H.264 genuinely handles well you may be able to avoid going to Apple ProRes which could save on hard drive space used.

[Sohrab Sandhu]

[Joshua Haschke] “I am currently filming a documentary movie filming on 3 types camera and media: Canon XH 1a (HDV at 24), Sony NEX 5 (Full 1080HD avchd) and iphone 4 (720p)”

An editor’s worst nightmare!

Thank God you plan to edit on your own.

2.66 GHz 8-core, ATI Radeon HD 4870,
FCS 3, AJA Kona Lhi

“The creative person wants to be a know-it-all. He wants to know about all kinds of things: ancient history, nineteenth-century mathematics, current manufacturing techniques, flower arranging, and hog futures. Because he never knows when these ideas might come together to form a new idea. It may happen six minutes later or six months, or six years down the road. But he has faith that it will happen.” — Carl Ally

[Craig Seeman]

Actually mixing those three formats will show what FCPX is truly made of. HDV tape input and two H.264 codecs. Nothing will match. This is a pretty good torture test project.

[Joshua Haschke]

Thanks so much…

Yes its a thunderbolt iMac. Have I doomed myself from using three different cameras to catch 3 different angles? One reply said its a “nightmare..” ” nothing will match” because of the codecs. what are your thoughts? Is it still possible?

Are we talking massive amounts of time? how would you set up the external 4TB drive? should i not set anything up until FCPX comes out? i have about 300 gigs of footage from the next 5 and iphone archived.. and the canon footage is still on tape.

In addition.. its already maxed out at 16gigs of ram.. i guess that will have to do. i only got the iMac instead of the Mac pro to keep the whole project under a $10,000 budget…. perhaps this was a mistake.

Thanks so much,

Cheers,

Thunderbolt iMac 27″ i7 3.4, 1TB internal HD, 16G Ram and AMD Radeon HD 6970M with 2G VRam. WD 4TB and 500G WD External HD

[James Mortner]

“Actually mixing those three formats will show what FCPX is truly made of. HDV tape input and two H.264 codecs. Nothing will match. This is a pretty good torture test project.”

One of the most intelligent things I’ve read in this forum. I wouldn’t especially want to be the editor on this as you will be in utterly uncharted waters.

Best of luck to you sir !