Mac video editing studio setup

[nagarajps]

I am interested in making an editing studio for my own. I like to work on many projects at once so I need some "advice" on best bang for my buck. I am familiar with mac, I have 3 IMACs with final cut studio. Now I would like to upgrade and have server setup etc and an awesome computer for editing. Already have 3 IMACs but would like to have a studio setup. So Plz advice me the best system configs and server setup.
video type useing: 1080p, 1980p( 5D mark II videos)
Montly Storage space useing: 2-3TB

Plz advice me

 

[LethalWolfe]

What's your budget?


Lethal

 

[gameface]

What's your budget?


Lethal

Seriously!

OP - You can edit DSLR footage on a mac mini for chistsakes. My system happens to cost around $10K but I do it for a living. It's all in what you need and what you can afford and you haven't told us either.

 

[mBox]

Apple Store

You cant lose with any of the MacPro options.
And yes your fine with your iMacs unless you plan on editing Uncompressed/2K/3K/4K/8k.....you get the hint

 

[nagarajps]

hi all

budget is not a problem. but i should know the system configurations and graphic/video cards, server setup etc

 

[handsome pete]

budget is not a problem. but i should know the system configurations and graphic/video cards, server setup etc

You really need to come up with a general budget limit. If budget is really not an issue, then I could easily configure you a $50,000 studio.

 

[LethalWolfe]

budget is not a problem. but i should know the system configurations and graphic/video cards, server setup etc

If budget isn't a problem this is really easy. Buy the most expensive Mac Pro you can from Apple, the most expensive card from AJA, the most expensive monitor from FSI, the Tektronix WFM8300 (plus all the options), the best Genelec has to offer and contact EditShare to build out a top-of-the-line shared storage system for you.


Lethal

 

[mBox]

If budget isn't a problem this is really easy. Buy the most expensive Mac Pro you can from Apple, the most expensive card from AJA, the most expensive monitor from FSI, the Tektronix WFM8300 (plus all the options), the best Genelec has to offer and contact EditShare to build out a top-of-the-line shared storage system for you.


Lethal

Haha I think it moved

 

[gameface]

contact EditShare to build out a top-of-the-line shared storage system for you.

Oh please for the love of god don't go with editshare. Their homebase was directly below a production company I have done a bunch of work for here. I have had nothing but problems with them and they would send their techs upstairs and sometimes THEY would be scratching their heads.

This company I am freelancing at today uses Facilis and that **** is even worse!

Both these have horrible content management software. But then again, if you aren't making separate volumes for each job maybe you won't have any issues.

You claim you don't nee much in size so why not go with a 4-bay Raid5 through eSata. much cheaper and it has served my purposes for the last couple years when I work from home. Over 35 half hour (23 minute) broadcast HD shows cut using that as my storage system and has worked like a charm.

 

[mBox]

...You claim you don't nee much in size so why not go with a 4-bay Raid5 through eSata. much cheaper and it has served my purposes for the last couple years when I work from home. Over 35 half hour (23 minute) broadcast HD shows cut using that as my storage system and has worked like a charm.

Hey maybe you can give help me Just set-up a G-Tech esPro 4TB using a ATTO Express SAS R380.
Im using the ATTO software to format this thing.
I have it set to RAID 5.
You think thats overkill for a basic read a fast drive for RED files (R3D video files)?
Also its taking forever to do one drive of four

 

[gameface]

I don't think it is overkill at all. When I do RED I transcode to Prores Proxy for my offline and reconnect to the RED after picture lock. Doing that I am able to multiclip 16 video tracks and edit using open sync seemlessly on my 2.8 Quad. The RAID5 over eSata does a great job.

I honestly can't remember what/how I formatted mine originally. I believe I used the tools that came with the drive (OWC Qx2).

The nice thing about the RAID5 is you have a semi safety blanket with parity but don't have the speed hit like a RAID1. You said 4TB, so you do know that the final usable space will be 3TB as it is the size of 3 of your 4 drives?

 

[mBox]

I don't think it is overkill at all. When I do RED I transcode to Prores Proxy for my offline and reconnect to the RED after picture lock. Doing that I am able to multiclip 16 video tracks and edit using open sync seemlessly on my 2.8 Quad. The RAID5 over eSata does a great job.

I honestly can't remember what/how I formatted mine originally. I believe I used the tools that came with the drive (OWC Qx2).

The nice thing about the RAID5 is you have a semi safety blanket with parity but don't have the speed hit like a RAID1. You said 4TB, so you do know that the final usable space will be 3TB as it is the size of 3 of your 4 drives?

Yep I dont mind the space hit
So true about forgetting how you format something.
Ive done that a few times here
Good thing Im an island and dont have to worry about someone screwing a format on me. I deal with everything my own
but what about the formatting? I remember doing this with a few 16TB G-Techs but not sure it takes this long.
That was of course using G-Techs software, Im using ATTO at the moment.
I do have room for flub, were dealing with 16GB CFs from RED at the moment.
We just go word that our SSD REDMAG has been sent...uh what about the SSD media? All I hear is crickets

 

[Synthion]

Go with a high-end Mac Pro.

 

[nagarajps]

hi all
plz help me, dont tell generally. i am not going to set up movie editing studio. small video editing studio with 3 IMACs. so give me your suggetions and system/server configs, cards etc. so that i can plan. as i told i am doing wedding video edting. so mid level budget will do. not so high and not so low also.

 

[gameface]

Well you can't place cards in your imacs. The easiest, cheapest way to do this is to set up a SAN and connect all your Imacs to the shared storage via ethernet.

 

[Hallivand]

You can't add any cards into iMacs so thats not going to happen.
Throw in a few external FireWire drives and you should be right.

Edit: Beaten to the post
Anyway make sure you have editing software, such as final cut express or FCX (maybe just hold out until whenever that's is released)

 

[stefmesman]

get the base model mac pro, or the 8 core if your budget allows it. get s reasonable set of speakers such as Genelec's, KRK, or if your budget allows it get adams. since u do all on digital format its not really needed to buy any optical > digital capture devices. If you want to go even more fancy get an color correction monitor from Eizo or such. Ofcourse only if you are going to use color correction wich i bet you will. Get a desktop konnekt 8 from if you want to have easy volume control and life DB levels. Also this will allow you to connect an XLR microphone and L/R auio input with an headphone volume button. and ofcourse a good storage system such as a 4Bay Raid 5 from g-raid.

Stef

 

[ibennetch]

budget is not a problem.

Perhaps my favorite statement!

I like the look of the WFM8300 posted by LethalWolfe, but make sure you're using the 3G input with the Kona3G to maintain your quality throughout; it makes no sense to have a 3G scope and output composite, for instance. The Tektronix model I use most often seems to be discontinued and besides the menu is a bit of a pain, but most of their products are superb.

Others have suggested various amps and speakers, which I don't have a strong opinion on anyway. I do like the Dorrough audio meters, though, so get the 1200 for stereo loudness and 5x 340-C, 1x 240-C (plus the rackmount!) for surround. Now that most of us[1] have to worry about dialnorm, get the Dolby LM100 as well.

Please use them appropriately, too; one of my clients has an editor who thinks the -20 indicator shows clipping and runs his nominal signal around -45 and a second guy who thinks -1db is a good target.

Video monitoring: I think the current revision of what we have is the Sony BVM-L231, but the way model lines go I'm not 100% sure. Make sure you get the appropriate option card to handle the 3G from your Kona. If you're doing client screenings in the edit room, you can be cheaper on the huge "wow" monitor but will want something like this with good color representation for your work.

1- yes, I realize you might not be in the same country as me, but your profile doesn't specify and most of the other recommendations are based off of a US-centric format anyway.

I have 3 IMACs with final cut studio. Now I would like to upgrade and have server setup etc and an awesome computer for editing.

small video editing studio with 3 IMACs.

Which is it -- do you want to upgrade and have a server and awesome computer, or do you want to use your existing iMacs?

budget is not a problem.

so mid level budget will do. not so high and not so low also.

Again, which is it? Before I saw the "mid level budget" comment I spent 30 minutes researching model numbers (and others have put more time and effort than me) working under the "budget is not a problem" comment. What is "mid-level"? To me, that might be $30,000; for you it could be $2,000, for someone else maybe $75,000.

As gameface points out, you're really limiting your I/O and storage options with an Imac. It will constrict your ability to ingest, monitor, and output as well as dictate how you need to store your projects.

 

[mBox]

Please use them appropriately, too; one of my clients has an editor who thinks the -20 indicator shows clipping and runs his nominal signal around -45 and a second guy who thinks -1db is a good target...

Im usually around -12 using Avid with XDCAM. Whats the norm in your world?

 

[gameface]

Im usually around -12 using Avid with XDCAM. Whats the norm in your world?

I use -12 with peaks up to, but not exceeding, -6 for broadcast. That person described above seems to be confused between mic vs line inputs.

 

[ibennetch]

That person described above seems to be confused between mic vs line inputs.

Heh, I wish. First, they're all digital, so no mic vs line anyway, but secondly I'm pretty sure they have no grasp of such "advanced" audio concepts. This is the same firm where the head of the creative department, when it was brought up that the levels were off, said it sounded fine on his computer speakers and suggested that we turn up our monitors to make it louder.

To answer gameface's question, we normally run the averages around -18 which puts the peaks around -9, but regarding what the editors create, anything consistent would be fine...it's when we try to mix the -45db guy with the 0db guy that I get a headache. I think the -18db was set because we work entirely in surround sound and when it's panned and mixed down the stereo mix ends up around the -12db level you both use. I'll ask the grand master audio wizard when I see him later this week. Also, our facility isn't really a post house, so YMMV a bit.

Kind regards

 

[gameface]

This is the same firm where the head of the creative department, when it was brought up that the levels were off, said it sounded fine on his computer speakers and suggested that we turn up our monitors to make it louder.

 

[martinX]

If it's just you on your own, why do you need 3 iMacs (each with FCS)? If you only had one Mac, you wouldn't need a "server", just direct attached storage.

 

[mBox]

Heh, I wish. First, they're all digital, so no mic vs line anyway, but secondly I'm pretty sure they have no grasp of such "advanced" audio concepts. This is the same firm where the head of the creative department, when it was brought up that the levels were off, said it sounded fine on his computer speakers and suggested that we turn up our monitors to make it louder.

To answer gameface's question, we normally run the averages around -18 which puts the peaks around -9, but regarding what the editors create, anything consistent would be fine...it's when we try to mix the -45db guy with the 0db guy that I get a headache. I think the -18db was set because we work entirely in surround sound and when it's panned and mixed down the stereo mix ends up around the -12db level you both use. I'll ask the grand master audio wizard when I see him later this week. Also, our facility isn't really a post house, so YMMV a bit.

Kind regards

Too funny
Yea we try to stay in-bounds across the board but now add BD Authoring, audio is weak at times so I have to ride it above -12 at times

 

[gameface]

If it's just you on your own, why do you need 3 iMacs (each with FCS)? If you only had one Mac, you wouldn't need a "server", just direct attached storage.

Shizz I knew a company who had 3 edit bays and they all shared footage off internal MacPro drives (not system drives) via their crappy network. It wasn't ideal but it got her through the year until she could buy her used $30K Facilis server.

People over think this stuff all the time. 95% of the people who ask questions here have no clue what they are talking about, no clue what the limitations of their systems/infrastructure are and basically no general grasp other than "I'm editing 1080p, lol".