[Hans Sieber]

Hi Jane,

I´m not the expert on hardware but if I´m getting you right, you want to create a software Raid 0 inside your machine? And then clone the raid to another raid, presumably Raid 5? Software raids are not nearly as stable as hardware raids. I´ve no experience with such raids concerning stability and performance with large projects. You´ll have a hard time keeping the second set up to date with incoming material. But that´s just a side thought. I would think about getting a professional hardware raid. If you buy a pro Raid you´ll have less hassle in the end. It costs but might save your soul…:)

Cheers Hans

[Hans Sieber]

Correct me if I`m wrong, but each machine on a unity has its own subfolder within the MXF Folder. During scanning they check whats inside this subfolder and write the.pmr file. From that .pmr file the .mdb file is being written. So symphony 1 should not be able to scan subfolder symphony 2 e.g. But john might be on the right track. Exotic names are giving the machine a headache. Another thought might be the file count. How many files are in the subfolder? there´s a file limit which can lead to problems when being surpassed.

[Hans Sieber]

Hi Jane,

been away for some time on a job. So sorry for the delay in answering you. Personally I would import at DNXHD36 for Offline then batch import the locked piece with a online coedc of your liking. AMA changes teh luma values in your H264 QT as I stated in my post. I`ve not found a way around the porblem other than going the import way.
But maybe thats not a problem for you. If your footage is not low level footage you could live with the shift (which also pushes your blacks down). Just do a test import of a clip and then also AMA link it. There you`ll see what is happening. But if you´re shooting with hight contrast or night shots you´ll loose substantial information in your blacks.
Concerning your Raid question I would never do a large project in the JBOD style. You´ll have no backup once a disk crashes. Too risky for my liking. Regarding speed, it depends on the chosen codec. IF you plan to finish in e.g. DNxHD 220 you need serious perfomance. No way to do that with JBOD. For Offline it should work speedwise.

Hope I could be of some assistance.

Cheers
Hans

[Hans Sieber]

Sorry been on a tough job the last days. Michael I don`t think tha the gamma shift I´m talking about is a result of wrong mapping (full range /video range) nor its perian. I tested this on several systems PC/MAC. On version 2. Adrenaline up to 5.5. I always get the same result. A gamma shift every time I´m using a non Avid or strictly RGB (Animation) codec. I did test this by exporting colour bars qusing a QT container with e.g. H264 codec. Open it with AMA and you`ll get the gamma shift. It´s confusing me for more than 2,5 years…

[Hans Sieber]

I can only second what Michael said. BUT there´s one thing to be aware of. Using AMA on H264 clips results a picture with a gamma shift. If your material is rather light this might not pose a problem, but if your´re working with night shots you`ll be crushing your blacks.
AMA is still under construction…

[Hans Sieber]

Dear Anna,

I only use AMA with certain codecs. Avids AMA works pretty fine with DNxHD, Animation, and Camera Files like XDCAM. Prores files have their own problems. I NEVER use AMA for H264 files. The gamma change to the files is irreversible (as far crushed blacks are concerned) and dabbling in CC with heavily compressed files like H264 is a delicate thing in itself. Therefore I recommend a straight import of such files. Do it in the online Codec of your choice. DNxHD 120 seems quite enough for H264 files. Larger codecs don`t improve waht is not there in the first place.
I hope that Avid will fix this problem. It´s been there from the start of AMA. But no avid rep I talked to so far, has ever heard of it. I always get told to check my import settings…

As always time will tell.

Hans

[Hans Sieber]

I would as Michael suggested just do a straight import using some form of Online DNXHD codec without going the offline/online workflow. Relinking in Avid can become VERY troublesome. Sometimes it works other times where everything seems to be the same it doesn`t. Relinkg made me loose a lot of what once was on my had called hair.
Just one little hint from my side. Using AMA with H264 files results in a gamma shift. Its not a false remapping using RGB or 709. It`s a gamma shift by the value of 0.18. It´s not too obvious to get noticed right away but it crushes you blacks very heavily if you got some low light footage. Straight import works fine.
Avids AMA is still not what it should/could be. But time will tell.

Hans

[Hans Sieber]

OK I think I get it now. You can`t relink to a .mov file directly if thats what you tried to do. Avid does its relinking normally by comparing tape name and TC. In your case you have to give your media offline clip this information. The warning from Avid about loosing all refernces is correct. IF you had online files you would change the necessary information of tape name to either batch import or batch digitize the material in case of loosing the media files. In your case you are already offline! So there´s nothing to loose. Just try it. Choose the clip. Do a straight import of the corresponding original clip. Modify the Tape name that it is the same for both files and then try to relink the way I explained in my former posts.

[Hans Sieber]

If you match frame the sequence you end up with the now “offline” clip in your automatic duck sequence. I don`t understand what you did next: “Via get Info I get the source file.. I detect it… What does this mean? If your clip is media offline you shouldn`t be able to use the “reveal file” function if thats what you did. Or did you navigate to the existing .mov file in your folders?
Once you have chosen a media offline clip in you sequnce try to find the corresponding Alexa original clip in your folder structure on your drives. Import this clip into your avid. Now try to relink the media offline clip.

[Hans Sieber]

OK as I`m not in front of my Avid right now, I`ll try to navigate you through the modify game with my limited amount of “softwired” memory…:)
I would try it for one clip first though. Choose one clip in your sequence; match frame; find bin. Then check if there´s a tape name given for this clips. Try to find the “original” clip in your folder structure and link it via AMA or import it. Now you have the “online” clip and its corresponding “offline” clip associated to your sequence. Now do the following: “Offline” Clip right click in bin;modify;set Source: Now you give the clip a tape name. It should be the same as the source column in your “Online” clip. E.g. if your Online clip has as a source name “A0001..” copy this and paste it in the tape name column of your offline clip. Then try to relink. Maybe this does the trick.
Apart from that. Have you tried to “relink to selected online items” as I proposed in my former post? Hav you tried to batch import the sequence?
Keep us informed.