[Bob Zelin]

If the Jelly-Flop was manufactured by Apple, people would actually take this seriously, and buy it – no matter what they charged. “Don’t tell me, the Apple Jelly Flop is the greatest invention in history – brilliant that they are using Floppy Disks”. Maybe LumaForge can introduce a paper tape reader for the next evolution of Jelly Flop with a DEC VT-100 Terminal interface. Now, that would be cool !

Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com

[Bob Zelin]

Hi –
I will be insulting now, so I apologize in advance. It’s nothing personal.

1. You mention getting an Old Mac Pro as the server computer. Would that work with some other computer ? I know the Mac pro seems to have 2 Ethernet ports allowing to simply connect the two edit stations. If I use a computer than only has 1 Ethernet port and I use a decent Ethernet Hub would that work, or would it allow for more issues ?

REPLY – if you have a Mac Mini, you can purchase a thunderbolt to dual port 10G adaptor, and assign each of those ports to your two client computers. These adaptors are typically under $600.

2. What minimum OS system needs to run on the server computer ?
REPLY – OS X Yosemite or El Capitan, just like any modern computer uses. My 2009 Mac Book is running El Capitan.

3. Do you have a link resources on how to “Assign a static IP on one subnet” ?

REPLY – no. You can do your own research, using google. Knowledge is achieved either with your own time and testing, or you HIRE SOMEONE (you pay them money). Why do expect someone to do this for you for free. If you do not want to hire someone to help you who is knowledgeable (any computer guy can do this for you), then you should put the effort out to do this.

Any yes, I do know that you cannot plug two Thunderbolt cables in one drive. It’s a pity, and I look forward to the days when that technology is fully developed, working and reliable.

REPLY – the only thing you look forward to, are the days where things just plug in and work, so you don’t have to learn anything else, or pay someone to help you. Technology is fully developed working and reliable. Are you waiting for the days, where editing is SO SIMPLE that you can use a grade school child to do the editing for you, so you don’t have to learn how to use Adobe Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut Pro or AVID MEdia Composer ? Are you waiting for the days that you can just point your CEL phone at your job, and get a beautiful shot, and then have a grade school child edit this for you for free, so that YOU get to keep all the money from this 2 week job ?
This is what freelance editors and freelance engineers are for. This is what freelance cameramen are for. This is what hire companies are for.

Finally, I could indeed rent a system like that and this is what I would do but: I live in Geneva, Switzerland so it’s not really easy to find a Mac a system like that for rental. And if by a miracle there is a service like that, then it would be way too expensive as everything here is very expensive making it just not possible for this type of production.

REPLY – I am sorry, but I am sure that if you did a simple google search, you would find plenty of rental companies that could provide you with a system.

look ! –
https://www.kftv.com/section/equipment-rental/country/switzerland

https://www.mandy.com/services.php?location=swit&internal=333b975538

I bet you all these companies could point you to the right company to get this equipment, and perhaps many of them would do this for you.
This is called HIRING A CREW, and doing a professional job.
It’s what people do to earn a living

https://www.visuals-switzerland.net/en/

Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com

[Bob Zelin]

you write –
“Is there a solution out there that is fairly cheap and can be set up and run by someone who is not an IT expert ? I insist on the fairly cheap solution because this is a temporary set up for an event lasting two weeks only, not a studio set up made to last for years.”

REPLY – do you mean “is there something out there, that just plugs in, and instantly works, with no setup, so I don’t have to pay anyone to help me”. Answer – NO.

Get an old Mac Pro (borrow one from your friends, or rent one).
connect a drive array to it. plug computer # 1 into Ethernet port 1 on the Mac Pro. plug computer # 2 into Ethernet port 2 on the Mac Pro.
Assign a static IP on one subnet (getting too confusing ?) for computer # 1 and the eth1 port on the Mac Pro. Do the same for computer # 2 (and Ethernet port 2 on the mac pro). Turn on file sharing, and create user names for each computer on the Mac Pro (like “edit1” and “edit2”) and assign these names in the file sharing menu. On your edit computer, click on GO> Connect To server, enter the IP, and it will connect. Do the same for computer # 2. Voila !
Shared storage.

But to repeat – if you think that there is a solution out there, like “can’t I just stick 2 thunderbolt cables into a drive and it will just show up on both computers” – the answer is NO. And even in 2017, when Thunderbolt 3 comes out for Mac’s, and “allegedly” thunderbolt networking will finally work, it will STILL not just plug in and instantly work.

You know, you could rent a system from a company, and have them help you.

Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com

[Bob Zelin]

this is all my stupid opinion.
I am from a background of linear editing, and was an early adaptor of AVID, which all the “professional” editors thought was a joke.

With that mindset – FCP-X day 1 was a joke. Which is the very reason for this forum (the debate). FCP-X is no longer a joke. But unlike all the PROFESSIONAL editors on this forum (including Bill Davis)- it is my personal opinion that Apple’s ONLY goal is to make editing a common place task, no different than printing out a nice letter, or printing out your business cards, or Microsoft’s vision (and Lotus’s vision) of allowing anyone to do word processing and a simple spreadsheet. But of course, this affects what WE do for a living, because for many of “us” – making a wedding video, or a “happy face” corporate video – well, those days are numbered. And I personally cannot forget Apple’s introduction of the HD iPhone, and doing the Burberry corporate video with 14 iPhones at 720p – whose message (in my opinion) was that “you don’t need those idiots on Creative Cow – you can tell your staff to whip out those iPhones, and make your own, very professional corporate video”.

So my whining here is to say that we are a target of this concept, and professionals like Bill Davis are promoting their careers on “Elementary Schools” learning FCP-X so even the 10 year old can produce a lovely video that would be GOOD ENOUGH for most applications, except for possibly major feature films and network television shows. This is a very threatening concept.

I see on YouTube the countless videos (because I am interested in music) of the AMAZING talents of 8 – 12 year old guitarists, drummers and pianists that are as good as any professional. Does this mean that Adele, or others don’t make a living ? No – but for the VAST MAJORITY (this means you – Creative Cow reader) – there is NO WAY you are going to make a living as a musician, unless you are lucky, or are willing to take 50 bucks a night with your band playing the local tavern. And the video “professionals” will earn even less, as “my daughter got an A in video production, because she took Bill Davis’ course, and she is amazing”. And your career is OVER. Because Warner Brothers is not hiring you for their next show. Just like Atlantic Records is not hiring you for their next major album release.

The commodity of the video business is approaching – no different than it happened to the print business, and music business, and word processing business. This will apply to all video applications, including streaming (you are a streaming professional ? My son has his own YouTube channel, and he has 200,000 subscribers and he is 12 years old). That’s the future. And I blame Bill Davis for all of this !!!!!!

Bob Zelin
ps – I have several “professional” photographers as clients. Their work is very impressive (top modeling agencies). When I suggest that they spend under $1000 for a new drive chassis to protect all their work, they say “are you kidding, I don’t have that kind of money”.
This is the hard reality of what is happening to our business.

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com

[Bob Zelin]

I would like to see Bill Davis naked –

because he constantly promotes –
“Know someone who teaches video editing in elementary school, high school or college? Tell them to check out https://www.StartEditingNow.com – video editing curriculum complete with licensed practice content.”

which means that his main agenda is to make Elementary School and High School students proficient in editing, so that this entire forum becomes unemployed, while he thrives.

In the stone age, people had professions of “Word Processors” – people that did data entry with products like Wang Word Processors.
The day that video editing is as common as word processing (or writing a story with a pen and paper), ALL of our careers are over.

Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com

[Bob Zelin]

Hi Mel –
this entire post just makes me angry. Today, Small Tree recommends the GS752TX with their Titanium TZ systems – I just installed one for them at University of Georgia a few weeks ago (all 1G connections to the clients, link agg the 2 port 10G card in the Small Tree server to 2 ports on the switch).

All I can say is –
why didn’t you hire Small Tree ?
Why didn’t you hire Facilis ?
Why didn’t you hire ProMax ?
Why didn’t you hire Maxx Digital ?
why didn’t you hire a vendor that is in the video business ?

I face this stuff constantly. I face it on bids at least once a week. The company IT manager, who is a Windows Server 2012 expert, says “we don’t need any of that crap – we can do it outselves”. And of course, Netgear makes a very nice 10G system that CAN work if it is configured properly. And so does Synology, and so does QNAP.

But if you don’t spec it out correctly, and don’t configure it correctly, it’s not going to work correctly. How to get it to work correctly – simple – HIRE A GUY THAT DOES THAT FOR A LIVING, or hire one of the companies we have been mentioning, or that you see advertise here on Creative Cow .

but the Company IT man says “OH NO, I am not going to bring in an outsider – I am going to show this company that I know it all, and that I can do it all by myself”. And then he fails. Damn – I ask for help ALL THE TIME – why don’t these guys ?????????? What, they passed their MCSR test, and now they know everything ?

I speak to a lot of vendors that you see advertise here. And I hear more and more “we are no longer selling to facility owners, or the editors, we are selling to the IT Manager, that thinks he knows it all”.

You have the Small Tree cards. Had you bought a Small Tree system, you would have a working system right now. With the switch that you own (well, not doing 4K with a 1G connection).

Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com

[Bob Zelin]

for 2 computers you do not need a switch
Mac Mini – go to thunderbolt to 10G box (dual port) – loop your Thunderbolt drive arrays (Promise, Maxx Digital, Areca, G-Tech) onto this thunderbolt loop. Remember, if you don’t have an 8 bay, you will get crappy performance.

Hook up client computer 1 ethernet to one of the two ports on the 10G adaptor. Hookup client computer 2 ethernet to the other port of the 10G adaptor. Assign static IP addresses, setup file sharing, and you have shared storage.

If you need further info, just contact me.

Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com

[Bob Zelin]

I have just re read the post Mel.

You are using a Netgear GS752TX switch. This distributes to your clients via 1GbE, not 10GbE. There is a 10G uplink port that connects to your Netgear ReadyNAS 4220, but your client connection is 1G.

1G connection in THEORY is 125 MB/sec, but in real life is about 100 MB/sec. You are running at 4K ProRes4444, or 422HQ. You are exceeding the bandwidth of 1G.

simply click on https://www.red.com/tools
click on Recording Time
there you will see a chart, that shows the RED cameras, the resolution (4K, etc) the compression ratio, the frame rate, etc. This will tell you exactly the bandwidth you need.

In addition, there is the very wonderful AJA Data Calc from https://www.aja.com under Products> Software. This will show you that your bandwidth requirements are greater than what a 1G connection can give you.

My guess – you kids need some help over there.

Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com

[Bob Zelin]

no one uses Maxx Digital ThunderShare ?
my oh my –
go to my website – https://www.bobzelin.com
and look at the tab on the left that says “Clients Using our SAN”.

your Netgear GS752TX is a very nice switch if you only want 10G connection to your server, and 1G connection to your client computers. For 10G performance, from any company, you need 10G on the server, and 10G at the clients – which means 10G PCIe cards or 10G thunderbolt to 10G adaptors on your iMac’s, Mac Pro Cylinders, etc. And a 10G switch, like the Negear XS712T.

Your Netgear ReadyNAS 4220 is a 12 bay with 2 10G ports. Why is it crappy ? Exactly who set it up for you ?
You mention other excellent brands, like Terrablock, and ProMax, that will also do the job for you.
So will your ReadyNAS. And so will Maxx Digital ThunderShare –

but what so often happens, is that many companies expect THEIR EMPLOYEES to do this, so they can afford any labor charge from a dealer, or manufacturer. I have seen countless posts on how “Facilis sucks, or “EditShare sucks” – simply because these companies were not willing to pay for their support contracts to keep it working.

Let me assure you, that even when Thunderbolt network possibly works with thunderbolt 3 (2017), or you get the Accusys Exasan box that takes in 3 clients with thunderbolt – YOU sir, are not going to be able to set it up. You need help. Had you received professional help, and professional advice on your CRAPPY Netgear ReadyNAS, it would have been working just fine for you.

The #1 thing about ANY PRODUCT – I don’t care if it’s a camera, or edit system, or graphics system, etc, etc. is the QUALIFIED LABOR to get this stuff working and keep it running properly.

Feel free to contact any of the people on that list, to see how “crappy” ThunderShare is.

Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com

[Bob Zelin]

Drobo is a backup solution. So for your application it will probably work just fine.
You see negative comments about them from morons like me, because people try to use these as hi speed storage systems, or shared storage systems which they are not. the other brands, like QNAP, Synology, Netgear, Thecus make hi speed 10G systems that CAN be used for shared storage.

But if all you want it backup, the Drobo will work just fine for you.

And by the way – nothing is future proof. These companies all make sure of that, so you continue to keep spending money with them.

Bob Zelin

Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com