Thunderbolt –> eSata adapter ??

[Ron Priest]

Thanks Fredy for that update, I appreciate it. I haven’t purchased my iMac yet. I’ve been waiting to purchase it until a good solution came along for editing FCP 7 and to start learning FCP X on it using my eSata enclosures. This TB to Express/Card 34 adapter seems to be the ticket. I have a MacBook Pro with TB, but I still do most of my in studio editing on my old 2006 MacPro and it of course, does’t have TB. So, I don’t want to rush right out and purchase TB Enclosures if I can’t access them on my Mac Pro to accomplish color correction and encoding for DVD/Blu-ray. I don’t want to be rushed into learning FCP X and will still need to edit most of my current projects in FCP 7, although on the new iMac, and only accomplish color correction and encoding on the old Mac Pro.

I’m going to make this thread known to some other videographers over at Video University. Some of them may have questions for your also.

Thanks again.

Ron Priest
Videographer
Louisville, KY

[Thomas Morter-laing]

I too have the concern about the adapter getting pretty hot! The read speeds are good though. Incidentally in regards to the write speed issue thing, this is a problem being worked out with the people who supplied me with the adapter- although I’ve promised not to say anything yet( some stuff may be going down between a couple of big manufacturers ;), I would advise to anyone NOT to buy the standard esata card at this time- get the Tempo Pro version. I’m sure I can elaborate in a few days time 🙂

Tom Morter-Laing
Editor
Certified Apple Product Proffessional, 2010

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Thanks if you can help 😀
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Equipment (not for ‘bragging’, but in case it’s relevant to future posts :D): Canon 7D, with Rode NTG2.
iMac 27″ intel i7 3.4GHz, 12GB RAM, ATI HD 6970M [2GB GDDR5], G-Tech G-RAID 2TB (soon to be over eSata!). Elgato Turbo H264HD.

[Ron Priest]

[Thomas Morter-Laing] ” I would advise to anyone NOT to buy the standard esata card at this time- get the Tempo Pro version. I’m sure I can elaborate in a few days time :)”

Okay, well that’s the eSata card I currently have so maybe I’m in good shape then. When do you suppose you can let us in on the additional information you have Thomas?

Ron Priest
Videographer
Louisville, KY

[Thomas Morter-laing]

You have which, the Pro version?

Apparently a statement may be released as early as Monday- I’m sure it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but I’d rather not betray confidence of my retailer who has direct communication with the involved parties 🙂

Tom Morter-Laing
Editor
Certified Apple Product Proffessional, 2010

——————————
Thanks if you can help 😀
——————————

Equipment (not for ‘bragging’, but in case it’s relevant to future posts :D): Canon 7D, with Rode NTG2.
iMac 27″ intel i7 3.4GHz, 12GB RAM, ATI HD 6970M [2GB GDDR5], G-Tech G-RAID 2TB (soon to be over eSata!). Elgato Turbo H264HD.

[Ron Priest]

[Thomas Morter-Laing] “You have which, the Pro version?”

Yes, I have the Tempo SATA Pro Card

Ron Priest
Videographer
Louisville, KY

[Thomas Morter-laing]

Fredy and Ron, i you have a chance could you use a utility to give me the read and write speeds of your drives when in use with the thunderbolt-express card adapter please?

(This is a free one:

[Thomas Morter-laing]

And now the link lol: https://bit.ly/xijRau

Tom Morter-Laing
Editor
Certified Apple Product Proffessional, 2010

——————————
Thanks if you can help 😀
——————————

Equipment (not for ‘bragging’, but in case it’s relevant to future posts :D): Canon 7D, with Rode NTG2.
iMac 27″ intel i7 3.4GHz, 12GB RAM, ATI HD 6970M [2GB GDDR5], G-Tech G-RAID 2TB (soon to be over eSata!). Elgato Turbo H264HD.

[Mick Kalber]

OK…. Time to upgrade. Am considering iMac with Thunderbolt, but having read that some folks (altho not all) are struggling with the reliability of the Pegasus Raids, I’m thinking about hooking up my current Raid array (4 enclosures, 5-500Gb drives in each, with one eSata port multiplier on each) via Thunderbolt using Sonnet’s Tempo Sata Pro ExpressCard/34 adapter. If I’m reading the specs correctly, I should be able to connect two enclosures with each adapter to the two Thunderbolt ports on the iMac, correct? Will this work, or have I missed something here? Figured I’d wait to pick up the Thunderbolt Pegasus R6 array until the issues seem to be resolved. At that time I’ll abandon the eSata array and just use Thunderbolt. BTW, which Thunderbolt arrays are the best… Pegasus, Sonnet, or another manufacturer? Does there seem to be a consensus, or is that debatable? Also, I know that FCP 7 has been discontinued, but is it still available… and if so, where? As always, CC advice is greatly appreciated!

Aloha!

Mick Kalber
Tropical Visions Video, Inc.
Hilo, Hawaii

[Thomas Morter-laing]

[Mick Kalber] If I’m reading the specs correctly, I should be able to connect two enclosures with each adapter to the two Thunderbolt ports on the iMac, correct? Will this work, or have I missed something here?

—I assume you mean also using their Echo ExpressCard /34 Thunderbolt adapter? Yes that will work fine, and the read speeds should pretty much max out at 200MB/s- it almost does on standard G-Raids in RAID 0. However, based on what I currently know the write speeds will max out at 80MB/s which is not much more than you could get with FW800. Thats at THIS stage, Sonnet are apparently working some stuff out with Apple as we speak.

Figured I’d wait to pick up the Thunderbolt Pegasus R6 array until the issues seem to be resolved. At that time I’ll abandon the eSata array and just use Thunderbolt. BTW, which Thunderbolt arrays are the best… Pegasus, Sonnet, or another manufacturer? Does there seem to be a consensus, or is that debatable? Also, I know that FCP 7 has been discontinued, but is it still available… and if so, where? As always, CC advice is greatly appreciated!”

Huh? So now you’re saying you want just thunderbolt drives? Cool, well that would be a ton faster (but more expensive) at this point. I gather the specs of most thunderbolt RAIDs are pretty much the same here, and you won’t notice much difference at this stage- I’d go with Sonnet because their customer relations has been very good so far.

I gather you can still buy Final Cut Studio 3 but by telephone only, so give them a call 🙂 Or try Amazon.

Tom Morter-Laing
Editor
Certified Apple Product Proffessional, 2010

——————————
Thanks if you can help 😀
——————————

Equipment (not for ‘bragging’, but in case it’s relevant to future posts :D): Canon 7D, with Rode NTG2.
iMac 27″ intel i7 3.4GHz, 12GB RAM, ATI HD 6970M [2GB GDDR5], 2x G-Tech G-RAID (0) 2TB over Thunderbolt via Sonnet Echo ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt adapter and Tempo™ SATA ExpressCard/34. Elgato Turbo H264HD.

[Mick Kalber]

Sorry… Wasn’t clear… I have a project whose media lives on my current raids to finish up, then I’d like to go thunderbolt, if it’s reliable. But I’m not sure the read/write speeds will be fast enough using the adapters. Project is HDCAM 4:2:2 uncompressed (don’t ask y), which I think requires faster speeds than 80 Mb. Guess I could redigitize at pro res… that would require less speed, wouldn’t it? Maybe I should just go thunderbolt and redigitize material to those drives. Thots? Mahalo.

Mick Kalber
Tropical Visions Video, Inc.
Hilo, Hawaii