Storage and Workflow

[ApleSmaple1981]

Greetings community,

I am very much an avid amateur/hobbyist looking for expert/experienced advice.

I use FCPX and other programs to edit video taken from my DSLR (I soon will be experimenting with ML Raw on the 5D MKIII).

I currently have a MacBook Pro 2011 (2.2ghz i7 with 4GB of ram) I would like to unload much of the video/music/data off my HD onto an external HD and use that HD for backup (Time Machine, which I have never used)

So that is 1 HD for backup

Also, I would like to purchase a fast HD to edit video, render it, then export it to a final file and transfer to the other HD for backup and clean up the files on it for a future edit.

So to recap I need advice:

1. A HD for back/storage of all files (time machine) including video from FCPX and other programs as well as finished products (edited pictures/videos)

2. A HD for fast editing/rendering/editing/exporting of new projects

What advice can you offer?

I also may look to get a new iMac by January or a refurbished one as that may warrant better performance than my current configuration.

Thoughts?

Thanks!!!

 

[nateo200]

Greetings community,

I am very much an avid amateur/hobbyist looking for expert/experienced advice.

I use FCPX and other programs to edit video taken from my DSLR (I soon will be experimenting with ML Raw on the 5D MKIII).

I currently have a MacBook Pro 2011 (2.2ghz i7 with 4GB of ram) I would like to unload much of the video/music/data off my HD onto an external HD and use that HD for backup (Time Machine, which I have never used)

So that is 1 HD for backup

Also, I would like to purchase a fast HD to edit video, render it, then export it to a final file and transfer to the other HD for backup and clean up the files on it for a future edit.

So to recap I need advice:

1. A HD for back/storage of all files (time machine) including video from FCPX and other programs as well as finished products (edited pictures/videos)

2. A HD for fast editing/rendering/editing/exporting of new projects

What advice can you offer?

I also may look to get a new iMac by January or a refurbished one as that may warrant better performance than my current configuration.

Thoughts?

Thanks!!!

If your serious about storage to edit off of look into RAID 0 options from LaCie, Promise, Western Digital or even Drobo, they will offer the read and write speeds needed for editing in formats like ProRes which is probably what you use if you use FCP or any NLE on a Mac really. If you go to Apple online store they have a good selection although personally I would research a little bit more in depth. RAID 0 is for speed while RAID 1 is for redundancy...for backing up I'd say a reliable hard drive from any well known brand would be good and it won't need to break the bank as speed for back ups shouldn't be your focus. I don't currently edit off a RAID but I can tell you from past experience it is worth it speed wise. For RAID's your going to want a fast connection like USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt, your MacBook Pro is a 2011 so it might not have USB 3.0 but it should have Thunderbolt (which is >2x faster that USB 3.0), not sure I'd have to have more details (check the side where you connect peripherals and see if you have a little lightning bolt next to one of the ports) Also I would go ahead and up your RAM to at least 8GB's if not maybe 12GB's, I've edited off 4GB's and its just not enough for longer projects or short ones with allot of stuff going on, even if you look into an iMac its great to have to have multiple machines.

http://store.apple.com/us/mac/mac-accessories/storage#!